Idle No More—an indigenous-rights and environmental group based in Canada—will be holding events locally this week. The group is holding three separate events, each with its own focus.
The organization was formed last year by members of the First Nations—Metis and Inuit people of Canada—with the mission of protecting the environment, as well indigenous ways. The organization laid out its vision in a statement earlier this year: “The Vision … revolves around Indigenous Ways of Knowing rooted in Indigenous Sovereignty to protect water, air, land and all creation for future generations.â€
The group was born as a specific response to a Canadian omnibus bill—C-45—and its overhaul of the Navigable Waters Protection Act. Though solidly based in Canada, the organization has found support internationally.
Locally, this week’s events are being promoted by a southern offshoot—Idle No More Gulf Coast.
On Thursday, the group is gathering in downtown Pensacola, at the corner of Garden and Palafox streets, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During this event, signatures will be collected for a petition to get a constitutional amendment on the 2014 Florida ballot aimed at protecting waterways within the state.
The organization has designated Friday as “Worldwide Water Day.†Members and supporters will meet at the pavilion on Pensacola Beach, again from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the intentions of educating students on Spring Breach about the dangers of Corexit, a chemical deployed in response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The group will be back at the intersection of Garden and Palafox on Saturday. Also scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., this event corresponds with the downtown farmer’s market and is meant to accommodate people who were unable to attend the events during the work week.
