I. HISTORY IS UPON US
p. 8 Francis Pegahmagabow (1891–1952), third generation
Adrian Hayes, Pegahmagabow, Life-Long Warrior (Toronto: Blue Butterfly Books, 2009).
Joseph Boyden, Three Day Road (Toronto: Penguin Group Canada, 2006).
p. 9 E. Richard Atleo (Umeek) eloquently describes
E. Richard Atleo (Umeek), Principles of Tsawalk (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011), 96.
p. 12 Myriad laws, regulations and administrative structures
Canada. Law and Government Division. Aboriginal People: History of Discriminatory Laws, Wendy Moss and Elaine Gardner O’Toole, eds., November 1987; revised November 1991; updated 2002, 2–16.
p. 13 Dances outside of any individual’s own reserve
Canada. Parliament of Canada. The Indian Act, R.S.C., 1927, 98, s. 140, paras 1–3 and s. 141.
p. 13 We broke our own laws
Canada. Parliament of Canada. The Indian Act, R.S.C., 1927, 98, s. 140. Until real changes are made in national policy we should call this department by its old name: Indian Affairs.
This department has had nine names since Confederation, usually mixed in with commodities, as in National Resources.
The use of the words Indian Affairs refers to the R.S.C., 1985, c. I-5 legislation – the Indian Act. This is still the case even if a new administrative or applied name has been used since 2011: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Legally speaking, it is still the Department of Indian Affairs.
Departments that have been responsible for Indian Affairs:
• The Departments of the Secretary of State of Canada (to 1869)
• The Department of the Secretary of State for the Provinces (1869–1873)
• The Department of the Interior (1873–1880)
• The Department of Indian Affairs (1880–1936)
• The Department of Mines and Resources (1936–1950)
• The Department of Citizenship and Immigration (1950–1965)
• The Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources (1966)
• The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1966 to present) (Applied title as of 2011: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) The departments that have been responsible for Northern
Affairs:
• The Department of the Interior (1873–1936)
• The Department of Mines and Resources (1936–1950)
• The Department of Resources and Development (1950–1953)
• The Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources (1953–1966)
• The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1966 to present) (Applied title as of 2011: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada)
p. 14 One of the most eloquent summaries of the situation
Memorial to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Premier of the Dominion of Canada, from the Chiefs of the Shuswap, Okanagan and Couteau Tribes of British Columbia, delivered to him in Kamloops, B.C., on August 25, 1910.
III. WORKING TO AVOID JUSTICE
p. 25 But the most important handout was to us
James Daschuk, Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life (Regina: University of Regina Press, 2013).
p. 25 Bob Rae put it this way
The Honourable Bob Rae (closing keynote address, “As Long as the Rivers Flow: Coming Back to the Treaty Relationship in Our Time” conference, June 1, 2014, Fort McMurray, Alberta).
IV. AUTHORITY VERSUS POWER
p. 35 Thomas King presents an accurate
Thomas King, The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (Toronto: Random House of Canada, 2012).
p. 38 “… the reconciliation of the pre-existence of Aboriginal societies
Canada. British Columbia. Supreme Court Judgments. Delgamuukw v. British Columbia (1997), 3 S.C.R. 1010. British Columbia, 1997, http://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/1569/index.do.
p. 39 None has succeeded
To understand the story fully, read a sample of the following key documents:
Charlie Angus, MP, “Failure to Seek and Disclose Evidence in St. Anne’s Residential Abuse Scandal” (letters to Peter MacKay, Federal Attorney General, July 21 and November 25, 2013).
Seetal Sunga, “Amendments to St. Anne’s IRS Narrative – Response to Charlie Angus” (email message to Ana Stuhec, Caroline Clark, Janet Brooks, Linda Denis, cc to Catherine Coughlan, Michael Bader, November 26, 2013).
Canada. Ontario. Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Decision of Justice Paul Perell of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice; Fontaine v. Canada (Attorney General), 2014 ONSC 283, Court File no. 00-CV–129059, January 14, 2014.
Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (letter to Charlie Angus, MP, January 14, 2014).
Edmund Metatawabin, PKKA Coordinator (letter to Hon. Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Fort Albany, Ontario, February 10, 2014).
A useful analysis: Dave Dean, “Our Government Is Withholding Documents Concerning the Torture of Native Children,” VICE Canada, July 17, 2013, www.vice.com/en_ca/print/the-canadian-government-is-withholding-documents-concerning-the-torture-of-native-children.
p. 41 There is no suggestion from the minister of error
The largest story is laid out by Edmund Metatawabin in Up Ghost River: A Chief’s Journey Through the Turbulent Waters of Native History (Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2014).
VII. FORMS OF ARGUMENT
p. 51 “a bloated, inefficient and unaccountable bureaucracy”
Ghislain Picard, “It’s Ottawa’s Turn to Be Transparent,” The Globe and Mail, August 22, 2014.
p. 53 Hayden King published a fine analysis
“First Nations Transparency Act May Do More Harm Than Good: Hayden King,” CBC News, August 2, 2014.
p. 66 Edmond Gagne (1921– )
Métis Nation of Alberta, Voices of Courage, Alberta Métis Veterans Remembered (Métis Nation of Alberta, 2006), 29–33.
XIV. MOVING TO THE STREETS
p. 103 The first key issue for Aboriginals in C-38
Canada. Parliament of Canada. First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 60–61 Elizabeth II, 2011–2012, Statutes of Canada 2012, Ch. 19 [Ottawa, Ont], 2012, www.parl.gc.ca/housepublications/publication.aspx?DociD=5697420&FILE=4.
p. 103 The second issue with C-38
Canada. British Columbia. The Fisheries Act Canada, Fisheries Act R.S.C., 1985, c. F-14. Fish Habitat Protection and Pollution Prevention [Burnaby, B.C.], 1985.
p. 104 In C-45 the issue is a weakening of the rules
Canada. Parliament of Canada. First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 60–61 Elizabeth II, 2011–2012, Statutes of Canada 2012, Ch. 31 [Ottawa, Ont], 2012, www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Bills/411/Government/C-45/C-45_4/C-45_4.PDF.
XV. AN OMNIBUS IS A BUS
p. 114 In the same year, Bill C-45 was 457 pages
Janyce McGregor, “22 Changes in the Budget Bill Fine Print: 457-page Omnibus Budget Implementation Bill Amends 64 Different Acts or Regulations,” CBC News, October 26, 2012, www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/story/1.1233481.
p. 114 In twelve months, Parliament was bullied
Canada. Parliament of Canada. First Session, Forty-first Parliament, 60–61 Elizabeth II, 2011–2012, House of Commons Canada 2012, Bill C-45 [Ottawa, Ont], 2012, www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5765988&Col=1&File=4.
p. 123 focused on technology
Canada. Prime Minister of Canada’s office. “PM announces launch of the National Research Council Arctic Program.” News [on-line], August 21, 2014.
XVIII. THE GREAT ISSUE OF OUR TIME
p. 137 “Canada, I believe, is a project of reconciliation
University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, “Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin Is Guest of Honour for PBSC Law Students,” 2014, www.law.utoronto.ca/news/chief-justice-canada-beverly-mclachlin-guest-honour-pbscs-law-student-event.
p. 138 “[T]reaty dialogue did not focus on barter
David Arnot, “The Honour of First Nations – The Honour of the Crown: The Unique Relationship of First Nations with the Crown” (paper, “The Crown in Canada: Present Realities and Future Options” conference, Ottawa, June 2010), www.queensu.ca/iigr/conf/ConferenceOnTheCrown.html.
XIX. EASY THINGS TO DO
p. 144 One of the most exciting breakthroughs in architecture
Lateral Office, “Arctic Adaptations” Exhibition, 14th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, 2014.
p. 144 At the same time, in The Walrus
John van Nostrand, “If We Build It, They Will Stay,” The Walrus, September 2013, 34.
XX. CHOICE
p. 160 “[M]yths are a reflection of
Atleo, 2011, 116.
p. 161 “[I]n the native political and legal system
Jean Friesen, “Magnificent Gifts: The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of the Northwest 1869–1876,” Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Series V, Volume 1, 1986, 43–44.
p. 162 James Anaya, reporting on the indigenous situation
James Anaya, “Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: The Situation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada,” May 2014. Human Rights Council, UN, 18, 21, 22.
p. 164 “Canada is a test case for a grand notion
A Word from Commissioners, People to People, Nation to Nation: Highlights from the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996, by Co-Chairs René Dussault, j.c.a., Georges Erasmus, and Commissioners Paul L.A.H. Chartrand, J. Peter Meekison, Viola Robinson, Mary Sillett, Bertha Wilson (Ottawa: Aboriginal and Northern Development Canada, 1996), 4.
p. 165 Ovide Mercredi, another remarkable former national chief: “These two
Ovide Mercredi, in Great Questions of Canada (rev. ed.), Rudyard Griffiths, ed. (Toronto: Key Porter Books, 2007), 123.
p. 165 E. Richard Atleo (Umeek), who writes about
Atleo, 2011, 80.
p. 166 But we also know that these words were “accepted
Friesen, 1986, 51.
p. 167 Jim Dumont, Indigenous Intelligence
Jim Dumont, “Indigenous Intelligence” (lecture, University of Sudbury, October 18, 2006). “Indigenous Intelligence,” directed by Daniel Moncion (October 18, 2006), [video recording, DVD].
p. 168 Leroy Little Bear: “Any individual within a culture
Leroy Little Bear, “Jagged Worldviews Colliding,” in Marie Battiste, Reclaiming Indigenous Voice and Vision (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2000), 77, 84, 85.
p. 169 Jim Dumont: “The circle, then, being primary
Jim Dumont, 2006.
p. 171 Leroy Little Bear: “The function of Aboriginal
Little Bear, 2000, 81.
p. 172 Leroy Little Bear: “All things are animate
Little Bear, 2000, 77.
p. 172 E. Richard Atleo (Umeek) explains that Western ideas of democracy
Atleo, 2011, 127.
p. 177 Taiaiake Alfred: “Politics is the force
Taiaiake Alfred, Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom (Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2005), 142.
OTHER PEOPLE’S WORDS
1763 The Royal Proclamation
The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Royal Proclamation of 1763 for the Administration of British Territories in North America” (Ottawa: The Canadian Encyclopedia), www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/royal-proclamation-of-1763-/ [June, 2014].
1783 Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant) to Sir Frederick Haldimand: A Letter
Charles M. Johnston, ed., The Valley of the Six Nations: A Collection of Documents on the Indian Lands of the Grand River (Toronto: Champlain Society for the Govt. of Ontario [by] University of Toronto, 1964), 38–39.
1869 Louis Riel, Declaration of the People of Rupert’s Land and the North West
Louis Riel, 1-023, “Declaration of the People of Rupert’s Land and the North West. Fort Garry. 69/12/08,” in Raymond Huel, George F.G. Stanley, and D. Litt, eds., The Collected Writings of Louis Riel / Les écrits complets de Louis Riel, Volume 1, 29 December 1861–7 December 1875 (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 1985), 43–44.
1884 On the Banning of the Potlatch: House of Commons Debate
House of Commons Debates, “Indian Act Amendment,” 5th Parliament, 2nd Session: Vol. 2, 1884.
1910 The Memorial to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Premier of the Dominion of Canada
Chiefs of the Shuswap, Okanagan and Couteau Tribes of British Columbia, “The Memorial to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Premier of the Dominion of Canada,” 1910, http://shuswapnation.org/to-sir-wilfrid-laurier [June 2014].
1927 Amendments to the Indian Act, 1927
Amendments to the Indian Act, R.S., 1927, 98, s. 140, http://mapleleafweb.com/features/the-indian-act-historical-overview.
1971 Grand Chief David Courchene, Foreword to Wahbung: Our Tomorrows
Warren Cariou and Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, eds., Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water (Winnipeg: Highwater Press, 2011), 127.
1977 Grand Chief John Kelly, We Are All in the Ojibway Circle
Grand Chief John Kelly, “We Are All in the Ojibway Circle: Testimony Before the Royal Commission on the Northern Environment,” cited in Michael Ondaatje, From Ink Lake: Canadian Stories Selected by Michael Ondaatje (Toronto: Vintage Canada, 1995), 579.
1996 A Word from Commissioners, The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
A Word from Commissioners, People to People, Nation to Nation: Highlights from the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996, by Co-Chairs René Dussault, j.c.a., Georges Erasmus, and Commissioners Paul L.A.H. Chartrand, J. Peter Meekison, Viola Robinson, Mary Sillett, Bertha Wilson (Ottawa: Aboriginal and Northern Development Canada, 1996), 4.
2000 Leroy Little Bear, Jagged Worldviews Colliding
Marie Battiste, Reclaiming Indigenous Voice and Vision (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2000), 77.
2003 Chief Joseph Gosnell of the Nisga’a, Speaking at Harvard
Chief Joseph Gosnell, “A First Nation, Again: The Return of Self-Government and Self-Reliance in Canada’s Nisga’a Nation” (speech, Harvard University, March 3, 2003).
2005 Taiaiake Alfred, Wasáse: Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom
Taiaiake Alfred, Wasáse: Indigenous Pathways of Action and Freedom (Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2005), 13.
2006 Jim Dumont, Indigenous Intelligence
Jim Dumont, “Indigenous Intelligence” (lecture, University of Sudbury, October 18, 2006). “Indigenous Intelligence,” directed by Daniel Moncion (October 18, 2006) [Video recording, DVD].
2009 Siila Watt-Cloutier, Returning Canada to a Path of Principle
Siila Watt-Cloutier, “Returning Canada to a Path of Principle,” LaFontaine–Baldwin Symposium, Iqaluit, May 29, 2009.
2011 E. Richard Atleo (Umeek), Principles of Tsawalk: An Indigenous Approach to Global Crisis
E. Richard Atleo (Umeek), Principles of Tsawalk (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2011).
2012 Wab Kinew, Idle No More Is Not Just an “Indian Thing”
Wab Kinew, “Idle No More Is Not Just an Indian Thing,” in The Winter We Danced, The Kino-nda-niimi Collective, ed. (Winnipeg: ARP Books, 2014), 95. Originally appeared in The Huffington Post, December 17, 2012.
2013 Jean Teillet, On the Manitoba Métis Victory
Jean Teillet, “Taking Stock After MMF” (speech, Métis Nation of Ontario’s 20th Annual General Assembly, Ottawa, August 24, 2013).
2013 Chief Kathryn Teneese, On Reconciliation and Modernity
Kathryn Teneese, “On Reconciliation and Modernity” (extract from speech, Salmon Festival, Revelstoke, British Columbia, September 28, 2013).
2013 Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, The Words We Have Inherited
Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, “The Words We Have Inherited,” in The Winter We Danced, The Kino-nda-niimi Collective, ed. (Winnipeg: ARP Books, 2014), 271. Originally appeared in The Winnipeg Free Press, January 24, 2013.