Idle No More

One year ago, PSAC stood together with the Idle No More movement to defend our lands and our country.In the Prairies, we teamed up with William Singer III, a First Nations artist and activist who has been instrumental to the movement in Lethbridge and surrounding areas, to produce a special Idle No More button.

PSAC has developed Idle No More buttons to be distributed throughout the Prairie Region. William Singer III, a First Nations artist and activist who has been instrumental to the movement in Lethbridge and surrounding areas, created the button’s original artwork.

Idle No More has emerged to be the most important movement in Canada right now. For people who are new to Indigenous organizing or movements, it can sometimes feel like the issue is to too complex, too overwhelming and too large to understand. In partnership with the Canvass Campus Assembly Initiative, I’ve written this Q&A on Idle No More with an eye to a labour audience. This work should be seen as dynamic and suggested changes and additions are welcomed.

Today marks the Idle No More World Day of Action, a momentous day for the historic movement that has swept the country and attracted global attention and support. As MPs return to Parliament Hill today, we will stand together to peacefully protest attacks on democracy, Indigenous freedoms, human rights and environment protections.

Idle No More was founded by four women in Saskatchewan who felt it was urgent to act on current and upcoming legislation that not only affects First Nations people, but all Canadians. The movement has been quickly building for nearly two months, with round dances, rallies and teach-ins taking place across the country.  PSAC members have embraced the movement, attending events in Regina, Winnipeg and throughout the Prairies in support and solidarity.

How can an average non-indigenous, non-activist, yet conscientious citizen of Canada, support the Idle No More movement? The Tyee presents a few ideas. Not all of these actions are concrete or measurable, but all of them truly do matter.

I'm white - don't know what kind of white, some kind of Anglo Saxon, but certainly not native (although I tan really well), and  in University I learned a lot about the Indian Act and the history of First Nations people in Canada, and I naturally felt sorry for their plight. The theft of their children, the erradication of their languages, and the systematic assimilation of their way of life is a disgrace to the Canadian self image which continues to this day, and is arguably accelerating.

A discussion by Priscilla Settee and Sheelah McLean about where Idle No More came from, what its goals are as a movement and where it is going.

Imagine a country where the national government introduces and passes legislation that detrimentally affects all of its First Nations communities but it doesn't bother to consult with them. Does this have implications for all Canadians? You bet it does. This will not be the last time that individuals or groups will take such extreme measures in response to the federal government's public policy process or lack thereof.

The Idle No More movement continues to gain momentum, with events held across the country on a regular basis, consistent coverage from major media outlets, and growing support from the public. In Saskatchewan, PSAC members united with activists from other unions and community groups to participate in Idle No More rallies and marches.