Idle No More 101

Congress’ recent failure to pass the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)–specifically because Republicans did not want tribal law enforcement to be able to prosecute non-Native sex offenders–is a continuation of that exploitation of our women. Similar to the “clean water” discussion above, the protections afforded by the Violence Against Women Act protected women of all colors, not just Native women. Conversely, Congress’ failure to act on VAWA hurts all women. Strong Native women leaders like Deborah Parker and others are advocating for VAWA to be renewed for all women, not just a few.

It’s not a Native thing.

It’s a “NO women, of ANY color, should have to worry about getting raped” thing.

It’s a “NO women, of ANY color, should get beaten and battered” thing.

Those who are transfixed by race, again, are missing the point.

And we will continue to organize and be #IdleNoMore about this attack on the women within our communities, as well as all communities. That is not new, and it’s also not just about Native people.

It’s NOT: Occupy Wall Street. Having attended many OWS events, I can tell you that it attracted an array of viewpoints, from conservatives to socialists to anarchists, each of them espousing their own causes alongside those of the movement as a whole.

Idle No More is not Occupy because we are surrounding our advocacy around the specific substantive areas that were discussed earlier–protecting the environment and protecting Native women via the Violence Against Women Act. Yes, like Occupy, this is grassroots; the people are fluid and definitely can change. Indeed, the specific subjects that we choose to organize around certainly could change in the future. But for now, fighting against gratuituous exploitation of our lands and fighting against violence against women are areas where good organization can make a difference. The differences manifest in many ways.

1. Native economies are not getting any better. Many of our communities, the unemployment rate exceeds 70 percent, which is more than a simple “boom and bust” economic upturn can fix. There are structural problems that will prevent a quick fix and, therefore, most Indigenous activists will not have an economic incentive to stop their activism. 
2. While some have criticized Occupy for retreating when the weather grew colder, my friends have literally texted me pictures of sisters and brothers in Alberta and Saskatchewan standing outside with #IdleNoMore signs in -35 degree weather; I have spoken at events where it is freezing and brothers and sisters are outside in t-shirts. If we’re mobilizing 2,000-2,500 people at an event in the freezing cold in January, just imagine how that number is going to multiply when it’s 65-70 degrees outside.
3. Occupy began as snapshot response to a 3-year economic downturn. Idle No More is a continued response to more than 500 years of destroying the Earth and exploiting women. Our foundation literally has centuries on which our resistance is built.
4. It’s not OWS because we are surrounding our advocacy around the specific substantive areas that were discussed earlier: protecting the environment and protecting Native women via the Violence Against Women Act.

Conclusion

This has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. Native people did begin this movement, energized by Chief Theresa Spence’s sacrifice and sparked by the Four Founders’ initiative. Yet, this is anybody’s movement that wants to stand up for the Earth and women and also make a positive change in the community. That means that non-Natives are certainly welcome. We need non-Natives involved to save this Earth, to give our children and grandchildren the same quality of life that we have enjoyed. It’s about clean water. It’s about clean air. It’s about safety for all women. Critics seem to be so caught up on race, but I presume even racist want their children to have clean water just like non-racists, right? Well we want racists (and NON-racists, of course) to have kids with clean water, too. Oh, and that they not get raped or beaten, either.

Not too unreasonable, is it?

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