Social media draws First Nation issues to forefront

As chiefs across the country continue to meet across the river from Ottawa in Gatineau, Que. at the annual December assembly they’re also watching what First Nation youth are saying online through social media.

By Kenneth Jackson
APTN National News
As chiefs across the country continue to meet across the river from Ottawa in Gatineau, Que. at the annual December assembly they’re also watching what First Nation youth are saying online through social media.

Chiefs say they’re keeping an eye on websites like Twitter and Facebook and are getting a sense that young people are fed up with how things are going and are demanding action.

“Our young First Nation population understands the issues and with social media across the country they are bringing the issues to the forefront,” said Chief Isadore Day of Serpent River First Nation.

That’s why Tuesday’s confrontation at the entrance of the House of Commons, where a handful of chiefs, including Day, tried to push their way into the Commons, sparked a fire of social media activity.

“I stand in solidarity with all the Chiefs and supporters on Parliament Hill,” wrote a Cree/Mohawk activist that uses the handle @acimowin on Twitter and who also lists themselves as an activist, producer and broadcaster an Indigenous radio program on CJSR.com.

About 20 pictures of Tuesday’s rally were uploaded through Twitter by APTN National News and people swarmed to them by retweeting each picture and commenting. One person wrote from Belgium saying they were following the rally through the pictures. Another runs a radio station and said they were using the tweets for commentary.

“To the Canadian Gov’t or the people that stand against the Original Peoples of this country – we’re coming,” wrote @Sahra1Taylor18.

Another had this to say: “Gotta to (sic) step up, look the elites in the eye and tell them we won’t allow them to dictate our lives anymore,” said @abitha_praylene who says she is from the Piikani Nation in Alberta.

Young people are able to follow developments by searching hastags such as #idlenomore and #Nativewinter on Twitter. The hashtags group the tweets in a list when searched.

The chiefs have warned no one knows what the youth will do as things progress.

“As chiefs we always watch what our young people are doing. When we listen to the voices of our young people they are saying enough is enough. They’re accessing the social media networks. They’re putting their words out through social media saying ‘what are the chiefs going to do? We need to stand up now and we are going to act.’ This is just the beginning,” said Manitoba Grand Chief Derek Nepinak in an interview on a television news talk show Tuesday evening.

He said what the youth do is “anybody’s guess”.

He said their passion is coming to the surface.

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