IDLE NO MORE 2.0? - A Critical Analysis of INM

Above: Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, wearing a headdress, ends her Hungry Strike and gets a meeting with Gov. Gen. David Johnston in Ottawa, Friday January 11, 2013

By Johnny Hawk

As our Peoples began to be unshackled by the chains of Canada's colonial policies through a very small symbolic gesture such as the ending of the "pass system" to leave a reserve to travel and began to organize regionally and nationally in the 1930's leading into the 60 and 70's Red Power and AIM militancy to where we are today; it seems every 10 years a movement explodes but dwindles just as fast as it starts.

This past week after the Ontario Government passed Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, an act to fast track resource development which overrides environmental protection laws and Indigenous Rights and in the looming Federal Bill; One Canadian Economy Act; our Peoples have been calling for Idle No More 2.0

If we are to heed the teachings of our Elders then we first need to learn from our Past.

Idle No More’s Timeline of Influential Events.

• Oct. 18, 2012: An Omnibus Bill was introduced in the House of Commons. Bill C-45 termed the Jobs and Growth Act affected over 60 acts, including the Indian Act where changes made it easier for the government and big business to push through projects without strict environmental assessment, while simultaneously diminishing the rights and authority of First Nations.

• Nov. 10, 2012: Nina Wilson, Jessica Gordon, Sheelah McLean and Sylvia McAdams hold a small conference in Saskatoon titled “Idle No More” to raise awareness of Bill C-45. The four Women with background in academia and law created a Facebook group and website.

• Nov. 17, 2012 Throughout the week, teach-ins and protests are held in other cities, including Regina, Prince Albert, and Winnipeg, according to Idle No More’s website.

• Dec 4, 2012, AFN’s Special Chief ’s Assembly in Gatineau Quebec held Dec. 4-6. A rally started the morning of Dec 4 with about 200 people on the steps of Parliament Hill to protest. A small group of Chiefs attempted to enter the House of Commons to deliver a message to the PM. They were refused entry by security guards and the minor 30 sec scuffle became headline news .

• Dec 10, 2012, A National Day of Action planned by the Co-founders, ignites protests in Vancouver, Saskatoon, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Whitehorse, Yukon and other cities.

• Dec 11, 2012, Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat launches a hunger strike to demand a meeting with Prime Minister Harper and the Governor General with Leaders to discuss violation of Treaty Rights.

• On December 14, Bill C-45, the Jobs and Growth Act receives Royal ascent.

The Assembly of First Nations issued an open letter on December 16 to Governor General David Johnston, calling for a meeting to discuss Spence's demands.

• Dec. 21, 2012: Rallies are held on Parliament Hill Ottawa, in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Truro, Iqaluit, Prince Albert, Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal,Yellowknife. Aamjiwnaang First Nation blocks a railroad in support of Theresa Spence. The blockade continues for two weeks.

• Dec 22, 2012, Flash mob round dances start in Winnipeg and became a recurring theme of the protests in some of the biggest shopping centres across the country.

• December 30, 2012, Members of Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory block the railway between two of the country’s largest cities Toronto and Montreal at a point near Belleville, Ontario , stranding 2500 commuting passengers.

• December 30, 2012, Terrance Nelson, Chief for Roseau River in Manitoba, forwarded private emails to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. The group of five emails released contained suggested strategies from some of the most outspoken Chiefs during the Idle No More movement. An email from Derek Nepinak, Grand Chief at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, wrote “We have the power to shut down the economy.” 

• The emails also contained messages from Isadore Day, Chief of the Serpent River First Nation and Ann Gladue-Buffalo, then-Chief of Alberta’s Confederacy of Treaty Six Nations. Gladue-Buffalo’s email contains details about plans for a National Day of Action on Jan. 16 .“It was agreed that in the short-term immediate pressure needs to be stepped up because Chief Spence’s health is at risk,” she wrote. 

• December 31, 2012, Idle No More Founders issue a Statement denouncing the use of blockades. "Idle No More" feels that any acts that are not in line with peace and solidarity only detract attention from our ultimate mission," and “The chiefs have called for action and anyone who chooses can join with them, however, this is not part of the Idle No More movement as the vision of this grassroots movement does not coincide with the visions of the leadership”. 

• The statement continued to say INM has a different vision than that of the "leadership" of First Nation Chiefs, saying "we have been given a clear mandate to work outside of the systems of government.” Sylvia McAdam says, ”While we appreciate the leadership's support of Idle No More, they cannot take the lead on this. Their voice is restricted.”

• January 1, 2013, APTN publishes that it had learned that First Nations leaders have discussed plans to launch country-wide economic disruptions by the middle of January if Prime Minister Stephen Harper doesn’t agree to hunger-striking Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence’s demand for a treaty meeting.

• January 2, 2013, Protesters from the Gesgapegiag Mi’gmaq First Nation set up the blockade on Highway 132 in Quebec's Gaspé region and a group of demonstrators from the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation are blocking a rail line west of Gesgapegiag, saying they plan to maintain the blockade of the tracks to stop Resource Extraction of Trains at Pointe-à-la-Croix in Solidarity of Chief and Spence and Idle No More.

• On January 4, 2013, Prime Minister Harper announced a meeting with a delegation of First Nation leaders coordinated by the AFN for Dec 11, to follow up on the issues discussed

during the Crown-First Nations Gathering on January 24, 2012. His statement announcing

the meeting made no mention of Idle No More. Idle No More organizers announce a

Day of Action on that day also.

INM Day of Action and Day of AFN Chiefs meeting with Prime Minister: INM Co-Founder, Sylvia McAdam giving a speech to hundreds of grassroots in attendance. Standing to her right is AFN Executive Member, “Pipeline” Perry Bellegarde on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Jan 11, 2013.

• On January 5, 2013, Protests shut down multiple border crossings throughout Canada, including Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Ontario, International Bridge in Cornwall, Ontario, the Peace Arch crossing in Surrey, B.C, The Peace Bridge between Fort Erie and Buffalo in the Niagara region, and NWT's Deh Cho Bridge. 

• January 7, 2013, Mikisew Cree and Frog Lake First Nation filed application to Supreme Court to challenge Bill C-45 for failing to consult them in the creation of the Bill. In Oct 2018 Supreme Court rules Canada owes no such duty to consult over creation of legislation.

• January 10, 2013, AFN membership prepare and debate among themselves on the coming meeting with the PM. Some Chiefs voted not to participate in the meeting, choosing to boycott for various reasons, including demands that more chiefs be included in the AFN delegation and the fact that the G.G would not be present throughout the meeting, and would be limited to a shorter ceremonial meeting after the meeting with Prime Minister Harper.

• January 11, 2013, Protests are organized on Parliament Hill and in cities across Canada. The meeting with the PM was attended by National Chief and a delegation of 17 Chiefs from several provinces, the Yukon, AFN Youth Council, Women's Council and Elders Council. Ontario and Manitoba Chiefs boycotted the meeting. PM and AFN plan to have future meetings. The ceremonial meeting with the Governor General was attended by around 100 chiefs, including Chief Theresa Spence. 

• January 16 - March 25, 2013, Cree Youth walk 1,600 km from Whapmagoostui First Nation, the northernmost Cree village in Quebec on Hudson Bay, to Parliament Hill in Ottawa in support of the Idle No More movement.

• January 23, 2013, Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence ends her six-week-long hunger strike after members of the Assembly of First Nations and the Liberal and New Democrat caucuses agreed to back a list of commitments supporting Indigenous issues.

• March 18, 2013, Idle No More has joined forces with Defenders of the Land and the new alliance plans to launch “escalating action” according to a draft joint declaration obtained by APTN National News. The four founders now agree to support non-violent direct action, including blockades, in the cause of Indigenous rights.

• June 16, 2013, A Statement released on the official Idle No More Webpage titled, Idle No More Sees Bigger Issues than C-45. The statement states that the same attention and action given to C-45 needs to be put on future similar legislation.

Critical Analysis

• INM was not an organization but a policy reformist mobilization of lobbyist’s rallying to influence Canada to repeal its Bill C-45. Lobbying as a route to influence policy is only successful for mega corporations and multinational organizations that work in collusion with government such as International Private Banks, the Pharmaceutical Industry and the Oil Industry.

• To declare “we’re working within the legal boundaries” is recognition of the legitimacy of Canada and its jurisdiction over the movement. This is not Indigenous Sovereignty or keeping to the following provision of “working outside the systems of government.” This mandate set participants up for being divided from the start and only marched the people within the systems of government.

• Any real effort of Indigenous Sovereignty “to work outside of the system of government” while working “within the means of the legal boundaries” to kill this bill the People would need to address the underlying issue of Canada’s illegitimacy by specified steps through Inherent Jurisdiction recognized by International Law. (These steps are the focus of next publication).

• INM statement condemning the use of blockades demoralized and discredited those communities who were in their right to use such a tactic in their exercise of sovereignty on their own lands. Making such a statement from a position seen in a leadership capacity only creates divisiveness, factions and gives permission to the opposition and its policing agencies to also discredit and act on such statements.

• When the group of Chiefs tried to walk into the House of Commons along with Chief Theresa Spence’s hunger strike these actions reverberated onto the people in which Chiefs were now given an unofficial pass by the people and became part of INM movement.

• INM’s mandate from the People was to keep the Movement grassroots and separate from the Chiefs however the AFN managed to hijack INM as a result of the lack of structure and passivity. Chiefs were visible in their Headdresses at marches and helped community members get to events in urban centres.

• Chief Theresa Spence’s Hunger Strike began to influence and steer Idle No More. Spence demanded the PM and Governor General to meet with Chiefs where the movement now focussed on Chief Spence. Sovereignty was a mandate of INM but there was no collective effort to put Headwomen/Clan Mother’s and Headmen of the Territories as a Confederacy to lead this Movement.

• The meeting of AFN Chiefs to decide who would attend the meeting with the PM and G.G created divisions. A faction decided to boycott the meeting where this division would play out within the grassroots. Theresa Spence had her demands met. The energy and events of Idle No More were not the same after this symbolic meeting that accomplished nothing.

• Idle No More’s “Chapter’s” began to pop up across the Provinces and Territories. Administrators of these FB Group Chapters would be seen as lead organizers for their area. There was no official sanctioning process or accountability mechanisms for individual “chapters”.

• Admins of these INM “Chapters” were seen as lead organizers and spokespersons of their regions became divisive with their “followers” at times. This is evident by visible online debates and internal divisions created by statements of INM Co-founders that condemned blockades. This created divisiveness and an exclusivity where ideologies had to be in line with an Administrators.

• It was not uncommon for Administrators of these various “Chapters” to silence and or slander those they disagreed with using the privilege of blocking and using “followers” to denounce actions, events and individuals they disagreed with. This is evident by splinter groups and the dialogue of their experiences. Structure, accountability and dispute resolution mechanisms are basic requirements to organization.

• Pan-Indian Traditionalism is a melting pot of culture and idealism that romanticizes the struggle where spirituality is often used like religion to pacify the movement. This distracts us from being cognizant, engaged in applying diverse tactics and critical thinking.

• INM was essentially a continuation of the Assembly of First Nation’s, 2007 Day of Action. The AFN Day of Action on June 29 2007 demanded restoration of funding to First Nation Orgs, removal of funding caps, implementing $5 billion Kelowna Accord, adjusting funding formulas and accelerating outstanding claims. The AFN used specific militant language and leverage of the grassroots to put pressure on Government to keep their well funded orgs afloat.

• Documents, acquired through access to information requests, reveal that heads of the RCMP and Ontario and Quebec police met in the summer of 2007 for the “first time in history” with then AFN to “facilitate a consistent and effective approach to managing protests and occupations.” 

• Before and after Idle No More, Police Agencies in the 2000’s raided and made arrests regularly in various Indigenous Communities for direct actions however Policing of Idle No More in similar actions were very relaxed. This most likely was due to Canada’s concern for potential major national unrest as a consequence of arrests or that Canada knew the AFN had INM under control and protests would dissipate.

• The failed opportunity to expose Canada’s illegitimacy as a continued Constitutional Monarchy, the fraudulent position of a G.G and Canada’s perceived Constitution is the underlying issue. This is what needed to be a message on the national stage and included in the discussion with the PM and GG.

• The use of social media has created a dependency where can mislead that all one has to do is to create a page and an event and a go fund me and click share to be an effective organizer. Social media has also created a type of celebrity persona for those who become the face of the movement in a collective effort which can contribute to inflated ego’s which create unhealthy spaces to organize in.

Russell Diabo, a First Nation Policy Analyst and author of First Nations Bulletin cautions about trusting the Assembly of First Nation's on his social media where he shared;

" Don’t be fooled by the bad Cindy’s manipulation of AFN to help Prime Minister Carney out, by stalling until he or his Minister’s can come sell the “Building Canada Act” Bill C-5, at the upcoming July AFN Annual General Assembly.

An online meeting is easy for AFN to control, instead of an in-person meeting where Chiefs can get up to the microphone and other Chiefs can see them.

Former National Chief Bellegarde held virtual online Assemblies and meetings, during the COVID pandemic, including in December 2020, AFN stopped a resolution qualifying support for CANDRIP (Bill C-15)—which Bellegarde supported—from hitting the floor for debate, and Bellegarde went on to support CANDRIP (Bill C-15) in Parliament helping to get it passed into law.

Moreover, if it’s a “Chiefs’ Forum” and not an “AFN Special Assembly”, the rules of the AFN Charter don’t apply, and outcomes of the “Chiefs’ Forum are non-binding on the AFN Executive Committee, who then decides what actions to take until the scheduled July 2025 AFN Annual General Assembly, where PM Carney and/or his Minister’s will come to sell the “Building Canada Act” (Bill C-5), which dovetails with provincial legislation to designate “National Interest Projects”, like Ontario’s Bill 5 designating “Special Economic Zones” like the “Ring of Fire” for mining “critical minerals”.

In January 2013, when Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, was conducting a Hunger Strike and Idle No More was active and preparing to march on Ottawa, the then AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo, had AFN book a ballroom at the Delta Hotel in Ottawa and called a “Chiefs’ Forum” where Chiefs could speak at microphones, while grassroots people’s watched.

That “Chiefs’ Forum” was an informal non-binding session. The real decision-making meetings that took place were in the Ottawa AFN National Office with the AFN Executive Committee, which included then B.C. Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould.

PM Harper had agreed to a meeting with AFN and in the “Chiefs’ Forum” Chiefs and grassroots people’s were calling on AFN not to meet with PM Harper, but the AFN Executive Committee ignored those calls and walked past Idle No More protesters to go into the federal building where the Prime Minister’s Office is, with a wish list.

All AFN came out of the Harper meeting with, was a commitment to set up two federal-AFN Senior Officials Committees (SOC’s) on: 1) Treaties and 2) Comprehensive Land Claims (Modern Treaties), both of these dirty SOC’s were deadends and died.

REMEMBER FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE’S ARE THE RIGHTS HOLDERS, NOT AFN, OR CHIEFS’ ORGANIZATIONS, OR BAND COUNCILS!

"AFN soon will schedule a virtual forum with Chiefs across Canada to discuss the implications of the proposed legislation to fast-track designated national infrastructure projects"

Statement from National Chief: Meeting with the Prime Minister and Planning for a Chiefs Forum "

- From Russell Diabo's Truth Campaign Page on Facebook

Conclusion

Despite efforts of Idle No More, to kill the Omnibus Bill C-45 at the time became law and the consequences are currently being engaged as Idle No More went Idle. As the energy of Idle No More dwindled just as fast as it started many within this movement including some of the loudest voices across our territories were silent when their own communities accepted Self Government Agreements, Land Claim Settlements, Compensation for money that extinguished inherent rights and title to Territories. Now we want to go an Play "Warrior" again?

Mobilizing via Protests, Rallies, Marches, Blockades are great to raise attention but are temporary where Revolutionary Organization is Permanent. Oppressor will use mobilization to demobilize us. Mobilization is based on Reactionary Emotions aka not Thinking. Mobilization surrounds itself on individual issues/camps/causes where Revolutionary Organization directs itself on the System that causes such issues.

Idle No More helped to get the everyday Indigenous Relative active if they were not a seasoned activist and a platform which was a positive however this also created the "slackivist" that now became dependent on social media rather then old fashioned organizing and also contributed to attention seeking behaviours, narcissism that social media has created within all corners of society in all countries. Idle No More was also hijacked by Indian Act Chiefs.

After every Ceremony and Blockade we return to a Way of Life we say we're Against!. How far are we really ready to Resist and organize some revolutionary ways of thinking and living. or here comes again the hundreds of Go Fund Me's all at once and where opportunists create careers off of the Struggle and where often the issues becomes more about them and not the cause. Are we going to Idol Some More?