Stop 7: Idle No More

In 2012 and 2013, grassroots demonstrations calling for Indigenous self-determination and environmental activism drew international attention. Idle No More became one of the most significant Indigenous-led social movements in recent history. It began in response to concerns over Bill C-45, a federal bill that threatened to further erode Indigenous rights and environmental protections. Idle No More, was a collective call to action against historical injustices, dispossession exploitation, and the ongoing marginalization of Indigenous peoples and their rights to self-determination in Canada. Though initially sparked by a small group in Saskatchewan, Idle No More rapidly gained momentum, leading to widespread protests, blockades, round dances, and marches across the country. At the heart of the movement was a call to respect and honour Indigenous sovereignty, treaty rights, and environmental stewardship.

In Ottawa, Idle No More had a significant presence in the streets and on the city’s cultural and political landscape. The powerful ceremonies, songs, and calls for justice transformed the urban soundscape and disrupted the colonial spaces in downtown Ottawa. Building on legacies of Indigenous activism and land-based direct action, round dance was performed by hundreds of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people on Parliament Hill, and in solidarity across Canada . The so-called “Round Dance Revolution” was a form of resistance and rebellion against the Canadian settler state.

The strict regulation of sound on Parliament Hill heightens the significance of demonstrations that disrupt official national narratives, and brings into relief sounds that are sanctioned versus those that are silenced. Indigenous resurgence continues to challenge official national soundscapes, despite ongoing attempts to silence, erase, and diminish Indigenous presence. Idle No More and similar demonstrations , amplify calls for equity, justice, environmental protection, decolonization, and Indigenous rights to self-determination across the country.