Analyzing Primary and Secondary 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  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:    Toronto  Star,  Jan.  28,  2013.            

Source:    BBC  News,  January  17,  2013      

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.    

  What  type  of  source  is  it?    E.g.  Newspaper  article  

Is  it  a  Primary  or  Secondary  Source?  (Circle  one)  

What  evidence  from  the  source  helps  you  to  determine  if  the  source  is  Primary  or  Secondary?    E.g.  Who  created  the  document?  When  was  it  created  -­‐  during  or  after  the  event?  Where  was  it  produced?      EXPLAIN  your  thoughts.  

Source  A            

 Primary                                            Secondary  

 

Source  B            

 Primary                                            Secondary  

 

Source  C            

 Primary                                            Secondary  

 

Source  D            

 Primary                                            Secondary  

 

Source  E            

 Primary                                            Secondary  

 

Source  F            

 Primary                                            Secondary  

 

         

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?