Idle No More

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Idle No More 2014 Global Citizen Award Winner IDLE NO MORE, the global movement that began in 2012, was founded by four Saskatchewan women: Nina Wilson, Sylvia McAdam, Jessica Gordon & Sheelah McLean. While the impact of these women’s initiative—their teach-ins and their undying commitment to inspire resistance—makes them global citizens worth celebrating every day, it is the Idle No More movement that we are honouring with the 2014 Saskatchewan Global Citizen Award. Round dance in Toronto’s Eaton Centre (Kevin Konnyu) Idle No More has truly transformed the world. People from every part of Turtle Island have stood up to defend the land and to demand respect for nation-to-nation relationships between govern- ments and Indigenous peoples. Idle No More began as a pushback against Bill C-45, federal legislation that would impact Indigenous land and water. Through teach-ins and emphasizing the importance of treaties, sovereignty, and the Seven Generations, Idle No More energized the Witchekan Lake First Nation’s youth ambassador Cheyenne Fineday and Chief grassroots, and from there, communities around Steven Jim lead a march through the streets of Meadow Lake, SK. the world exploded with enthusiasm, passion, and (Omar Mosleh/Meadow Lake Progress) willingness to come together for a common cause. The movement inspired hundreds of thousands of people in Saskatoon, across Canada, and around the world to protest, dance, sing, and work together to resist destructive colonial legislation. Idle No More reminds us of the good work that emerges when we build networks, support each other, teach each other, listen to each other, act, and take responsibility for our actions. Participants in the Journey of the Nishiyuu pause on the Portage Bridge linking Quebec and Ontario, before beginning the march to Parliament Hill, their final destination, 25 March 2013 (Susanne Ure, Amnesty International Canada) .

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Reflections on Federalism, Nationalism, and Distinctive
Envisaging Canada in a Disenchanted World: Refl ections on Federalism, Nationalism, and Distinctive Indigenous Identity Jean Leclair* Ah yes! his charm. Although it is capable of courage, Th e people, always ignorant and dazzled! generosity, resourcefulness, and benevolence, Th ey come to watch a scene for which they pay, the Trickster is also quite capable of blunders, To see a strange hand risk their destiny. indecision, frivolity, and trickery. Furthermore, it adores having fun at the expense of others, 1 Victor Hugo (1802-1885) meddling in situations where it is not supposed to be present, and bringing the unexpected to [Necker] was blamed by the philosophers of bear on the most carefully thought-out plans. the day for not applying, in all its extent, to In short, the Trickster is an imperfect being who commerce and fi nances the system which scoff s at system-makers (“faiseurs de système”) they wished to impose on the mind. Th e and other rigid thinkers who are indiff erent to philosophic fanaticism which proved one of the dense and fl uctuating nature of reality. the evils of the Revolution had already begun to show itself. Th ese men were desirous of I have taught law for more than twenty attributing to a few principles that absolute years. I have gradually become convinced that power which had hitherto been absorbed by jurists (like myself), political scientists, and phi- a few individuals; as if the domain of inquiry losophers who are interested in federalism and admitted of restriction or exclusion. Indigenous issues — whether they themselves 2 are of Indigenous origin or not — do not always Germaine de Staël (1766-1817) take suffi cient consideration of the Trickster in their understanding of these matters.
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Idlenomore #Idlenomore and the Remaking of Canada
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Ideology No More: a Discourse of Othering in Canadian Mainstream
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87 Jennifer Tupper Social Media and the Idle No More Movement
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Indigenous Law & Idle No More
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Non-Indigenous Responses in Anglo-Canadian Poetry1
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Transmotion Vol 1, No 2 (2015) 98 on Idle No More Yale D
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