The national Aboriginal support movement sweeping across Canada has another event planned in Prince George.
Local organizers of the Idle No More campaign are calling on the public to gather at the Civic Centre Plaza on Saturday at 2 p.m.
"Bring your drums and flags," said Patrick Pocha from the city's Metis association.
Idle No More was a reaction to the bitter dispute between the federal government and the Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario. It was also sparked by simultaneous agitation over new federal legislation that opponents say adds up to erosion of native rights.
Those two conditions aggravated the multitudes of other antigovernment sentiments felt by aboriginal people and their supporters, whipping them all together into the Idle No More movement.
Much of it has been carried out online, building national and even international momentum over Facebook, Twitter, blog sites and other social media.
In Prince George, messages from the Idle No More movement were spread through social networks by local native leaders like Pocha, Terry Teegee, Rena Zatorski, Amanda Prince and many others. A Facebook site was set up dedicated to the Saturday event by Jean Michel Baptiste and Shalane Pauls, with hundreds of Facebook friends joining in.
"In response to Stephen Harper meeting with [Attawapiskat] Chief Theresa Spence on Friday, January 11 we will be holding an Idle No More rally at 2 p.m. on Saturday January 12, 2013 at the Civic Centre," their message said. "Even though the Prime Minister is meeting with Chief Spence, this does not mean that our problems are solved. Omnibus Bill C-45 and C-38 are unacceptable pieces of legislation. There are still many nations living with inadequate water, housing, and access to basic human needs to survive. This is not exceptional and we need to make our voices and concerns heard! Bring out your drums, singing voices, families and friends so we can let the whole world know that we are idle no more!"
The event will include a march at about 2:45 with local Aboriginal drummers, singers, elders, chiefs and allies leading the way, the Facebook page indicated.
https://www.facebook.com/events/476988979014438/
