Statement of Clarification – Idle No More
Those of us who have been organizing with Idle No More since October 2012 participated in specific events and incidents which led to a decision in January 2013 to register a non-profit organization called Idle No More. A proposal was initiated at that time for possible future structuring of horizontal leadership in each province/ territory/ traditional region by grassroots organizers. This was done in order to be accountable and transparent in accepting donations.
Recently there has been misinformation circulating in social media that Idle No More founders have trademarked the name of the movement. The name is not trademarked, however an application was made in January to protect the name because Idle No More organizers were concerned about the possibility of corporations using the name for profit. In reality, the Idle No More name has been used widely by hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Indigenous peoples and allies have come together in one of the largest mass movements for Indigenous rights and environmental protections, which is the spirit of Idle No More . We must focus our collective energy on our shared vision, and organize strategic resistance towards our six goals outlined in the #SovSummer campaign.