What has Idle No More meant to you?
For the first time in a long time, there’s a real, healthy debate going on in Canada about Indigenous peoples and rights. An awakening for some. Re-awakening for others. A discovery and an education for most — including a lot of Indigenous people. Almost every big name in Canadian journalism has had their say, along with a whole lot of academics and politicians, from one end of the country to the next, and among every hue and body type.
Now, it’s your turn, for good or for ill, or any point in between. I’m asking you to complete the following sentence: “Idle No More has…” Here are some examples to give you an idea of what I mean.
Idle No More has…
- …changed my life.
- …changed my country.
- …opened my eyes.
Maybe you’d like to say a lot more. Please do. Take it however and whichever way you wish, though constructive is always nice. All you got to do is just complete this simple sentence:
Idle No More has…
Note: to do this, you’ll have to utilize our DISQUS comment system. No worries, though: you can sign up for an account using either Google or Twitter log-ins, or an email address.
… reminded me that media +/or punditry no longer has a monopoly on framing the conversation.
Renewed my faith in the power of people to manifest peaceful change.
Has given me one more reason and one more tool to talk about and encourage others to explore for themselves the relationships between colonizers/settlers and Aboriginal peoples.
Idle No More has restored my hope that although Canada may go into the fascist globalist maw, it will not go quietly.
Idle No More has not only given me hope that Canada has a future but offered me the opportunity to be a part of the change, a change that I see unfolding before me every day in everything that Idle does or inspires us to do. What I think is the most amazing thing that Idle No More has created is the space – physical and virtual – where First Nations and non-Native peoples can come together and that is monumental. I am grateful to be part of this moment – thank you for holding out your hand to all of us who are not First Nations and welcoming us into the round dance of the movement!
Alexandra Laight Ingle , And John Ingle. raven_lashes@live.ca
I am not aboriginal but i am affected by navigational water way conservation.
Idle no more debilitates the right to profit off of our private territory resources. It amends the goverment to ‘take’ ownership of springs them selves, And the money only in theory would be spent on the city states, such as toronto roadways or Building more houses. Which is a natural havic it’s self. My property is to be of private domain and domestic, dating back to original English ownership 1700-present. Our ancestor was born and lead a Captain Richard Ingle
Ingle married into the Wright family (American), – His prospect for leaving England and discovering (the new world) British north america was 200 hectors of land. The land I live on currently. I sell water crest at my local market from a natural spring located on this property.
My father do not take part in idle no more, but support it.
Sincerely, Grade 12 student @ YMCA academy
Idle No More has revitalized in me as an Indigenous person of the Western hemisphere (Navajo Nation) a sense of pride in the sense that our people are taking this stand against one more example of the ethnocentric, paternal,dominant society’s perception that they know what is good for us and stood to impose this law (C-45) upon us as in the past. however this time it is different. our people are now using the white mans tools against him, educated in his laws and technology along with our own traditional teachings especially concerning the environment we will no longer be silent.
The new smoke signals (social media) has allowed us to communicate with each other in a whole new way and also to get our traditional teachings known to the rest of the world. I have always been as activist for Indigenous issues, growing up as an child on the Navajo nation i witnessed the rise of the red power movement and the pride it instilled in me. Idle No More has woken up this activist in me and has shown me that millions of Indigenous people across North and South America feel the same way that i do and we are not going to take injustice any more. This pride and anger is not going away time soon.