Idle No More and others call for Indigenous solidarity actions

Mi’kmaq, Secwepmec, Wet’suwet’en, Algonquin, Haudenosaunee and other nations are pushing back against colonial violence and theft

BY:

David Gray-Donald

“Idle No More calls for A National Week of Action on Monday October 19th to Friday, October 23rd in support of the Mi’kmaq peoples’ inherent right to fishing,” the Indigenous rights organization posted today, October 18, 2020.

“The Mi’kmaq people are requesting that Indigenous Nations and allies alike take action in order to amplify the calls for justice in Mi’kmaki territory. The violent actions of the commercial fishermen against Indigenous people is terrorist vigilantism.”

Other First Nations have also been facing intimidation, violence, and theft at the hands of settlers and settler governments. Among the most visible right now are the Secwepmec fighting against the drilling of the TMX pipeline under the Thompson River near Kamloops (BC), Wet’suwet’en peoples resisting the CGL pipeline construction (BC), Algonquins are enforce a moratorium on moose hunting to address moose population declines and in doing so facing hostile settler hunters (QC), and Haudenosaunee peoples at Six Nations resisting settler housing developments on their land along what has been named 1492 Land Back Lane.

All are pressing issues, and many people, including an Idle No More, have called attention to these struggles and more, encouraging people to get involved. As Idle No More posted on Oct 17:

WE SAW THE POWER OF SHUT DOWN CANADA IN THE PAST… THE GOVERNMENT AND THEIR FORCES ARE DONE WITH WORKING TOWARDS RECONCILIATION… IT’S TIME TO STOP TALKING, AND START TAKING ACTION

IT’S TIME TO

SHUT

DOWN

#SHUTDOWNCANADA2020

Specific to the Mi’kmaq peoples’ struggle, says Idle No More, “Mi’kmaq land defenders are requesting that people lift their pipes and light their medicines, and are calling for groups to gather in support of Mi’kmaq inherent rights. We need all allies on deck as settlers continue to escalate violent tactics to intimidate members of the Mi’kmaq nation.”

A solidarity rally was held today in Halifax, and events are being organized, for example in Toronto on Tuesday on Oct 20 and Vancouver on Oct 24. A document with ways to help has been compiled.