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Idle No More Movement Facts & Worksheets

The Idle No More movement is an ongoing grassroots movement for indigeneous sovereignty of the aboriginal peoples in Canada.

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The Idle No More movement is an ongoing grassroots movement for indigeneous sovereignty of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. It was founded in November 2012 by Jessica Gordon, Sylvia McAdam, Sheelah McLean, and Nina Wilson. The movement takes particular issue with the Bill C-45 which, for one, weakened environmental protection legislations in place.

See the fact file below for more information on the Idle No More movement or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Idle No More Movement worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BACKGROUND

  • After the Canadian federal election held on May 2, 2011, the Conservative federal government, led by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, proposed omnibus bills introducing extensive legislative reforms and changes.

FIRST NATIONS

  • Three First Nations women and one non-Native ally founded the movement.
  • First Nations is a term used to refer to the predominant indigenous communities in Canada south of the Arctic Circle, which by definition are not Métis or Inuit.
  • The Inuit peoples are peoples who inhabit the Arctic region.
  • The Métis are a multi ancestral indigenous people developed after relations between First Nations people and Europeans.
  • There exists 634 recognized First Nations governments, or bands, approximately half of which are in Ontario and British Columbia.
  • There is not one culture for all First Nations peoples.
  • Each Nation has its own customs, culture, and beliefs. What they have in similar is their deep connection to the spiritual realm.
  • In general indigenous people put a great emphasis on cultural survival and awareness. This applies to First Nations peoples.
  • The cultural survival of First Nations communities have been challenged via the Indian Act, through which an active campaign of assimilation has been directed at them for the past two centuries.
  • Nonetheless, the cultures of First Nations have survived.

ISSUES WITH BILL C-45

  • The proposal of the omnibus bill Bill C-45 was a major concern among the indigenous peoples and environmentalists.
  • While it is not the first time omnibus bills had been presented to parliament, the proposal of Bill C-45 would removal protections for forests and waterways.
  • Specifically, Bill C-45 restructured the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) of 1882 and renamed it the Navigation Protection Act (NPA).
  • The NWPA of 1882 had ordered an comprehensive process for approval and consultation before any kind of construction could take place in or around any water which could be navigated by a floating craft.
  • Under the new Navigation Protection Act, the approval process was less extensive and would only be required when construction is around one of a vastly reduced list of waterways set by the Minister of Transportation.
  • Consequently, most new waterways passed through indigenous First Nations land.

CREATION OF THE MOVEMENT

  • The movement was founded by founded by four women activists in Saskatchewan: Nina Wilson, Sheelah Mclean, Sylvia McAdam, and Jessica Gordon.
  • They initiated it in November 2012 during a mass teach-in at Station 20 West in Saskatoon called “Idle No More”.
  • The movement was in response to the Harper administration’s introduction of Bill C-45.
  • The movement was joined by all the aboriginal peoples in Canada and their non-aboriginal supporters in Canada and internationally.

VISION AND GOALS

  • According to their website, the movement protests “the Canadian government’s dismantling of environmental protection laws, endangering First Nations who live on the land.”
  • The movement advocates environmental protection and upholds indigenous sovereignty. Their action plan as outlined in a January 10, 2013 press release is as follows:
    • Implementing leadership structure and councils (such as the Council of Women).
    • Taking training in coordinating rallies, media, messaging and safety issues as well as in identifying provocateurs, misinformation shills, and propaganda.
    • Placing key spokespeople and connecting with experienced experts in different areas; i.e. treaty research, indigenous rights and governance, environmental activism, writers, international spokesperson, national etc.
    • Creating chapters across Turtle Island under the umbrella of the main INM.
    • Requesting regular meetings with First Nations leadership to have ongoing discussions regarding third party agreements between the Government of Canada and industry corporations.

GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT

  • On December 11, 2012, which is also International Human Rights Day, Theresa Spence, northern Ontario Attawapiskat Chief, began a hunger strike as peaceful resistance to call on Harper’s government to “initiate immediate discussions and the development of action plans to address treaty issues with First Nations across Canada.”
  • Spence’s hunger strike catapulted the Idle No More movement into urgent resistance.
  • Being a grassroots movement, Idle No More puts great emphasis on educating all Canadians about environment protection, equality, and justice.
  • The proponents of this movement have been raising consciousness through teach-ins, social media, and grassroots events.
  • As they are doing such, they are also putting pressure on the government and industry to protect the environment for future generations.
  • Idle No More began as a response to the Bill C-45 legislation, but it evolved into a plea for renewal of the indigenous identities.

Idle No More Movement Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Idle No More Movement across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Idle No More Movement worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Idle No More movement which is an ongoing grassroots movement for indigeneous sovereignty of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. It was founded in November 2012 by Jessica Gordon, Sylvia McAdam, Sheelah McLean, and Nina Wilson. The movement takes particular issue with the Bill C-45 which, for one, weakened environmental protection legislations in place.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Idle No More Movement Facts
  • Who, What, Where?
  • True or False
  • Indigenous Profiles
  • Emoji Reactions
  • Idle No More Slogan
  • News Article
  • Action Plan
  • Timeline of Events
  • Lessons from the Movement
  • Discussion Points

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Link will appear as Idle No More Movement Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 2, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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