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Jonathon Naylor Editor Waving placards and beating drums, marchers took to downtown Flin Flon as part of an aboriginal-based protest movement sweeping the nation. Through Idle No More, 30-plus people proceeded down Main Street on Dec. 28 to demonstrating against changes to federal laws they say weaken treaty, environmental and human rights. 'What we have here is part of a huge movement across the country' and beyond, participant John Leclair told his fellow marchers after they gathered at their end point of Pioneer Square. 'All over the world people are supporting what we're doing here.' Looking out over the chilly protesters, Leclair said their march was a small sacrifice compared to that of Theresa Spence, the Ontario chief who has grabbed headlines with her ongoing hunger strike. 'We're a few people shivering here on a corner in a mining town, but somewhere on the Ottawa River, in a tipi, is a woman who hasn't eaten for 17 days,' said the Cranberry Portage man, speaking through a megaphone. 'And I think we need to pay honour to her and freeze a little more out here and let Flin Flon and the rest of northern Manitoba understand that we're not going to take this anymore.' At noon the marchers had left the Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre, halting some of the traffic as they made their way down Main Street to Pioneer Square. See 'Our...' on pg. 3 Continued from pg. 14 Several held up placards with messages written in felt pen. One little boy's sign simply read 'Our Home And Native Land.' Near the front of the march, a handful of aboriginal women pounded on traditional animal-skin drums. While Idle No More has its origins in aboriginal concerns, it has attracted the support of thousands, perhaps millions, of non-aboriginals across Canada. For marcher Tanya Walker, racial labels are meaningless in this fight. 'We are all people of this land, of this country, and it should be our right to protect it, to love it and most importantly live together in mutual harmony with one another,' she told the crowd. Damaging Walker, a Creighton resident, said Bill C-45 _ recently passed by the Harper government _ is damaging on more fronts than one. She said the bill pares down the Indian Act to permit 'more government control of land on First Nations reserves while impacting First Nations' rights to sovereignly govern their own traditional territory.' Walker said it also allows oil and gas companies and foreign corporations to 'freely extract Canada's natural resources for profit.' This, she said, harms 'the natural beauty of our country and the overall quality of our environment.' 'With Idle No More, it is a protest for all of us to preserve the quality of our country's environment, our natural resources and our rights as people,' a passionate Walker declared. 'In another aspect, Idle No More is also a rally for change, a change that defines who First Nations people are rather than the stereotypes that labels assign them within the Indian Act.' Walker said Idle No More represents a chance to return to the original intent of Canada's treaties. 'Let's practice what our forefathers set out to do when the treaties were first established: to live on a land (in) which we live together as creation and where our life and the life of future generations can have a relationship with the Creator and all its creations,' she said. 'It is by natural law of the Creator for us to protect, to preserve and honour as peoples of the land. Let's make change as Canadians in a country that is honoured to be the truth north strong and free.' That last line earned hearty applause and nods of approval from the crowd, including organizer Willow Bellisle. The former Flin Flonner, now a natural resources student in The Pas, assembled the march after being inspired by a posting on Facebook. 'I was really moved by the Idle No More rallies, people getting together and peacefully protesting against Bill C-45,' said Bellisle, 21, who is not of aboriginal descent. Bellisle shares Walker's concerns with the bill and also worries about its implications for water and fish habitat protections. 'It infringes on our rights as Canadians to our natural resources,' she said. While the march itself saw 30-plus participants, there were about 40 people gathered at Pioneer Square for the concluding speeches and traditional round dance. Dance For the dance, participants, including numerous smiling children, linked hands and formed a rotating circle around the centre of Pioneer Square, where the group of women again beat their animal-skin drums. Meanwhile, Churchill MP Niki Ashton is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to meet with two northern Manitoba Cree men who have joined Ontario's Chief Spence in a hunger strike. Raymond Robinson of Cross Lake and Wilson Hardie of Nelson House reportedly began fasting more than three weeks ago. 'Attack' 'These leaders and elders are taking the ultimate stand in opposing the Harper government's attack on First Nations' treaty and aboriginal rights,' Ashton, who was also referring to Chief Spence, said in a news release. 'It's time for the Prime Minister to meet with them and listen to what they have to say.' As for the Idle No More movement, enthusiastically supported by Ashton, the MP said: 'Aboriginal people in Canada have had enough. The Prime Minister must sit and listen to this growing grassroots movement.' But the reality is that Bill C-45 has already passed Parliament with Conservative MPs failing to express the same concerns as the protesters. It therefore appears unlikely the bill will be reversed. In response to Chief Spence's hunger strike, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan has offered to form a 'joint working group' to explore 'ways of addressing First Nations' constitutional rights,' according to the National Post.
