Full Description
Idle No More bewildered many Canadians. Launched by four women in Saskatchewan in reaction to a federal omnibus budget bill, the protest became the most powerful demonstration of Aboriginal identity in Canadian history. Thousands of Aboriginal people and their supporters took to the streets, shopping malls, and other venues, drumming, dancing, and singing in a collective voice. Idle No More lasted for almost a year before the rallies dissipated. Many observers described it as a spent force. It was anything but. Idle No More was the most profound declaration of Indigenous identity and confidence in Canadian history, sparked by Aboriginal women and their supporters, sustained by young Indigenous peoples, filled with pride and determination. When the drums slowed, a new and different Canada was left in its wake. Partially stunned by the peaceful celebrations, but perplexed by a movement that seemed to have no centre and no leaders, most Canadians missed the point. Through Idle No More, Aboriginal people have declared that they are a vital and necessary part of Canada's future. The spirit of the drumming, singing and dancing lives on in empowered and confident young Aboriginal people who will shape the future of this country for decades to come.
Contents
PREFACE: Quiet No More
ONE: Mobilizing an Awakening
TWO: The Roots of Aboriginal Anger and Hope
THREE: The Round Dance Revolution
FOUR: The Ottawa Distraction and the Complicated Evolution of Idle No More
FIVE: The Winter of the Discontented
SIX: What Happened to Sovereignty Summer?
SEVEN: Idle No More and the Technologies of Mass Mobilization
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NOTES
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
