The rebirth of Canada's Indians

Cardinal, Harold

Hurtig

Aboriginal people in Canada took hope with the election of Trudeau�s Liberals in 1968. They were outraged when the Paper introduced by Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Jean Chretien a year later amounted to an assimilation program: repeal of the Indian Act, the transfer of Indian affairs to the provinces, the elimination of separate legal status for native people. The Unjust Society, Cree leader Harold Cardinal�s stinging rebuttal, was an immediate best-seller, and it remains one of the most important ever published.  Possessed of a wicked gift for satire, Cardinal summed up the government�s approach as �The only good Indian is a non-Indian.� He coined the term �buckskin curtain� to describe the barriers that indifference, ignorance and bigotry had placed in the way of his people. He insisted on his right to remain �a red tile in the Canadian mosaic. Above all, he called for radical changes in policy on aboriginal rights, education, social programs and economic development.

Unjust Society

Politics & Social Sciences

Politics & Government

Douglas & McIntyre, Ltd

"It is my hope, and the hope of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, that this publication can help provide the historical context needed to intelligently and respectfully forge new relations between First Nations people and non-Aboriginal people in the province of Saskatchewan. It has already done so, in part, by facilitating the work of our office in bringing together the parties of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and Canada to reach common understandings and to use the Treaties as a bridge from the past to the future ... so that we can learn from the past and work together towards a future built on co-operation and mutual respect." Judge David M. Arnot, Treaty Commissioner for Saskatchewan "We were told that these treaties were to last forever. The government and the government officials, the Commissioner, told us that, as long as the grass grows, and the sun rises from the east and sets in the west, and the river flows, these treaties will last." Treaty 6 Elder Alma Kytwayhat "We say it's our Father; the White man says "our Father" in his language, so from there we should understand that he becomes our brother and we have to live harmoniously with him. There should not be any conflict, we must uphold the word 'witaskewin,' which means to live in peace and harmony with one another." Elder Jacob Bill

Treaty Elders of Saskatchewan: Our Dream Is That Our Peoples Will One Day Be Clearly Recognized as Nations

History

Hildebrandt, Walter

Americas

University of Calgary Press

NOW AVAILABLE IN SOFTCOVER"It is my hope, and the hope of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, that Treaty Elders of Saskatchewan: Our Dream Is That Our Peoples Will One Day Be Clearly Recognized as Nations can help provide the historical context needed to intelligently and respectfully forge new relations between First Nations people and non-Aboriginal people in the province of Saskatchewan. It has already done so, in part, by facilitating the work of our office in bringing together the parties of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and Canada to reach common understandings and to use the Treaties as a bridge from the past to the future ... so that we can learn from the past and work together towards a future built on co-operation and mutual respect." Judge David M. Arnot, Treaty Commissioner for Saskatchewan"We were told that these treaties were to last forever. The government and the government officials, the Commissioner, told us that, as long as the grass grows, and the sun rises from the east and sets in the west, and the river flows, these treaties will last." Treaty 6 Elder Alma Kytwayhat"We say it's our Father; the White man says "our Father" in his language, so from there we should understand that he becomes our brother and we have to live harmoniously with him. There should not be any conflict, we must uphold the word 'witaskewin,' which means to live in peace and harmony with one another." Elder Jacob Bill

<p>Aboriginal people in Canada took hope with the election of Pierre Trudeau's Liberals in 1968. They were outraged when the White Paper introduced by Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Jean Chretien a year later amounted to an assimilation program: the repeal of the Indian Act, the transfer of Indian affairs to the provinces, and the elimination of separate legal status for native people. The Unjust Society, Cree leader Harold Cardinal's stinging rebuttal. was an immediate best-seller, and it remains one of the most important books ever published. Possessed of a wicked gift for satire, Cardinal summed up the government's approach as "The only good Indian is a non-Indian." He coined the term "buckskin curtain" to describe the barriers that indifference, ignorance and bigotry had placed in the way of his people. He insisted on his right to remain "a red tile in the Canadian mosaic." Above all, he called for radical changes in policy on aboriginal rights, education, social programs and economic development. The Unjust Society heralded a profound change in the political landscape. Thirty years later, however, the buckskin curtain has still not disappeared. Canada's First nations continue their fight for justice. And Harold Cardinal's vision is as compelling and powerful as ever.</p>

The Unjust Society

Social Sciences

Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.

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Books by Cardinal, Harold