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London, England may seem like a strange place for Idle No More solidarity actions. The city was, after all, the political epicentre of the British Empire, and the spoils of colonial pillage from around the world have helped establish London as a metropolis and England as a global economic superpower.

In essence, the colonization of the Americas, along with other areas, helped make England what it was and what it is today. Considering the various ways in which England has benefited — and continues to benefit — from its sordid colonial past, perhaps it seems unlikely that a movement openly criticising colonialism and rigorously defending Indigenous rights such as Idle No More would catch on here. Nevertheless, two solidarity actions were organized in London on January 11, as part the #J11 global day of solidarity with Idle No More. Both actions ultimately aimed to raise awareness about Bill C-45, Idle No More, and the importance of Indigenous rights and resistance to colonialism and capitalism today and moving forward.

At 10am London time a small delegation of Indigenous activists and non-Indigenous allies staged a flash mob inside the British Museum in front of two totem poles “purchased” by wealthy non-Indigenous collectors in Haida Gwaii in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With signs declaring “The Peoples of the UK Stand in Solidarity with the First Nations in Their Resistance to the Crown,” “Indigenous Resistance Since 1492,” and “Indigenous Genocide in Effect Now (IdleNoMore, UK),” the purpose of the flash mob was to send a strong message of solidarity to those struggling in what is known today as Canada and across Turtle Island and to generate a conversation within the Museum about colonialism’s and capitalism’s continuing consequences for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples around the world.

The British Museum was chosen as the site for the action because it holds vast volumes of “loot” from the British Empire (only a small assortment of artefacts is presented to the public while a larger collection is stored underground in secret vaults) and because it is an institution that plays an active role in shaping the public’s knowledge about colonialism and Empire.

The Haida totem poles were selected as the backdrop of the flash mob to draw attention to the often ignored history behind the “purchase” of such colonial artefacts: these poles were obtained at a time when many Haida communities were trying to recover from devastating foreign epidemics that resulted in mass depopulation and dislocation. Similarly, many of the Treaties that Bill C-45 undermines were made under duress and during periods of disruption and dislocation for Indigenous peoples. In addition to throwing light on the colonial past, the flash mob in the British Museum also aimed to spread the word about a second event planned for later in the evening.

At 6pm London time a larger group of approximately 30 people gathered with signs, drums, and candles for a rally at the Canadian Embassy in London. With chants of “Idle/NoMore,” “Stephen Harper/Shame On You!” and “Chief Theresa/We’re With You,” the spirited group managed to gain the attention of police as well as many people walking by who seemed generally interested in finding out more about #IdleNoMore.

One passer-by from Bangladesh even remarked: “I didn’t know that Canada had any Indigenous peoples; I thought it was only the U.S. I guess I’ll have to do so research about Idle No More!” Like the earlier action at the British Museum, the evening rally was intended to raise awareness about Idle No More and issues of Indigenous rights and land and sovereignty. CBC even sent a news crew to film part of the rally and interview people as to why they were in attendance and why they supported Idle No More generally. Overall, the action was uplifting and brought together a diverse group of people committed to supporting Idle No More and staging more solidarity actions as the movement continues to take shape, with possibly another day of action on January 28.

January 11, 2013 — or #J11 — has, so far, been a momentous day of action, hope and long-overdue solidarity with Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world. But what does the future hold for the Idle No More movement? Whether the movement is truly capable of bringing about radical, systemic change is difficult (and not for me) to say at the present moment, as this will be largely determined by the tactics and strategies chosen by those involved at the grassroots (as I have stated earlier here and here).

It is unlikely, though, that the momentum of the last month will be undone in one day by a staged meeting with Harper, as Russell Diabo explains. 

Whatever the outcome, it seems clear that Idle No More, with the help of global attention and solidarity actions today and previously, has successfully sparked a popular discussion and debate about contemporary decolonization and, in the process, it has put Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and active resistance to colonial and capitalist oppression squarely on local, national, and global oppositional agendas.

 

Sean Carleton is a PhD Candidate in the Frost Centre for Canadian and Indigenous Studies at Trent University. He is currently a visiting student at the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, UK.