b'BIG SPIRIT MOONLEADING WITH FIRE:Pam Palmaters relentless ACATALYSTFORCHANGE advocacy work centres intention and educationB etween Senate hearings,By Gavin Johnlectures, human rights presentations, podcast appearances and social media advocacy, Pam Palmaters days are whirlwinds of intention and purpose. Her office is lined with Indigenous art and books, and she sits with a welcoming smile behind a podcasting microphone.I am a First Nations person, Palmater begins. I am a member of the Eel River Bar First Nation, UgpiGanjig, part of the larger Mikmaw Nation. She grounds her identity before anything elseher positionality is the foundation upon which she has built her complex career in law,For Palmater, confronting these ongoingBefore Harpers decade leading the public advocacy and community work. injustices begins with education. Federalfederal government, Indigenous Today, Palmater is chair for Indigenousand provincial governments have notgroups, scientists, environmentalists, governance at Toronto Metropolitanhistorically done a great job of ensuringconservationists and various advocacy University, a position informed by 26that all of this gets into the K-12 educationorganizations operated largely in isolation years of experience as a lawyer andsystem, she says. Shifting publicfrom one another, each focused on their professor, specializing in Indigenous law,understanding isnt just a cultural issue own battles. That changed when Harpers constitutional law and human rights. Shesits also a legal and political imperative. government became a shared adversary, also a national thought leader, known forOver the decades, Palmater has witnessedone that Palmater says threatened her role in the Idle No More movementa gradual evolution of discoursedemocracy, law and human rights. In and as a fierce advocate for Indigenousconcerning Indigenous rights. Twentyresponse, these groups found a common women and communities. years ago, if I was speakingwouldcause, breaking down silos to unite in a people even come? Would people listen?collective movement. Together, these LAW she reflects. Today, more Canadians arrivegroups became a force.The dawn of Palmaters venture intowith open minds and sharper questions, law rose out of necessity. Canadas legalcreating new spaces for truth-telling. We were all speaking with one voice. We systems, she explains, were designed notall worked together, and they said it was to protect Indigenous peoples, but toIDLE NO MORE historic, Palmater says. Idle No More dispossess them. Palmater heard a call towas more than protest; it was a shared action and answered, seeking a place toIn 2012, Palmaters advocacy foundreawakening of social justice. It shifted push back. powerful expression through Idle Nonational conversations, pushed Indigenous More. What began as grassroots resistanceissues into international forums and Consistently, Id say the biggest barrier toto Stephen Harpers Conservativedemonstrated how Indigenous womens change is the way in which governmentsgovernments sweeping environmentalleadership could unite movements.have historicized the issues, she says.cutbacks grew into one of the most Residential schools are framed as a tragedysignificant Indigenous movements inIt means now you see a focus on of the past, she notes, while contemporarymodern Canadian history. murdered and missing. You see a focus injustices, including child welfareon kids in foster care. You see a focus removals, incarceration and violenceThe big social media at the time was against Indigenous women, all receive farFacebook, she recalls. That was theon homelessness and lack of water in less public scrutiny. Its pretty hard to justprimary place, which was useful at thecommunities. Women brought the say, okay, youve apologized, now letstime for, Hey, pop-up round dance inchange, she notes. Canadians are now move forward, when youre doing thean hour at the Toronto Eaton Centre.more educated, more informed and more exact same thing and its causing the exactMainstream media was always laggingready to take action and not be fearful that same problems. behind us, she adds.theyre going to make mistakes.44 Fall/Winter 2025'