Analyzing and Sources Idle No More Movement, 2012-2013 Background Information on the Idle No More Movement Idle No More was created by activists Nina Wilson, Sheelah Mclean, Sylvia McAdam and Jessica Gordon. In November 2012, these four women organized and led a teach- in in Saskatoon in response to the introduction of the omnibus bill C- 45. The bill weakened environmental protection laws, in particular, laws protecting all of Canada's navigable waterways. The bill would limit the scope of protection to only a small number of waterways considered important for navigation. Many of the waterways that would no longer be protected passed through First Nations lands. Many Aboriginal people feel that water is a special, even a sacred, resource that must be preserved for future generations. They felt the change in law jeopardized clean water in Canadian communities. They also felt that the government should have consulted with Aboriginal communities regarding the change in the law since it directly affects their lives. Idle No More protests were timed to coincide with the beginning of a hunger strike by Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat, Ontario and the announcement of her demands for a meeting with Prime Minister Harper and the Governor General to discuss Aboriginal rights. An intense social media campaign was launched to gather supporters both in Canada and worldwide. The two main goals of the movement are the establishment of a nation- to- nation relationship between First Nations and the government of Canada as well as social and environmental sustainability. There are a diverse range of ideas within the First Nations population regarding how these goals would best be achieved. Some of the shared concerns amongst First Nations people and their allies who back the Idle No More movement are the need for treaty modernization; increased land claims; and the end of resource exploitation on First Nations land without benefit to First Nations communities. To promote its cause, Idle No More flash mobs danced in shopping malls and other public spaces. Brief blockades of railway lines and border crossings occurred. All protests and demonstrations were peaceful. The protests have, however, caused polarized debate in the media, bringing out supporters and critics. Excerpted From: News in Review CBC Learning newsinreview.cbclearning.ca
Source A: Toronto Star, January 16, 2013 As Aboriginal protesters snarled highway traffic near a busy border crossing Wednesday, some were waving signs with a simple message: We will be heard. And they were heard. From downtown Toronto to Vancouver Island, protesters ramped up weeks of demonstrations to another level, still peaceful, stopping traffic on busy highways and major rail lines, forcing Canadians to stop and listen. Everyone s sick of being oppressed, said Dennis Plain, 36, of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, near Sarnia, as he stood at the foot of the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor and Detroit. He was among hundreds of protesters who briefly shut down traffic on part of the westbound Hwy. 401 while making their way to the foot of the bridge Wednesday. This is worldwide. We all breathe the same air and drink the same water, Plain said. The protesters then left the bridge and held a rally. Winter has never seen a gathering of First Nations like this to send a strong message that we are united, Delaware Nation Chief Greg Peters told the crowd. Whose land is this? he asked. Our land! the crowd responded. Waabigonii Altiman, a 12- year- old student at Walpole Island Elementary School, northeast of Windsor, drew huge cheers with her message about the importance of picking up the drum instead of the bottle. Our ancestors and the next seven generations of children are counting on us.
Source B: Photographs of the Idle No More Movement Source: Toronto Star, Jan. 28, 2013. Source: BBC News, January 17, 2013 Source C: Article from Al Jazeera, January 30, 2013 Idle No More protests first took place across Canada to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012. Early the next morning Chief Theresa Spence, from Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario, began a hunger strike in a tepee on Victoria Island, just minutes away from Canada's Parliament in Ottawa. After surviving on only broth and medicinal tea for over six weeks, Chief Spence ended the political fast after inspiring major protests across Canada and parallel hunger strikes in support. Chief Spence was hospitalised hours after the strike ended, spending a day and a half under medical supervision for dehydration and deterioration resulting from 44 days without food.
Source D: Protest Organizer Lorena Garvey- Shepley "We don't want to inconvenience people too much," protest organiser Lorena Garvey- Shepley told CBC at a border crossing with the US state of Michigan. "But we want to be in places that are going to get us noticed." Source E: National Post, January 21, 2013 Source F: BBC News, January 17, 2013 Canada has more than 600 indigenous reserves and an estimated 1.2 million aboriginals Ottawa spends about C$11billion a year on its aboriginal population, yet many reserves are plagued by poverty and addiction
Instructions: 1. Read over the documents on the Idle No More movement and complete the chart below. Source A What type of source is it? E.g. Newspaper article Is it a or Source? (Circle one) What evidence from the source helps you to determine if the source is or? E.g. Who created the document? When was it created - during or after the event? Where was it produced? EXPLAIN your thoughts. Source B Source C Source D Source E Source F
2. Select one source from pages 2, 3, or 4 in this package. Complete the following chart by attempting to answer the questions in each box. Develop an Inquiry Question about the source. What is it that you want to know about the source? Sample question: What is the story of X? Understanding the Context of the source. What other events or developments were happening at the time the source was created? How might they have influenced this source? Describing the source. What do you notice that s important about this source? What do you notice that s interesting? What can t you explain? Making Inferences about the perspective of the creator. To what groups might the creator have belonged? Why do you think he or she made this source? Who do you think was the audience for this? What do you think the audience wanted to hear or see? How might the background of the creator and the audience have influenced this source? Inferences to answer the inquiry question. What can you learn from examining this source? How does this source help you answer your inquiry question? Does it confirm, extend, or contradict what you know? What does it not tell you? What further questions do you have? Reflection: What did you learn about the Idle No More movement from the primary and secondary sources you looked at today? Why is the Idle No More movement important? What impact do you think the Idle No More movement may have in the future?