Native Leaders of the Early
Twentieth Century
The Fun Never Stops, 1920-1950
“[P]rior to the 1950’s, Indigenous people’s
actions were often presented as the random
acts of a naïve and uninformed populace
seeking what many considered to be undue
political recognition and acceptance of their
claims.” 1
1
Yale D. Belanger, “The Six Nations of Grand River Territory’s Attempts at Renewing International Political Relationships, 19211924,”Canadian Foreign Policy 13.3 (2007) p.29-46.
“The essential empirical feature of internal
colonialism is the continued subjugation of an
indigenous people in a post-colonial independent
nation state. Subjugation will in every case
involve restriction of use of land and resources as
well as varying degrees of administrative
supervision, social discrimination, suppression of
culture and denial of political and other rights and
freedoms.” 2
2
Paul Tennant “Native Indian Political Organization in British Columbia, 1900-1969: a Response to Internal Colonialism,” BC Studies 55 (1982) p.3-49.
“Deposing our Chiefs he has no power to do it.
Neither anybody else not before our own
consent. If we were created among you
Europeans we might have to carry your act
but we are not this part of the earth. Belong
to us people when the Great Spirit create us
we are in our happy home.”3
3
Maniwaki Band of Indians Special Meeting, to Deputy Superintendant General of Indian Affairs Department, Ottawa,
10 January 1927, KZ archives.
The Rights Revolution
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Conditions at mid-century (Hawthorn Report)
Red Power in the United States and Canada
The White Paper, 1969
The Red Paper
Aboriginal political organization
Red Power Movement
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Protest activity to 1968
AIM: American Indian Movement (1968)
Alcatraz (1969)
Trail of Broken Treaties (1972)
Native American Embassy (BIA, 1972) and
Native Peoples’ Embassy (Ottawa, 1974)
• Wounded Knee II (1973)
In Canada
• 1969: Statement of the Government of Canada on
Indian Policy (White Paper)
• Ideological context: Trudeau liberalism
• Reaction among Aboriginal people
- NIB’s statement
- the Red Paper
National Aboriginal Organizations
Assembly of First Nations National Indian Brotherhood (1968)
Congress of Aboriginal
Peoples
Native Council of Canada (1971)
Inuit Tapirisat Kanatami
Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (1973)
Metis National Council
Canadian Metis Society (1969)
Native Women’s
Association of Canada
National Native Women’s Steering
Committee (1971)
The 1970s
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Indian Control of Indian Education
Devolution
Calder Decision (1973)
Federal Claims Policy
Modern Treaties
Claims
• Specific Claim
arises from a breach or non-fulfillment of an
historic agreement (such as a treaty or statutory
obligation)
• Comprehensive Claim
arises from outstanding unceded Aboriginal right