Idle No More

[blake 3:17]

^^ Thanks! Everyone knows the Harper agenda, but the stuff is in the details. These insane omnibus bills which pack all this stuff together and then trying to get out of is incredibly hard. The breakdown of issues in the article is very helpful.

Edited to add: Apparently the Governor General will meet with First Nation leaders tomorrow. For those who don't know the GG is the Queen's representative in Canada -- Queen Elizabeth is our official head of state. In terms of First Nations people the British monarchy is actually very important constitutionally -- the Royals don't pay much attention to the whole thing -- but the basic legal issues have very very wide implications in terms of questions about rights to land, what constitutes ownership, etc.

If people here are looking for something on the underlying legal and philosophic issues I'd recommend Dale Turner's This is not a Peace Pipe Summary here: http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/R/...se=GEN01-MCG02 I found it very very useful in developing an understanding around the Treaties, reserves, status and non-status Indians. One of the very deep ironies at play here is that the entire Red Power movement from the 1960s til Idle No More 2013 has been some kind of defense of the racist Indian Act, which most indigenous peoples oppose. The thing is -- the alternatives are way worse.

Another addition on the same lines as the addition above... Ten Books to Contextualize the Idle No More movement: http://leddy.uwindsor.ca/ten-books-c...-more-movement

[skitty]

This might be helpful:

http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

I'm happy to say that some of Chief Spence's representatives made it down here to the 40th parallel for a gathering 5 Jan. Drumming, singing, dancing, +/-80 people. I can see Idle No More spreading worldwide.

[JoeySteel]

Article from The Marxist-Leninist Weekly on Friday's demonstrations, including report, and many pictures from the over 5,000 strong demonstration in Ottawa, from Quebec, other parts of Canada and around the world.

http://cpcml.ca/Tmlw2013/W43002.HTM

On January 11, as part of a series of actions held across Canada by First Nations and their allies, over 5,000 people took part in an inspiring day of action in Ottawa to demand the affirmation of First Nations' rights. People came from many First Nations from across Canada, joined by Canadians from all walks of life, including a delegation of United Steelworkers Local 1005 from Hamilton. The day was a high-spirited, powerful and moving expression of the fight in defence of hereditary, treaty and constitutional rights and against the violation of these rights by the Harper government, especially with omnibus Bills C-38 and C-45. It also demonstrated the resolve of First Nations people to establish a new nation-to-nation relationship involving Canada, the Crown and First Nations.

Continued in full article. All Canadians should support First Nations' just demands and affirmation of nationhood and understand the historic significance of what's happening.

[bcbm]

masked militants march in anti-pipeline protest

[Ele'ill]

http://pugetsoundanarchists.org/cont...pipelines-demo

Approximately 20 masked up black clad anarchist rebels created a defiant contingent within the 600 to 1000 person anti-pipelines demo organized by ‘Rising Tide’, on the evening of January 14th. This openly confrontational presence was maintained throughout most of the four-hour demo despite having an entourage of at least a couple dozen VPD’s Public Safety Unit (PSU) right from the onset. While many speakers addressed the crowd gathering at ‘Victory Square’ some of the “ninja’s” distributed a text (which is included below). Most of the demonstrator’s did not seem offended by the black masks and many were openly supportive. Of the few that vocalized criticism, most came around with warm exchanges when anarchists articulated the importance of expressing a fighting spirit if we are serious about stopping the pipelines and taking our lives back from the rich, making it clear that we’re not mindless thugs, but passionate revolutionaries.
The rally at Victory Square went on for about an hour and a half before the demo began to march. We were happy to here at least one speaker giving a shout out to the ‘Unis’tot’en Action Camp’ and their dedication to prevent Enbridge and all other pipelines from going through Wet’suwet’en territory (most urgently, the ‘Pacific Trail Pipeline’).
A contingent of indigenous women led the demonstration with drumming and singing as it winded through the streets to the Sheraton Wall Centre (a hotel complex in downtown Vancouver where the Enbridge hearings were occurring). During the march the small black bloc stayed tight within a barrier created with the help of three large banners. There were at least as many anarchists and other rebels scattered throughout the demo who wore masks and/or all black. And of course many of the non combatant people are as anarchists as well.
Once the demo reached the Sheraton Wall Center tensions mounted as the demo of at least 600 poured into the courtyard within the hotel complex, despite attempts by police to stop this surge. A large number of this crowd quickly faced off with the 40-50 PSU pigs who rapidly lined the entrance to the building where the hearings were taking place. Anarchists used banners and a black flag to obscure police surveillance. Others followed suit with their anti-pipelines picket signs. Fire works then exploded above the bloc.
For a short time it seemed possible for the crowd to overcome the police line and enter the building on mass. Then a demo organizer announced that we were at the wrong building the crowd then followed them across the courtyard to a building that was not protected by the police as the remained in their original formation. At this point, anarchists shot more fireworks into the night sky. Moods ran high, but the climax of the demo had begun to decline.
Shortly after indigenous women lead the ‘Women’s Warrior Song’, organizers directed the demo back to the original building as they had clearly been mistaken. When the crowd returned, anarchists quickly made a wall of banners against the police line to obscure the cops vision again. This time however, most of the demo kept their distance while they listened to activist speakers.
One anarchist yelled as she was being pushed by the police, many from the larger crowd joined the other anarchists in having her back. An escalating conflict was narrowly diffused as demo organizers and/or self delegated marshals got who got between the cops and the rebels.
The potential moments to break the peace of the Enbridge bosses any further had clearly passed and the potential of arrest was mounting as the demo got smaller. Not too long after this, the anarchists slipped into the dwindling crowd, de-blocked and then dispersed. The buzz of collective refusal was still in the air.
- This report is based on one individuals perspective and not meant to represent any other anarchists, black bloc or otherwise.
This text was distributed throughout the demo:
No Pipelines, No Tankers.
Capitalism is the Problem.
The capitalists don’t care what we think, they only care about the millions to be made from exploiting the land, water, and from our time spent working away from our family’s and loved ones. Continuing to dialog with these vultures helps to maintain the illusion they can be swayed with moral arguments. We encourage you to instead talk to one another about how to self organize and take action to stop them and protect whats left. A diversity of tactics are needed; from social confrontation and attack to social outreach, popular education, fundraising, building on the land, cooking, cleaning, child care and so on…
Solidarity means realizing the commonality between each others struggles. Our task is not only to have each others backs in the face of state repression but also to open new fronts wherever we live against the common enemy. We encourage you to develop your own analysis, find accomplices and decide for yourself what is the best way to attack the system and take a step towards control over your life.
One powerful source of inspiration are the Wet’suwet’en people who are facing off with the Apache and Chevron corporations to prevent the Pacific Trail Pipeline (PTP), and all other pipelines threatening their territory (including Enbridge). They are on the forefront of resistance to resource extraction in the colonial province of BC.
Many people are aware of the epic ‘Northern Gateway’ pipeline project Enbridge is seeking to push through. A smaller but growing number are realizing that the Pacific Trail Pipeline (PTP) is already approved and going ahead. The PTP would increase the flow of liquified natural gas extracted through the highly destructive practice of ‘fracking’ in North Eastern BC for exportation to overseas markets. Further, the PTP is clearing the way all the other pipelines that seek to follow along the PTP’s path, of which Enbridge is just one. Also to the much larger ‘Pacific Gateway Transportation Strategy (2012-2020)’.
“Pacific Gateway” is a scheme which is funneling billions of provincial and federal tax dollars to spruce up and expand railway, pipelines, hi-ways, seaports, airports, etc. To accelerate the flows of toxic resources like coal, oil and gas throughout BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan. With the rapidly growing energy markets in China and India, international capitalists are frothing at the bit amidst these unfolding possbilitys.
For us, there is no distinction between ecological resistance and class war. The same rich bastards profiting from our work, poverty, blood and tears are profiting from destroying the natural world. Same shit, same pile. They extort our consensus with the bribe of jobs, but what good is money on a dead planet? We want to get all the cops and bosses out of our lives, to destroy the capitalist economy and regenerate respectful relationships to the land, our selves and each other.

[JoeySteel]

Article from today's TML Daily explaining the relationship between the struggle of First Nations and the working class in Canada.

http://www.cpcml.ca/Tmld2013/D43004.htm#1

March by First Nations and supporters from Tilbury to Ambassador Bridge, Windsor, January 16, 2013.

Affirm the Rights of First Nations
The Struggle to Affirm Rights Is One Struggle

The Workers' Opposition regards the struggle of First Nations to affirm their rights, as the fight of workers as well. The struggle in Canada to guarantee the rights of all, including importantly First Nations' hereditary, treaty and constitutional rights concerns every worker, senior and youth. Canada's future lies in the fight for the rights of all! The struggle to affirm rights is one struggle. No wall separates the struggle of First Nations and that of the working class.

The specificity of First Nations' rights is theirs by virtue of being First Nations. The struggle of the working class for the affirmation of workers' rights in opposition to monopoly right is theirs by virtue of being the actual producers of value and providers of services. Those struggles unite in the struggle of all for their rights by virtue of being human.

The existing state and its democracy are in crisis because they are incapable and unwilling to guarantee the rights of all including in their particularity the rights of First Nations and the working class. The existing state and its democracy are caught within the unyielding web of monopoly right and refuse to meet the call of history, which demands the affirmation of the rights of all.

The task of affirming rights belongs to all Canadians. The fighting unity of First Nations and the Canadian working class has the numbers, determination, vision and aim to defend the rights of all and bring into being new economic, political and social arrangements that guarantee those rights in practice.

The First Nations and working class refuse to accept the dictate of the Harper, Quebec and provincial governments that tell the people what they can and cannot think, say and do. The First Nations and the working class can think for themselves, analyse and determine their path of action towards the affirmation of their rights. The agenda of Harper and other state representatives is not the agenda of First Nations or the working class. If it were, the rights of all would not now be reduced to policy objectives subjected to the pragmatic whims of the monopolies and their narrow desires to build global empires on the backs of the people, their land and natural resources. A state and democracy of, by and for the people would affirm rights as inviolable and would guarantee First Nations and the working class a say and control over everything that affects their lives. How can it be otherwise in the modern world where the people themselves must be empowered to take control of their economic, political and social affairs?

A nation-to-nation relationship between First Nations and Canada cannot and will not be built based on the agenda of the existing state and its democracy. The concept of master and slave is finished. The notion of a colonial conqueror and vanquished First Nations is a lie. First Nations have never been conquered and never will be. The powerful movement in defence of First Nations' rights is confirmation of that reality. A modern definition of a nation-to-nation relationship is developing before our eyes and will be grand to behold in its full expression.

The Workers' Opposition has a moral and historic duty to provide everything demanded of it by the First Nations in the battle for their hereditary, treaty and constitutional rights. This assistance is integral to the struggle for workers' rights in opposition to monopoly right and forms part of the struggle for the rights of all. The First Nations and Workers' Opposition are together in fighting unity against the same enemy represented by the Harper dictatorship and others within the existing state and its crisis-ridden democracy. The First Nations and Workers' Opposition along with all justice-minded Canadians who wish to build the new are struggling to deprive the authorities of their power to deprive the people of their rights.


Members of Ironworkers Local 736, Hamilton, ON, January 11, 2013

First Nations Have Rights by Virtue of Being First Nations!
Workers Have Rights by Virtue of Being the Actual Producers of Value and Providers of Services!
The People Have Rights by Virtue of Being Human!
Idle No More!
Harper No more!
Canada's Future Lies in the Fight for the Rights of All!

[JoeySteel]

Below is a Marxist-Leninist analysis of the recent legislative "accomplishment" of the NDP motion on First Nations' rights and how it plays into the Harper government's genocidal agenda. And I thought Idle No More should be back on the first page, for crying out loud.

http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2013/02/06...beers-airport/ Attawapiskat people are blockading the mine owned by the De Beers criminals. APTN reported today that the blockade is ongoing and they are requesting assistance from Idle No More activists.

Harper Government's Despicable Agenda to Extinguish Aboriginal Rights

On February 6, the House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion tabled on January 31 by NDP Aboriginal Affairs Critic Jean Crowder. There were 276 votes for the motion (32 MPs were absent). The motion reads:

"That the House, recognizing the broad-based demand for action, call on the government to make the improvement of economic outcomes of First Nations, Inuit and Métis a central focus of Budget 2013, and to commit to action on treaty implementation and full and meaningful consultation on legislation that affects the rights of Aboriginal Canadians, as required by domestic and international law."

In the opinion of TML, this motion is not worthy of support because it covers up the issue at the very heart of the dispute First Nations have with the government of Canada which is not whether consultation takes place but what constitutes "full and meaningful consultation." It also treats First Nations as "Aboriginal Canadians" which is not acceptable since this language refuses to acknowledge First Nations as nations and thereby assists the Harper government to get away with its racist colonial agenda against First Nations. TML considers the spirit behind this motion chauvinist and racist which is precisely what Canadians demand be ended.

Accordingly, the notorious Minister for Aboriginal Affairs John Duncan voted for the motion. In speaking to the motion, Duncan said among other things: "Aboriginal peoples represent the fastest growing population in Canada. Given the country's labour shortages and the proximity of First Nation communities to resources development projects, there is a tremendous economic opportunity before us. That is why we have consistently invested in measures to improve aboriginal participation in the economy. Like economic action plan 2012, economic action plan 2013 will focus on jobs and opportunities for all Canadians, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis."

The Minister cites Bill C-27, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which First Nations denounce. It imposes burdensome and unfair financial accountability measures on Chiefs and Band Councils under the hoax that this will make them "accountable" to their community members. Meanwhile the Harper government itself is completely unaccountable financially or otherwise to the Canadian people. What hypocrisy!

Also mentioned during the debates on the NDP motion was the second omnibus budget bill, Bill C-45, "which would speed up the process for leasing lands [of First Nations] for economic development purposes." Minister Duncan also cited the First Nations Land Management Act which "will unlock the potential of their lands and natural resources" and that the Harper government would work with "willing partners to remove economic barriers" amongst First Nations who want to "move at the speed of business." What the Minister is telling us is that government will move at an even faster pace to displace First Nations people from their resource rich lands and hand these collective assets over to the biggest monopolies.

Duncan also mentioned the "results-based" negotiations within the context of the Harper government's Comprehensive Claims and Self-Government Policy aimed at "expediting" land claims and treaty negotiations through some 92 "negotiating tables." He mentions that these negotiations have been held up and that they have already cost some $700 million in litigation. What is not mentioned is that at these "negotiating tables" First Nations are subjected to force and blackmail in order to extract concessions from them. Those who resist and uphold their rights, such as the Blackfoot First Nation in Alberta, are no longer considered "willing partners." They are left to fend for themselves and the onus is put on them to fight it out in the courts. Many First Nations simply do not have the financial resources to mount legal battles with the government of Canada.

To further remove First Nations from exercising control over the education of their children which is their right, Minister Duncan said that the Harper government will be implementing a First Nations Education Act, to have "strong and accountable education systems on reserve." Minister Duncan said in Parliament that there will be no such law until "meaningful consultations" are held. Again this is a sham, as "consultations" will take place only amongst "willing partners" who agree to give up their rights and work with the Canadian state to achieve its aims, not those of First Nations. Duncan noted that "we have committed to work with willing partners to have the legislation in place by September 2014." Therefore, the right to "free, prior and informed consent" which is enshrined in Article 19 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (which the Harper government finally signed in 2012) which necessarily encompasses the right of veto, is not recognized by the Harper government as concerns First Nations. There are only "willing" and "unwilling" partners.

The arrogance of the Harper government to re-colonize First Nations and assimilate them in the name of economic prosperity for all Canadians knows no bounds. This "economic prosperity" is a euphemism for raping and pillaging First Nations' lands and resources, and exploiting First Nations people and workers from all over Canada and even the world to benefit the biggest resource monopolies. Prime Minister Harper refuses to even recognize that his government's treatment of First Nations constitutes a crime, the very crime they are protesting -- the refusal to recognize their right to be. He even refuses to carry out the fiduciary responsibilities of the Government of Canada. Speaking to the motion, Harper said that one of the top priorities of his government is to ensure that Canada has "a strong economy where people of all ages will have opportunities not just now, but for generations to come. These are the priorities we have for all Canadians. They are important to all Canadians whether they are Anglophone, Francophone, aboriginal or new Canadians." Thus, to deprive them of their hereditary, treaty and constitutional rights, "aboriginal" people are reduced to the status of linguistic and ethnic groups. Does the Harper government have nation-to-nation responsibilities to linguistic and ethnic groups? No, of course not. The logic is arrogant because it is dismissive. It deserves to be condemned as does the NDP motion.

In this regard, the NDP motion itself is condescending and self-serving. It treats First Nations as wards of the state and its recognition of the right to be consulted is phony and paternalistic. The Harperites are quite happy to agree to "full and meaningful consultation on legislation that affects the rights of Aboriginal Canadians." It is no skin off their nose because there is no power on the side of the Opposition to enforce its true meaning. In the framework of the motion, nowhere does it stipulate that the right to "informed consent" is the right to say "no," as spelled out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The paternalistic approach to First Nations by the Harper government and any other must be met with the stiffest resistance by the working class and people of Canada who are standing together as one with First Nations to demand that the Harper government uphold First Nations' treaty, hereditary and constitutional rights. It is one indivisible fight for the rights of all! The times demand a renewed historical relationship between Canada and the First Nations based on recognizing First Nations' rights on a nation-to-nation basis. The days of 19th century colonial paternalism and expropriation are over!

[MP5]

The apathy of the Canadian public is sickening. The country is turning into a 1 party police state and noone cares but when Vancouver lost the cup people tore up half the city over a fucking hockey game for christ sakes. I never thought of myself as Canadian at all but unfortunately it's technically the country i was born in. The RCMP don't have nearly as much support or power down here in Newfoundland as they do on the mainland but we have our own national bourgeois to deal with.

I think Theresa Spence hunger strike would have been effective had it been a actual hunger strike instead of just a diet more or less. Had she been willing to die for it that would get people on board. Also the Native population in Canada only makes up a very small minority so you need to get the rest of Canada's support to be a effective movement. Sadly the rampant but hush hush racism in Canada against aboriginal people will prevent many people from siding with these types of movements. After all there just drunken Indians living the easy life on the dole eh

Seriously though i wish my province would separate from Canada and send all our political trash to upper canada where they belong and they can take the red coats with them.

[o well this is ok I guess]

Chippewa First Nation members Lucy Riley (left) and Chelsea Kennedy, both 20, say their treaty-guaranteed right to a post-secondary education has been stolen by the Harper government.

The joke being that the state of post-secondary funding for status indians was a in a shit state in the first place.

[The Intransigent Faction]

The apathy of the Canadian public is sickening. The country is turning into a 1 party police state and noone cares but when Vancouver lost the cup people tore up half the city over a fucking hockey game for christ sakes. I never thought of myself as Canadian at all but unfortunately it's technically the country i was born in. The RCMP don't have nearly as much support or power down here in Newfoundland as they do on the mainland but we have our own national bourgeois to deal with.

I think Theresa Spence hunger strike would have been effective had it been a actual hunger strike instead of just a diet more or less. Had she been willing to die for it that would get people on board. Also the Native population in Canada only makes up a very small minority so you need to get the rest of Canada's support to be a effective movement. Sadly the rampant but hush hush racism in Canada against aboriginal people will prevent many people from siding with these types of movements. After all there just drunken Indians living the easy life on the dole eh

Seriously though i wish my province would separate from Canada and send all our political trash to upper canada where they belong and they can take the red coats with them.

I was about to like this...then realized we don't need your political trash, thanks.
Ontario is already province that brought us Flaherty and Clement....fresh out of the Harris cabinet I believe.

Normally I would have thought environmental issues especially would bridge the cultural divisions between Canadians. I remember a few years back here in Ontario they tried setting up a garbage dump above an aquifer in cottage country, and it was the first time I'd heard of Natives and non-Natives protesting side-by-side, especially in that area.

I guess environmental protests are one thing, but a direct focus on First Nations' suffering as being due to anything but their own supposed laziness/corruption/inferiority is just too much for some people to handle.

[MP5]

I was about to like this...then realized we don't need your political trash, thanks.
Ontario is already province that brought us Flaherty and Clement....fresh out of the Harris cabinet I believe.

Normally I would have thought environmental issues especially would bridge the cultural divisions between Canadians. I remember a few years back here in Ontario they tried setting up a garbage dump above an aquifer in cottage country, and it was the first time I'd heard of Natives and non-Natives protesting side-by-side, especially in that area.

I guess environmental protests are one thing, but a direct focus on First Nations' suffering as being due to anything but their own supposed laziness/corruption/inferiority is just too much for some people to handle.

Lol. Good point you guys have too much political trash to deal with as is. Perhaps we could exile the political trash to Baffin Island or somewhere? Although that would dirty up a otherwise fairly untouched land so maybe stick then up in Fort Mcmurrey as that is the closest place to hell i can think of right now

It is very rare indeed for Aboriginals and non Aboriginals to work together for any cause. Even the most politically correct people in Canada will often be racist towards them but of course in the subtle Canadian way. Capitalism has really screwed over the Aboriginals in Canada big time. One need look no further then the oil business as a example of this as the tar sands are destroying native land. I am sure my blood pressure goes through the roof everytime i see some oil company lackey or someone from the conservative party say that the oil companies are doing everything they can to preserve the environment. Somehow they actually manage to say it with a straight face which nearly makes me vomit in rage. If you ever want to watch a pretty good show on how the oil sands are affecting the environment and the Aboriginal's search on youtube for toxic Alberta which was a show that Vice did on the tar sands. It's focused around the oil Business in Fort Mcmurrey and the real impact it is having on the way of life up there.

I never made it that far north but seeing so many natives as well as white people living in tents by polluted rivers in -40C weather and drinking cheap booze to make their hellish existence more bearable brought back some sad memories of seeing similar sites around Edmonton. One of the saddest things i have ever seen is seeing people of all ethnicity's crashed out by the steps of abandoned building in the worst parts of the city drinking cheap wine or huffing glue to get through the day. The first time i saw that i was driving with a fellow ex pat to work and it must have been atleast -30C outside. I said something like "why doesn't someone atleast give these poor people a place to live? That is fucking ridiculous!" His response was "they should get a job the lazy welfare rats." Honestly if i had not needed a run with him to work i would have beaten the daylights out of him as soon as he pulled that truck over.

The saddest thing i have ever seen however would be the conditions that the Innu where living in in Davis Inlet Labrador. If you ever want to see a good example of 3rd world conditions in a first world country google that. If that does make you very mad at the Capitalist system and very sad as well for those people i don't know what wold. The only thing that has changed is that the government relocated them to a different town and gave them brand new houses. Of course this was completely useless as they did nothing but very superficial things to help the social problems up there. Basically they just put a band aid over a bullet hole more or less.

When people say things like "the first nations people have it so easy they just sleep all day and collect their fat welfare checks" or "they shouldn't get a copper of welfare money because they only spend it on drugs, booze and whatever they are huffing these days" it enrages me to no end. Are people really that naive that they think that a few gestures of good will by throwing money at the problems these people face is going to somehow undue the damage done by centuries of colonialism? Their whole way of life was destroyed due to the British imperialism and trying to force bourgeois society on people who had never know it. So how the hell can you expect them to adapt to western culture over the course of a few generations without them falling into despair, hopelessness and all the trappings that come along with it.

People need to realize that poverty is not a issue of ethnicity. Ethnic divisions are just a way for the bourgeois to divide and conquer the proletariat. It doesn't matter what color your skin is or where your ancestors came from when you are falling down from hunger. Sadly most people on both sides can't see that.

[Die Neue Zeit]

The apathy of the Canadian public is sickening. The country is turning into a 1 party police state and noone cares but when Vancouver lost the cup people tore up half the city over a fucking hockey game for christ sakes.

I envy the activism of the US left and the awakening of the US working class.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

People need to realize that poverty is not a issue of ethnicity. Ethnic divisions are just a way for the bourgeois to divide and conquer the proletariat. It doesn't matter what color your skin is or where your ancestors came from when you are falling down from hunger. Sadly most people on both sides can't see that.

While I agree with the general sentiment of this, it's worth emphasizing that it's disproportionately indigenous folks who are falling down from hunger, and not the white racists you mention in the paragraph above this. To challenge the divisions within the working class, we need to develop some serious antiracist/anticolonial praxis. It's easy to say "We're all in this together!" when one has disproportionate access to resources, and a fundamentally different relationship with both capital and the Canadian settler state. We may be on the same sinking ship, but your odds of survival are pretty different (bordering on nil) if you're in steerage.

[blake 3:17]

Normally I would have thought environmental issues especially would bridge the cultural divisions between Canadians. I remember a few years back here in Ontario they tried setting up a garbage dump above an aquifer in cottage country, and it was the first time I'd heard of Natives and non-Natives protesting side-by-side, especially in that area.

I guess environmental protests are one thing, but a direct focus on First Nations' suffering as being due to anything but their own supposed laziness/corruption/inferiority is just too much for some people to handle.

There are native/settler alliances being built on environmental issues in Eastern Ontario and in BC. I'm not sure of elsewhere. In some places communities are either so physically or culturally remote that cooperation doesn't seem like an option.