Idle No More

An ongoing protest movement that began in December 2012, Idle No More is led by three First Nations women and a non-Indigenous ally. Bringing together grassroots actors from the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, the movement advocates against the omnibus bill, Bill C-45. The movement is inspired by the liquid diet hunger strike of Chief Theresa Spence and strives to respond to legislative abuses of Indigenous treaty right by then Canadian Prime Ministers Stephen Harper.

Coming together in solidarity

Following his victory in the 2011 elections, Stephen Harper proposed a number of omnibus bills and introduced sweeping changes through them. Many of these bills had been produced before the parliament, and the removal of protection granted for forests and waterways presented under Bill C-45 evoked major concern from Indigenous communities and environmentalists.

This Bill overhauled an existing law called the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) of 1882, and called it the Navigable Protection Act (NPA). The NWPA mandated an extensive approval and consultation process before any kind of construction could take place in and around any water body that is navigable by any floating craft.

However, the new legislation made it mandatory to seek approval only around a small list of waterways identified by the Minister of Transportation. Several waterways were deregulated, most of which passed through Indigenous land. This paved the way for construction and extractive mining projects to proceed, to the detriment of Indigenous lands.

Idle No More emerged as an endeavour to counter these actions by the government.

Resisting displacement and extraction

Aiming to protect water, air, land and all creation for the current and future generations, the movement is entirely rooted in Indigenous Ways of Knowing. The movement decided to promote environmental protection and Indigenous sovereignty by implementing leadership structures and councils, coordinating and organising rallies and public advocacy while also taking care to counter misinformation, and sustain discussions and dialogue with the government. As part of their efforts, they also included round dances in public places, and carried out the sustained blockades of railway lines. The movement dedicated itself to the education and revitalization of indigenous people, and the protection of the natural environment. The movement organized teach-ins, rallies, and protests, and denounced the discriminatory legislation.

Flash-mobs at shopping malls became a recurring theme, and roadblocks were also conducted as part of their advocacy. With time, these protests spread beyond Canada, to the UK, US, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, and Egypt.

In response to the protest, then Prime Minister Harper announced a meeting with a delegation of First Nations leaders, which showed some promise, but the Bill was passed in the Canadian parliament.

Ongoing activism

The Idle No More movement continues to advocate for change – and sustains its activism to rein colonial and imperial systems. In 2021, for instance, they advocated for the cancellation of Canada Day. The movement also continues to advocate for justice for the institutional murder of indigenous children in Canadian history.

Idle No More is led by women, and drives a call for re-founded nation-to-nation relations built on mutual respect. It engaged in collective work beyond borders, building an inclusive, continent-wide network of urban and rural Indigenous communities. It also mobilized across lines, welcoming non-Indigenous allies into its fold, to build and further the movement for Indigenous rights and the protection of land, water, and sky.  The movement strives to put justice and repair at the heart of its activism, recognizing the damage caused and normalized by colonialism, and striving to repair the impact of these violations to protect the planet and its resources.

References

Van Gelder, Sarah (2013). "Why Canada's Indigenous Uprising Is About All of Us". https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/issues-how-cooperatives-are-driving-the-new-economy/2013/02/08/why-canada2019s-indigenous-uprising-is-about-all-of-us

Galloway, Gloria; Moore, Oliver (2012). "Idle No More protests, blockades spread across country". https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/idle-no-more-protests-blockades-spread-across-country/article7406990/?page=all

Gordon, Jessica. (n.d.) "Idle No More: Idle No More Is Here To Stay". www.idlenomore1.blogspot.ca.

Schultz, Kylie (2013). "Idle No More: Canada's Growing Indigenous Rights Movement, Fast Going Global". https://www.theinternational.org/articles/292-idle-no-more-canadas-growing-indigeno