Idle No More founder protests, speaks in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN – After a spirited protest downtown, Indigenous rights leaders, including Nina Wilson, a founder of Idle No More, gathered here at the American Indian Center on Franklin Avenue, March 21, for a wrap-up of the day’s activities and to prepare for the next event. On March 22, Wilson and others will be present at the Environmental & Treaty Rights Symposium, also to be held at the American Indian Center.
Earlier in the day, dozens protested crimes against the environment and indigenous peoples. The protest started at People’s Plaza, outside the Hennepin County Government Center, and marched to Canadian Consulate. Shamefully the doors were closed to them. The consulate apparently instructed Minneapolis cops to physically bar Native Canadians from entering the consulate building.
Nina Wilson, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, will be joining Idle No More-Minneapolis at the March 22 symposium to help spread information about Idle No More and the struggle of the First Nations people. Idle No More is an organization struggling against the attack on the treaties the First Nations people had with the Canadian government.
Besides Wilson, the symposium will feature Bad River Band of Ojibwe Tribal Chairman Mike Wiggins Jr. and Phoebee Kebec on mining, Robert DesJarlait of Protect our Manoomin, and Marty Cobenais of Indigenous Environmental Network, on the Enbridge pipeline and tar sands, as well as many others. The symposium starts at 9:00 a.m. and goes all day. The American Indian Center is located at 1530 Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis.