[Editor's note: This submitted piece is written by Heiltsuk community organizer Jess Housty in response to people (both indigenous and non) asking her what Idle No More is all about and how people can get involved.]

As everyone should know though many don't, there are massive issues facing First Nations across Canada, with perpetual crises in everything from housing to education to health care. But the most crippling issue underpinning those crises is, in my opinion, the sense of helplessness and dependency that has long dominated our communities. We have been held back by a feeling of defeat. No longer. Perhaps the greatest value of Idle No More amongst First Nations is the way it's lighting a fire in people who used to think change was impossible, and the sense of hope, agency and urgency it's giving them as a new Canada struggles to emerge.

For First Nations citizens, this movement encourages all of us to become the strongest leaders we can be in every way we can. Change won't happen unless we want it, demand it, and work for it, and it's going to take all of us in each community committing ourselves. This isn't to say that everybody has to sit on their band's elected council or fill some other formal leadership role -- it's as simple as respecting traditions, self and family; practicing our culture; asserting our rights and title; implementing our traditional law; getting educated about the issues; and accepting a sense of personal responsibility and leadership in our lives and our communities. My elders have always taught me that we're all in the same canoe; if we pull our paddles together, there's nothing we can't accomplish.

At the same time, non-indigenous Canada is complicit in this crisis, and has just as important a role to play in its resolution. To begin with, there is widespread ignorance amongst Canadians about our country's colonial history, about how First Nations live now, and about the level of support we receive. There are lots of stereotypes to combat: "They don't pay taxes"; "they get free houses"; "they get free tuition"; "all band councils are corrupt"; "they're all drunk and lazy"; etc. Take me as a counter-example: I have a university degree, and I paid for it by earning competitive scholarships. I have a full time job, but current laws and bank policies mean I will probably never be able to purchase a home on reserve. I work 60 hours in an average week, and I file my income taxes just like everyone else. I'm not necessarily representative of the whole, but more people are choosing this path than ever before, and I believe we can create the conditions for this to be a norm rather than exception.

Furthermore, while big legislative changes like Bills C-38 and 45 affect everyone in Canada, not everyone in Canada has the same legal basis for fighting back. A majority government can and is passing laws that most Canadians, having cast their ballots long ago, are now powerless to prevent; First Nations, on the other hand, have a unique leverage here. We are issuing legal challenges to the omnibus bills on the basis of infringement on treaty rights, land title, and constitutional questions. I believe it's in the best interests of people who care about the environment to support this. Environmental groups started waking up to this strategy in the fight against Northern Gateway, but it needs to happen on a bigger scale. We all need to realize that First Nations and non-indigenous Canadians have common goals and interests that go well beyond any one pipeline or province; they extend across the country. We need to support each other in walking the paths that will achieve our common goals.