A few hundred Idle No More supporters held a festive rally among art crawlers on James Street North Friday night
Amongst art crawlers and gallery owners, a crowd grew on the sidewalks of James Street North Friday night as the latest installment of Idle No More protests.
A couple hundred people gathered by James and Barton Street, first in the basement of the Green Smoothie Bar where drumming and face painting created energy for the night.
This is the third local rally that has been held for Idle No More — a national grassroots movement against Bill C-45, legislation which First Nations groups say puts reserve lands and the number of federally protected bodies of water at risk.
Unlike the initial protest outside City Hall, or last weekend’s march which blocked the Hwy 403, Friday’s event was about fun and welcoming the community into their group, organizers said.
“More people are drawn into it, more information gets out,” Trish Mills said. While the local organizer does have indigenous roots herself, she did not grow up aware of them.
Events like this are a chance for her to celebrate her culture and support a cause that she says affects all of us.
“When it’s always about marches, rallies, protests you can create friction in the community,” she said.
“With this, we have dance, music. It’s about community… gaining momentum.”
At 8 p.m., the group headed south on James to a parkette across from Vine Street. Curious passersby stopped to watch as people danced and drummed along the damp streets.
A DJ spun beats for the crowd as they celebrated another successful rally.
McMaster student Ishmael Traore came out after following news stories about Theresa Spence, the chief of northern Ontario’s troubled Attawapiskat First Nation, who has been on a hunger strike since December, calling on Stephen Harper to address aboriginal issues.
Spence met with Harper in Ottawa Friday as groups like the one in Hamilton rallied across the country in support.
“This is not just about treaties, but also for the process of democracy,” Traore said of the movement.
“This is something much broader than just Native people and their supporters.” mhayes@thespec.com 905-526-3214