Protect Oak Flat Today and Everyday

WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress did pass the Southeastern Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act as part of the national defense budget; and

WHEREAS, this Act takes away Oak Flat, a most holy and spiritual area known to us as Chich'il Bildagoteel and gives it to Resolution Copper, a foreign mining conglomerate;

WHEREAS, today, we are gathered to protect Oak Flat, because we want the world to know that we are here to pray for Oak Flat, and that through the power of our prayers and the strength of our purpose we hope that Congress will realize the error of its ways and repeal the Act;

WHEREAS, today, I call upon everyone and all nations - tribes, natives and indigenous people - to join with us to commence our fight to take back Oak Flat;

Brought together and supported by the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, the Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQQIA Mentors, Elders, and Grandparents Support Circle is an effort to increase access to identity-affirming culture and support.

What we do:
The Circle aims to share information about community and cultural activities, including ceremonies, gatherings, events and workshops, to provide peer support and help facilitate access to culture in ways that are safe and affirming of our identities.

Welcome to the second Idle No More grassroots newsletter which will now be called #INMroots!   Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas for the newsletter name.

The goal of the #INMroots newsletter is to share news stories that promote Indigenous rights and sovereignty and the protection of land and water.   The newsletter will share our stories, actions, and honour resistance while celebrating the world that we are protecting.

Submitted by the walkers of Nihígaal Bee Iina

On February 1st 2015, the walkers of Nihígaal Bee Iina (pronounced ni-hi-gahl beh ee-nah, meaning "Our Journey for Existence") completed their quest to walk over 200 miles in the name of their children, land and ancestors. The walk was in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of The Long Walk, whereby over 9,500 Diné (Navajo) were marched at gunpoint for hundreds of miles into Bosque Redondo—a concentration camp they would stay for four years. Only 7,304 survived the internment to return back to Diné Tah, the original Navajo homeland. In addition to honoring the resilience of their ancestors, the walkers also set out to raise awareness about issues surrounding oil and gas extraction in Diné Tah. Ultimately, the group walked the entire span from Dził Naa’oodiłii (Huerfano Mounatin) to Tsoodził (Mount Taylor) in 26 days, a total of 225 miles.

by Lyla Johnston

At dawn on January 6, 2015, a group of young Diné (Navajo) women and their supporters gathered at sunrise near the fire department at the base of Dził Na’oodiłii (Huerfano Mountain). From there the group embarked on a 200-mile trek through eastern New Mexico—a tribute to the 150thanniversary of the tragic “Long Walk.”  Throughout this journey they have been raising awareness about the historical and present day challenges faced by Diné people and inspiring hopeful solutions to address these issues.

Idle No More Communications volunteers have been in contact with some of the walkers and will feature images and reflections from their powerful walk in the next grassroots newsletter.  Keep reading to learn more about the beginning of their journey.

We're up to 290 earrings, which means we still need 891 single earrings. Let's make a final push this week to encourage others to donate and send in your contributions.

We're launching a social media campaign! From now until February 14th help raise awareness about our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women by participating in the following campaign.

Head to the nearest body of water, drop a flower in, and snap a picture. Share online with the hashtag ‪#‎WeWontForgetMMIW‬ and don't forget to tag ‪#‎SORR‬! No matter where you're at in the world you can show your support for those fighting for our MMIW as well as commemorate the lives of those lost.

Our Sisters In Spirit is a documentary exploring the question of a national inquiry into Canada's missing and murdered indigenous women Support the Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign Now!

by CBC News (photo credit Kathy Fitzpatrick/CBC)

Last night in Saskatoon people brainstormed ideas for helping the families of murdered and missing aboriginal women.

They packed the hall at Station 20 West in the city's core.  About 150 people turned out, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal.

The gathering was organized by social workers and social work students — who formed a social justice committee last summer.

"We thought it was really relevant for us to discuss issues that were pertinent to Saskatoon. So missing and murdered Indigenous women has been a hot topic recently," said Jessica Fisher, the committee's student co-chair.

One of the most dramatic moments came when an impassioned Monica Goulet, one of the panellists, stood to speak.

We are welcoming the third year of the Idle No More movement by creating a bi-weekly newsletter.  This goal of the newsletter is to lift up the voices of Indigenous peoples and struggles around the world.  It will tell our stories, share our actions, and honour our resistance while celebrating the world that we are protecting.

We are all invited to add our voices, our stories, our events, and our actions to this newsletter.  Post your story now!  Deadline for the first newsletter is Sunday January 18th.

We will accept all submissions that are connected to indigenous issues as long as they do not condone lateral violence or include hate speech.  

The first Newsletter will be published on January 26th, so check your inboxes!

Idle No More stands in solidarity with all land and human rights defenders and protectors.   Read the actions and updates below and share your Idle No More story for Dec 10th!

Dec 10th - Celebrating Idle No More Stories

We invite you to share your artwork, videos, poems, songs and stories for us to share with the world. SHARE THE SPIRIT OF IDLE NO MORE! What does Idle No More mean to you? How did you get involved in the movement? How are you still involved? How is your INM work impacting your community?