Aboriginal Movement Idle No More Analysis

5. The news piece on the Aboriginal movement Idle No More (INM) by Chris Dart draws attention to the sudden explosion of support the movement gained a few years ago in its onset during a protest at Yonge and Dundas square. Although, the movements roots are based in fighting for aboriginal rights, the INM leaders realized that it is essential to engage Canadians outside the movement in order to achieve broader success. The news piece exposes that the environmental aspect within the INM movement have allowed Canadians, who may not directly relate to Indigenous injustices to in turn relate through their passion for the environment. David Harvey (2015), holds that for political change to occur in contemporary society, a wide alliance of various …show more content…
Under Harvey’s train of thought the movement may be capable of gaining a stronger base and creating real transformations around indigenous issues as well as environmental injustices if it continues to incorporate a wide alliance of people. It is noteworthy that the Dart, news piece provides that the INM movement has recognized that Canadians are devoted to environmental politics and has become committed to using this as part of their platform in order to gain wider support for their movement. Ruppert (2006) holds that public space is the only avenue in which marginalized groups can represent themselves as a part of the public, and that this makes access to public space essential for their representation in democratic politics. By the surprisingly large turnout the IDN movement gained at Yonge and Dundas square it seems that the movement has opened up an opportunity for Indigenous individuals but also an emotional valve for everyday Canadians to get involved, and this poses as an example that public protest may not be a thing of the past, and is still at the core of what compounds a healthy democratic …show more content…
What draws one group of people into a space verse others can ultimately be said to be homogeny, in a certain sense, but this assertion is still privileged to white middle-upper class folk. As, spaces oozing with symbols of money and protections will be more experienced by those who have the economic ability to entrance them. Whereas homeless people, are often banished form spaces particularly constructed for the use of the “affluent class”. In week 7 we ventured to Yonge and Dundas square and observed the architectural design that encompassed the space. Throughout week 7 discussions it was noted that CCV cameras were present and security was always near by. These securities fit into the opinion that some held from the Torontoist (2013) reading, in that Yonge and Dundas square was created as a public space built primarily for movie goers, shoppers, and those dinning out – all behaviours that only the affluent may enjoy- to take a break and enjoy all the adds, well under the safety net off security and CCV. The architecture of the square is directly tied to neoliberslism, as the square is not a space for the undesirable- lower