Coast Mountain News Thursday, January 17, 2013
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Vol. 29 | No. 02 Thursday, January 17, 2013
Serving the Bella Coola Valley and the Chilcotin
Fun at Snootli Rink Serving the Bella CoolaPage Valley and the Chilcotin
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CoastMountainNews.com
The Nuxalk community continues to support the national 'Idle No More' movement
Idle No More protests continue locally and across the country CAITLIN THOMPSON Freezing temperatures last Friday morning didn’t deter the Nuxalk community from uniting once again to demonstrate their continued dedication to the national Idle No More movement. Amid boycotts and largescale protests, Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with a number of First Nation
leaders in Ottawa. That same morning, the Nuxalk community were marching, drumming, singing, dancing, and reaffirming their declaration that they are a sovereign nation. The Idle No More movement, which began in November and quickly spread, is largely a national protest against Bill C-45, the federal government's
omnibus bill that proposes changes to the Navigable Protection Act as well as the Indian Act, raising fears it will breach aboriginal treaty rights. Divisions remain among First Nations chiefs and leaders, some of who refused to attend the talks with Prime Minister Harper unless the Governor General was also in attendance.
However, the Assembly of First Nation’s National Chief Shawn Atleo said last Friday’s meeting with the prime minister had achieved “some movement” and that Harper, “for the first time, provided a clear mandate for high-level talks on treaty implementation.” Locally, Idle No More has inspired the Nuxalk community to ‘exercise their
rights and responsibilities as a sovereign nation,’ and to ‘stand together and share a common voice.’ Elected Chief Councillor Andrew Andy expressed support for the Idle No More movement and Attawapiskat Chief Teresa Spence, who is entering her fifth week of a hunger strike. SEE IDLE ON PAGE 3