"everything you know about Aboriginal people is wrong"

@WinnipegJules: "So in conclusion white people, once you accept these things: This isn't your country, you've been lied to your whole life, and everything you know about Aboriginal people is wrong, you'll be able to thrive as a Nation and Canada will be better for it. And once that happens, you can join us Aboriginal people in reality, and we can all work together for a better society and find answers that suit ALL of us. After all, we have to share this land you named Canada.

And hurry up will you? We've been waiting 400 years. "

Mass marches for #idlenomore

Oh, Canada, your home on native land... #idlenomore

Idle No More: A crucial call for justice | Amnesty International Canada:
Grassroots rallies across Canada under the banner 'Idle No More' have put the spotlight on a federal legislative agenda that is trampling the rights of Indigenous peoples set out in  domestic and international law.

Idle No More: Canada’s Growing Indigenous Rights Movement, Fast Going Global — The International

Idle No More: Canada’s Growing Indigenous Rights Movement, Fast Going Global — The International: "In October 2012, four women from Saskatchewan, Canada decided that it was time to address damaging legislation against the nation’s aboriginal peoples, lands and waters. Their movement, Idle No More, started as a simple campaign against Bill C 45, a bill which many claim violates Canada’s Indian Act. The bill is seen to limit Indigenous rights granted by previous treaties and the Indian Act regarding sovereignty over aboriginal lands, their resources, and government decisions concerning them. Yet the movement has grown, now representing all fights for indigenous sovereignty, cultural respect, and the rights of all Canadians to a healthy environment."

Letter-writing and peaceful rallies have not worked - #idlenomore

Idle No More spreads beyond border as aboriginal activists ramp up pressure: ""We did letter writing and phone calls and trying to talk to MPs and, you know, we took that route and it didn't work," she said.

"Then we had to move up to peaceful marches and rallies, and that didn't work. So now we're doing all these flash mob round dances, which are more about working hand in hand with Canadians and also keeping the focus on the media. But now you see blockades.""

'via Blog this'

Mad dash for arctic oil -- throwing caution to the wind

Oil ship runs aground in Alaska | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "The ship, the Kulluk, broke away from one of its tow lines on Monday afternoon and was driven, within hours, on to rocks just off Kodiak Island, where it grounded at about 9pm Alaska time, officials said."

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Thorough assessment of the insanity of oil. #idlenomore #enbridge

Corporate media has blocked the biggest story

The Elephant in the Room: Climate Change | Group Think | BillMoyers.com: "The science is clear and unambiguous: climate change is real; it’s caused by humans burning fossil fuels; and it’s at or near an irreversible catastrophic tipping point.

But you wouldn’t know any of this if you’re getting your news from the corporate media."

Idle No More: Chief Theresa Spence's hunger speaks to all of us | rabble.ca

Idle No More: Chief Theresa Spence's hunger speaks to all of us | rabble.ca: "The greatest blessing of all, however, is indigenous sovereignty itself. It is the huge stretches of this country that have never been ceded by war or treaty. It is the treaties signed and still recognized by our courts. If Canadians have a chance of stopping Mr. Harper's planet-trashing plans, it will be because these legally binding rights -- backed up by mass movements, court challenges, and direct action will stand in his way. All Canadians should offer our deepest thanks that our indigenous brothers and sisters have protected their land rights for all these generations, refusing to turn them into one-off payments, no matter how badly they were needed. These are the rights Mr. Harper is trying to extinguish now."

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Canada Leaves Kyoto Protocol, Lets China Buy Into Oil Sands | Environment News Service

Canada Leaves Kyoto Protocol, Lets China Buy Into Oil Sands | Environment News Service: "In another move that critics warn will destroy Canadian environmental protections for future generations, the Harper Government has approved the C$15.1-billion sale of Nexen, an oil and gas company based in Alberta, to the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation, CNOOC, the third-largest national oil company in China."

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Public transit fares are inefficient

Dialogue with an Advocate and Former COPE Vancouver City Councillor: "Raising transit revenue though fare collection is a most inefficient way to raise revenue. For each fare dollar collected, a full 10 cents is spent collecting or accounting for that dollar — ticket dispensers, police, and now turnstiles. Buses spend a significant portion of time at a stand-still, especially during peak hours, as drivers collect fares and check identification. Translink pays for this wasted time in drivers’ salaries and other costs, while passengers are delayed in reaching their homes and workplaces. These costs, which economists call “friction costs,” make fare collection one of the most inefficient forms of raising revenue."

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Car sharing and #publictransit - #transition solution

Regina Car Share Co-operative: "The Regina Car Share Co-operative provides a convenient and affordable alternative to owning a car. Carsharing gives you access to vehicles when you need them, without the responsibilities that ownership can bring."

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Tar Sands Pipeline Risks Too Great, Canadian Unions Say | Labor Notes

Tar Sands Pipeline Risks Too Great, Canadian Unions Say | Labor Notes: "The U.S. presidential election has held up a decision on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, but in Canada, unions have joined environmentalists to battle another export pipeline—this one headed for the pristine west coast of Canada."

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First Nation Draws a Line in the Tarsands « Father Theo's Blog

First Nation Draws a Line in the Tarsands « Father Theo's Blog: "Yesterday in Fort McMurray, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation drew a line in the tarsands and said, “That’s enough!”  Shell Oil expansion of their Jackpine Mine project was threatening yet more of their territories, and they weren’t having any of it."

'via Blog this'

National Transit Strategy (Canada needs one)

National Transit Strategy: "The economic benefits directly resulting from Canada’s public transit systems are over $10 billion annually.

Positive impacts of public transit on vehicle operating costs, collision costs, air pollution and improved respiratory health alone are valued at $7.71 billion annually.

National ridership reached an all-time high of 1.83 billion trips in 2009, after rising more than 14% over 5 year."

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