Contemporary Indian Affairs

Also known as the Hawthorn-Tremblay report.

In Citizens Plus, Alan Cairns unravels the historical record to clarify the current impasse in negotiations between Aboriginal peoples and the state. He considers the assimilationist policy assumptions of the imperial era, examines more recent government initiatives, and analyzes the emergence of the nation-to-nation paradigm given massive support by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. We are battered by contending visions, he argues - a revised assimilation policy that finds its support in the Canadian Alliance Party is countered by the nation-to-nation vision, which frames our future as coexisting solitudes. Citizens Plus stakes out a middle ground with its support for constitutional and institutional arrangements which will simultaneously recognize Aboriginal difference and reinforce a solidarity which binds us together in common citizenship. Selected as a BC Book for Everybody

These volumes present findings of research into the contemporary situation of First Nations in Canada. The first volume concerns those conditions & programs that are primarily economic, political, and administrative. After an introduction on the research, vol. 1 discusses the concept & goals of economic development and describes the sources & methodology of an economic survey of a sample of Indian bands. Chapter 4 presents general findings of the survey, covering a population of 35,683 Indians in 35 bands and discussing such matters as employment, earnings, and factors affecting economic prosperity. Chapter 5 examines the degree to which the different levels of economic development achieved by these bands are correlated with social, economic, and cultural variables. Chapters 6 and 7 discuss socio-economic & socio-cultural factors influencing economic development. Chapter 8 summarizes the major trends & process of economic development for Indians, as revealed in the research and the final chapter draws conclusions & makes recommendations regarding major economic issues. The second volume addresses two issues related to the provision & adequacy of Indian education and to the leadership, organization, and direction of Indian reserves. Topics covered include: the competing ideologies in Indian education; administrative & educational structures of Indian schools; education of the Indian child; guidelines for a philosophy of Indian education; formal organization & decision-making in indigenous communities; general aspects of band councils; patterns & trends in band council elections; and the decision-making process in band councils.

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 in Canada. 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.

An account of current social conditions of Indians and suggested solutions.

The current Status criteria of the Indian Act contains descent-based rules akin to blood quantum that are particularly discriminatory against women and their descendants, which author Pamela Palmater argues will lead to the extinguishment of First Nations as legal and constitutional entities. Beginning with an historic overview of legislative enactments defining Indian status and their impact on First Nations, the author examines contemporary court rulings dealing with Indigenous identity, Aboriginal rights, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Palmater also examines band membership codes to determine if their reliance on status criteria perpetuates discrimination. She offers changes for determining Indigenous identity and citizenship and argues that First Nations must determine citizenship themselves.

Based on a viral article, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act is the essential guide to understanding the legal document and its repercussion on generations of Indigenous Peoples, written by a leading cultural sensitivity trainer.Since its creation in 1876, the Indian Act has shaped, controlled, and constrained the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples, and is at the root of many enduring stereotypes. Bob Joseph's book comes at a key time in the reconciliation process, when awareness from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities is at a crescendo. Joseph explains how Indigenous Peoples can step out from under the Indian Act and return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance--and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian. He dissects the complex issues around truth and reconciliation, and clearly demonstrates why learning about the Indian Act's cruel, enduring legacy is essential for the country to move toward true reconciliation.