Blog Archives
Federal officials discussed raising alert level to highest level during Idle No More, book says

Colonial terrorism: RCMP Tactical Armoured Vehicle lurks in the background behind “Tactical Troop” riot cops near Elsipogtog, New Brunswick, Oct 17, 2013.
Indigenous Affairs played central information sharing role with security services, according to new report
By Jorge Barrera, CBC News, March 1, 2018
Senior federal officials discussed raising the country’s alert level to the highest tier at the height of the Idle No More movement, which also shaped how Canada’s security agencies handle Indigenous-led protests, according to a new book. Read the rest of this entry
Chippewa artist inspired by Idle No More opens storefront in Toronto

Jay Soule, also known as Chippewar, has opened a studio storefront in Toronto where he sells his line of clothing and politically-charged pop art made Indigenous. (Rhiannon Johnson/CBC)
Jay Soule creates silkscreen-printed clothing with politically-charged pop art
By Rhiannon Johnson, CBC News, Dec 16, 2017
Multimedia artist Jay Soule, who uses the pseudonym Chippewar, has just opened a store front, studio and tattoo parlour all in one in Toronto.
The shop, Chippewar Nation on Queen Street West, is lined with Soule’s paintings as well as silkscreen-printed clothing that re-purposes the images from his paintings. Read the rest of this entry
5 Years after Idle No More, founders still speaking out

Idle No More rally in Ottawa, Dec 21, 2012.
CBC talks with Nina Wilson, Jessica Gordon, Sheelah McLean, Sylvia McAdam about movement that changed Canada
By Lenard Monkman, Brandi Morin, CBC News, Dec 10, 2017
It’s been five years since Idle No More was elevated into the Canadian conscious.
Through the work of social media and in particular the hashtag #IdleNoMore, Indigenous peoples we’re able to connect with each other and mobilize in cities and towns across the country. Read the rest of this entry
UNsettling 150: A Call to Action
IDLE NO MORE & DEFENDERS OF THE LAND: CALL TO ACTION
UNsettling Canada 150
In honour of Arthur Manuel, we call for a National Day of Action in support of Indigenous self-determination over land, territories, and resources Read the rest of this entry
Idle No More, Black Lives Matter protesters occupy Toronto Indigenous and Northern Affairs office

A protester stands on a desk in the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada office Wednesday. Protesters occupied the office to urge Ottawa to address the Attawapiskat, Ont., suicide crisis. (Facebook / Idle No More Toronto)
Protest to urge government action during Attawapiskat suicide crisis has been non-violent, say police
By Chantal Da Silva, CBC News, April 13, 2016
Protesters have been occupying the Toronto office of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) since mid-morning, demanding that the federal government take action following a recent spate of suicide attempts in Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario. Read the rest of this entry
Idle No More movement was like ‘bacteria,’ says internal RCMP document
by Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, May 7, 2015
The Idle No More movement was like “bacteria” that spread across the country carrying with it the potential for an outbreak of violence, according to an internal RCMP document shared by senior officers.
The internal document was a site report from Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence’s camp which was set up during her liquids-only fast on Victoria Island in the Ottawa River within sight of Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court of Canada. The camp became a hub of activity during the height of the Idle No More movement between December 2012 and January 2013. Read the rest of this entry
Aboriginal Affairs shared wide range of information with spy agency to bolster Idle No More surveillance: documents
The federal Aboriginal Affairs department shared information with Canada’s spies and other federal law enforcement agencies to bolster surveillance of the Idle No More movement, internal government documents show.
The documents, obtained under the Access to Information Act, also reveal how easily Canadian authorities assume the possibility of violence when it comes to monitoring First Nation demonstrations.
The Harper government’s proposed anti-terror bill, Bill C-51, would make it easier for federal departments and agencies to share information on widely-defined national security grounds. Read the rest of this entry
Feds put protest activity under microscope in compiling national ‘risk forecast’
‘In a true democracy, protest and dissent should be celebrated, not investigated’: Paul Champ
The Canadian Press/CBC News, March 18, 2015
Use of social media, the spread of “citizen journalism,” and the involvement of young people are among the key trends highlighted by a federal analysis of protest activity in Canada over the last half-decade.
A growing geographic reach and an apparent increase in protests that target infrastructure such as rail lines are also boosting the impact of demonstrations, says the Government Operations Centre analysis, obtained under the Access to Information Act. Read the rest of this entry
Former Idle No More organizer unfazed RCMP have him under surveillance
By Jorge Barrera, APTN National News, Oct 21, 2014
An Indigenous activist says documents showing the RCMP have him under surveillance reveal Canadian authorities have criminalized Indigenous dissent.
Clayton Thomas-Muller, 37, said he wasn’t surprised to learn the RCMP is keeping tabs on him and compiled a file on his movements dating back to at least 2010.
“I try not to pay any attention to the federal surveillance issue,” said Thomas-Muller, who is currently living in Ottawa and is a former Idle No More organizer. “I feel very strongly that the work I do is just and is on the right side of history, so I really don’t pay any attention to the Harper government’s tactics to try to criminalize the work I am involved in which uplifts democracy, transparency, equity and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Specifically, the right of indigenous people to say no to harmful developments that threaten their way of life.” Read the rest of this entry