Gallery: ‘Idle No More’ Native American Protest At MOA

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The group Idle No More held a major gathering early Saturday evening at the Mall of America. Idle is a protest movement focusing on the rights and interests of First Nations peoples of Canada and Native Americans.

In attendance was the founder and international director of the American Indian Movement (AIM), Clyde Bellecourt.

The protest was held in support of Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation of Canada, who has been fasting for 17 days and is currently camping in a teepee outside of Parliament in Ottawa.

Bellecourt says Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has made a decision to violate all of the treaties by taking the land and resources that belong to the Indians in Canada.

“We have to look out for our own – what happens in Canada happens here and what happens here happens in Canada,” Bellecourt said.

Canadian tribes have shut down two highways and closed a railroad going through a reservation in order to bring attention to Harper’s policies.