EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF

A PROTEST OR CAMPAIGN

Name: Rayhan Kolsawala

Protest or Campaign being studied: Idle No More and the fight for Aboriginal Rights
(2013)

Individual or Group Started with these 4 individuals: Jessica Gordon, Sylvia McAdam,
that took action Nina Wilson, and Sheelah McLean.

Technique(s) that they Round dances in public places and blockades of rail line. Idle No
used to influence the More was developed as a protest against Stephen Harper 's
government Conservative Government in November 2012 with origins in the
indigenous community. Formally referred to as the Jobs and Growth
Act, this omnibus legislation has affected more than 60 acts,
including the Indian Act, the Navigable Waters Protection Act and
the Environmental Assessment Act. Idle No More activists argued
that the amendments to the Act weakened the rights and authority of
indigenous communities while making it easier for governments and
businesses to push through projects without strict environmental
assessment. The campaign had rapidly attracted attention from across
Canada (and abroad) and has been increasingly widely supportive of
natural and aboriginal rights.
Results achieved (laws A common indigenous sovereignty campaign, indigenous rights and
changed, press treaty recognition. goals were environmental destruction and
coverage, social media economic and social injustice should be stopped. The Commission
engagement, money has given 94 calls for action for aboriginal and non-indigenous
raised, awareness Canadians, who are unified, to further fix harm to residential schools
raised) and to push towards reconciliation. Truth and Reconciliation provides
94 "calls for action". On January 4, 2013 Premier Harper declared
that it will follow-up on concerns raised at the Crown-First Nations
Conference on January 24, 2011, with a group of First Nations
members organised by the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). Idle No
Further has not been alluded to in his letter describing the meeting.
After that conference, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, John Duncan,
announced that "high-level discussion" should be conducted between
Harper and Atleo, which will involve follow-up discussions and
regular Federal government updates on Aboriginal relations. During
the conference, Matthew Coon Come, former regional AFN member,
met with protesters, claimed that the 'Prime minister had pushed a
few posts ahead' and that he was pursuing negotiations on the
implementation of the Treaty, also on unique rights to land also that
the Prime Minister was able to address environmental and regulatory
concerns with the First Nations. “Idle No More was a huge success
for his initial iteration”, said Ken Coates, a professor at the
University of Saskatchewan.
 Was anyone or A protesting First Nations citizen in southern Ontario faced a bill of
anything harmed over $16,000 in damage to CN Rail last winter as part of the Idle No
during this protest or More demonstrations. Mr. Plain was accused of disregarding a court
campaign? (deaths, order that Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat First Nation would
injuries to people or abandon the participation in a 13-day train blockade outside Sarnia,
animals, people Ont., during the new year endorsing hunger demonstrations. CN Rail
arrested, property received $50,000 in financial penalties for the obstruction, but claims
damage) the sum paid is sufficient.

Overall, would you Yes, I would say overall the actions were successful because it spread
say the actions were the message and the awareness all throughout Canada and even in the
successful or U.S. It also got the attention of the prime minister and got authorities
unsuccessful? Why? to make changes and get them aware of the problems that needed to
be fixed.
Any other points of During the day of national action, the representative of the struggling
interest? First Nation of Attawapiskat in northern Ontario, Spence, declared in
Ottawa that it will launch a hunger strike the day following. Her
43-day hunger, ending on Jan. 24, began to draw the interest of the
public of Idle No More and became a symbol for demonstrators from
Idle No More. Poor living standards at Attawapiskat received
widespread national media attention after Spence 's announcement of
a state of emergency at the end of 2011 as a consequence of a housing
shortage within the city.

Follow up question: Which section of this chart was hardest to complete? Why?

The hardest part of the chart to complete was to find if there was injuries, deaths, and damage
done to anything because the protests were peaceful, and they were fighting for a good change
and there was only one documentation/news report that was written about damage done to
property and charges against it.