There have been many negative remarks made about Idle No More — comments on how First Nations are unorganized, divided and how they waste our tax dollars.

Theirs is not the first movement to be discredited by naysayers. For those who don’t know, First Nations are standing up because laws are being passed to make it easier for corporations to make money off our natural resources.

It’s happening right here in Sudbury. Vale claimed they weren’t making enough profits so our Ministry of Environment (MOE) let them hold back on pollution control for another few years.

Now, after making lots of money, Vale decided to shut down copper refining to export it, cut the Clean AER Project in half and hold it off some more. I have never heard of MOE say to anyone else but large corporations: “Keep making a mess of our environment, just make sure you clean up when you get a raise, OK?”

Idle No More is not the first movement that is tired of large corporations exploiting us. That was the battle cry of the Occupy movement: 99 per cent do all the work while one per cent make all the money.

We discredited them too. Apparently, they could not be taken seriously because they were spoiled kids fed with silver spoons. How else could they afford to camp out for a month?

The student strike in Quebec last year was another movement tired with the system. Their cause was discredited because they have the lowest tuition fees in Canada. But they should have lower fees, because Quebec pays higher income taxes.

Their cause is also national. Student debt in Canada is out of control and well over $20 billion.

It all comes down to our government being puppets for large corporations rather than representing its people.

Only together can we make a change, and that will only happen if we start getting along in our communities, stand united for causes that affect us all and hold government responsible by voting.

Christian Howald
Greater Sudbury