The women of Idle No More

Four women from Saskatchewan:

Nina Wilson, Nakota and Plains Cree from Kahkewistahaw

Sheelah Mclean, Canadian

Sylvia McAdam, Nehiyaw Nation

Jessica Gordon, Pasqua Treaty 4 Territory

They opposed changes to environmental laws proposed in the federal omnibus Bill-C-45 that was on the table in 2012 and began holding teach-ins.

They coined the term Idle No More on a Facebook page.

The hashtag #idlenomore was used by Tanya Kappo on Twitter for a conference she was organizing on Bill C-45.

What followed was a viral social media conversation and six months of peaceful actions across Canada.

The women of #IdleNoMore demonstrated how quickly Indigenous grassroots can organize and surprised mainstream media at the depth of passion over water protection shared by Indigenous peoples.