Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call

by Arthur Manuel, Ronald M. Derrickson, Naomi Klein (Foreword)

A Canadian bestseller and winner of the 2016 Canadian Historical Association Aboriginal History Book Prize, Unsettling Canada is a landmark text built on a unique collaboration between two First Nations leaders. Arthur Manuel (1951-2017) was one of the most forceful advocates for Indigenous title and rights in Canada; Grand Chief Ron Derrickson, one of the most successful Indigenous businessmen in the country. Together, they bring a fresh perspective and bold new ideas to Canada's most glaring piece of unfinished the place of Indigenous peoples within the country's political and economic space. This vital second edition features a foreword by award-winning activist Naomi Klein and an all-new chapter co-authored by law professor Nicole Schabus and Manuel's son, Ska7cis, honouring the multi-generational legacy of the Manuel family's work.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous, History, Canada, Politics, Social Justice, Audiobook

283 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2015

Reviews

[Scott Neigh]

An important book by an important Indigenous movement leader who died unexpectedly at the beginning of the year. A mix of history, memoir, and analysis. Well written, very readable. A great window into some of the most important political events in this country in the last half century, and some political ideas that will be crucial as we collectively shape the next half century. And though it wasn't at all news to me, I still felt quite affected by his matter-of-fact presentation of the relentlessly awful colonial behaviour of the Canadian state -- no less now than in his father's generation, even if the tactics and rhetoric have changed some, and no less under Trudeau's suave Liberals than when Harper's ham-fisted and more openly racist Conservatives were at the helm. A must-read for any settler serious about supporting Indigenous struggles and about seeking a version of reconciliation that isn't just a re-packaging of colonialism.

[Kara Babcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has read even a smattering of my reviews probably knows a few things about me. First, I am a teacher. Second, I live in Thunder Bay, Canada, which unfortunately is a strong contender for one of the most racist cities in the world. Third, a large proportion of the adult students I teach in this racist city are Indigenous. So over nearly a decade, I’ve done a lot of learning about anti-Indigenous racism and colonialism for both professional and personal reasons. Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call has some things in common with the memoirs, such as Unreconciled , that I have read recently, but it is far more than memoir. It is Arthur Manuel’s telling of a history of struggle, in particular over the past sixty years, and the effort that Canada puts in to avoid acknowledging the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples because it would be economically and politically undesirable.

Naomi Klein says in her foreword that “even those who are sure they know this material already will be taken aback by the originality o fhte legal and financial strategies described in these pages, and inspired by the hope they represent.” She is correct. While I would not describe myself as an expert in these subjects by any means, the learning I’ve been doing so that I can better discuss these issues in class and with others means I feel quite familiar with the general arc of Indigenous struggles in this country. Nevertheless, Unsettling Canada provides so much more background and depth, particularly to very recent history of the eighties, nineties, and early 2000s which I never learned. He goes into a great deal of detail regarding court cases and international attempts to get Canada to respect the rights of First Nations. Additionally, he explains the colonial origin of the band and elected chief system and how Canada has always done its best to pick and choose which representatives it deals with, squeezing First Nations so that they accept bad deals because it’s still better than starvation and poverty.

Right out of the gate, Manuel addresses the straw man argument that many erect when decolonization is brought up. No, he says, he doesn’t expect settlers to “go back” to Europe. “Land back,” a cry associated with decolonization, doesn’t mean giving up our tenancy of lands. It means acknowledging who had original title and stewardship of the lands, acknowledging First Nations, Métis, Inuit sovereignty—and most importantly, dismantling the current colonial structures (e.g., Crown land) that exist to prevent Indigenous peoples from exercising that sovereignty. Manuel isn’t saying that all white people need to be expelled from the country—but if we are truly to pursue reconciliation, we have to find a way to live together instead of living on colonial terms.

From there, Manuel advances the thesis that the Canadian federal government has, ever since it took over from British rule, consistently done everything in its power to dissolve Indigenous peoples as a political category and assimilate them into the idea of the broader Canadian population. That this still hasn’t happened after several centuries is perhaps one of the most powerful symbols of Indigenous resistance. But there have been casualties along the way, from political disarray to cultural loss as a result of institutions like residential schools and the outlawing of ceremonies via the Indian Act. Manuel carefully and systematically documents all the various tools that Canada has used to oppress Indigenous peoples. And it all comes back, as many others have also pointed out, to the land. Canada wants absolute control over the land, mostly to make money from resource extraction. The original peoples living on it? They are a problem, an inconvenience to be dealt with through legal fictions like the Doctrine of Discovery or more underhanded schemes like the White Paper. (If you don’t know what these things are, read this book.)

I also appreciate that Manuel recognizes the fundamental incongruity of the Supreme Court of Canada’s role as the arbiter between First Nations and the governments. Despite the Supreme Court often ruling in favour of First Nations and concepts like “Aboriginal title”—in part thanks to the hard work activists put in to ensure that Indigenous peoples were recognized in Canada’s repatriated constitution in the way they are, a history I wasn’t aware of—the courts are ultimately based on colonial, European traditions of law. I’m reminded of the “tired, wired, inspired” meme now, and this particular argument strikes me as a next level understanding of decolonization. A lot of us settlers get to a point of allyship where we recognize ongoing colonialism, but our privilege prevents us from understanding that the problem cannot really be addressed from within our existing political and legal systems.

That doesn’t stop people from trying, of course. And if First Nations lawyers or politicians can win some small victories here and there, all the more power to them. Nevertheless, Manuel is critical of the idea that Indigenous people have a place within existing Canadian political parties—and alas, I think most of the experiences of Indigenous politicians have borne that out. Every party pays lip service to the buzzwords of truth and reconciliation, but they are happy enough to keep fighting First Nations in court. As I read, I felt sad because none of the political parties are truly taking a radical stance towards decolonization—mostly because it would, unfortunately, be incredibly unpopular with the majority of (settler) Canadians. I suspect that Manuel’s evaluation is accurate.

The discussions of international conferences, trips to the United Nations, and other efforts to increase Indigenous solidarity around the world were also super interesting to me. I had a vague notion that these types of groups existed, but Manuel provides a lot more insight into what they have accomplished, especially in their involvement around the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (which is included as an appendix to this book). Canada’s failure to uphold UNDRIP is perhaps one of the most glaring examples of how reconciliation falls by the wayside when economics are on the line.

I used to be very naive and think that ignorance was the primary problem among settlers who didn’t grasp the extent of Canada’s colonialism—certainly, when I was younger, I was ignorant of it. That was by design. But as I was reading this book, I just couldn’t help but think, “Wow, all the puzzle pieces are right here, and Manuel is assembling them in front of my eyes.” When other settlers claim that colonialism is in the past, when they brush aside land defence at Unist’ot’en Camp as going against the wishes of the elected chiefs who “want” a pipeline, when they insist that Canada is reasonable now and First Nations aren’t … I can’t help but think that this goes beyond mere ignorance. It’s willful ignorance. If you are a settler in Canada in 2021 and you aren’t taking the time to learn about both the history of Canadian colonialism and its ongoing actions (like taking First Nations to court to challenge a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling), that’s on you. All of these books are out there—for free, too, I borrowed this one from my library—and the University of Alberta has a free online course you can take as well.

Unsettling Canada provides a clear, detailed, essential overview of the intertwined history of Indigenous peoples’ struggles to assert their rights and the Canadian government’s obsession with refusing to recognize those rights. This is a book of specifics, and while much of Manuel’s fight focuses on the interior First Nations in British Columbia, this is a book that anyone living in Canada can benefit from reading.

Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call by Arthur Manuel, is an examination of the struggle for rights and recognition that many Indigenous peoples in Canada have faced, and continue to face in the modern world. Manuel has been the Chief of the Secwepemc Nation, and a long term Indigenous rights activist in both Canada and globally. He has fought throughout his life to ensure that the rights of his people, and other groups across Canada, are respected by the Canadian government.

Manuel begins his story with his relationship toward his father, George Manuel, a previous leader in the Secwepemc nation, in the interior region of British Colombia. Arthur had a rocky relationship with his family, and felt his father spent too much time on politics, and not enough on family. Eventually, however, Arthur began to respect his fathers drive, and began a career of his own advocating against residential schools, and promoting the rights of his people with the Canadian government. In the 1970's, there were a number of agreements and changes in the Canadian political landscape that have had a large impact on how various Aboriginal groups in Canada operate, and there relationship with the Federal government. Treaties like the Niska agreement, and the repatriation of the Canadian constitution, have increased tensions with Aboriginal groups, but have also encouraged greater activism and discourse on the subject of Aboriginal rights across Canada. Arthur has been a key player in these events, seeking support both internally - within his own nation, and within Canada, and externally, in the US, and with international organizations like the WTO. These events have often been controversial, but Arthur has stuck to his path and has been an important voice in terms of improving Aboriginal rights, and fighting the Canadian governments reluctance to engage with, and honour treaty rights with various groups.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but did have a minor complaints. The book is quite personal, and uses Arthur's own stories and experiences to show the road Aboriginal rights has taken in the last few decades. Even so, some of these stories felt out of place, giving the book more of an autobiographical feel. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly adds a tint of bias in terms of the content of the book. Another complaint is the lack of solutions this book offers. Aboriginal rights is one of the major sticking points of modern Canadian politics. Our inability to respect the treaty rights of Aboriginal peoples, poverty in these communities, and lack of response and solutions is a national tragedy, in my opinion. Even so, attempts to make changes are often difficult to implement due to the vast mosaic of competing groups and ideas within Aboriginal communities. Manuel makes a start with his personal stories and anecdotes, showing his experiences with racism, systemic oppression, and internal politics. However, solutions to these issues seem difficult to fathom due to there controversial nature. Treaty rights often extend into communities that have been established for many decades now, and into some of Canada's most populous areas. It is difficult to fathom ceding rights back to these areas, even if it is the right thing to do. There are elements of realpolitik at play that make many of the claims Manuel makes difficult to swallow as a Canadian.

I think this is the point of the book. The book exists to unsettle us, both physically and in terms of our bias' and privilege. It seeks to challenge out conceptions of how Canada works as a nation, and the nationalistic viewpoint many Canadians have about our nation. Manuel shows that this viewpoint is riddled with deceit and broken treaties, and that these issues are still of great concern. It was certainly an interesting read for me, and challenged many of the viewpoints I have been exposed to in terms of agreements like the Niska Agreement, and the James Bay project, which are often seen in a positive light by the rest of Canada. These agreements had a net negative affect on Aboriginal communities. The issue of economic rights is also fascinating, as Manuel delves into the struggle for communities to exploit resources sustainably and be entitled to the revenue. This was an interesting and controversial book to be sure, but one that I would recommend to any Canadian. It challenges the general consensus, and offers a counterpoint that is important to understand.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for Canadians!

[Doug Lewars · Rating 2 out of 5]

*** Possible Spoilers ***

This book was splashed over the Toronto Public Library's website as a 'must read for Canadians'. I'm always a little sceptical when I hear that something *must* be read, but I decided that it wouldn't hurt and might be interesting.

Basically Unsettling Canada is a combination autobiography, history, and political polemic that describes the Indigenous struggle against Canada. Arthur Manuel is the indigenous equivalent of the SJW. He dislikes colonialism and, by extension, Canada and Canadians with the exception of that subset of Canadians who occupy the far left of the political spectrum and are prepared to bow obsequiously to aboriginal demands.

The book is quite repetitious in places and rather tedious but if it accomplishes one thing it clearly indicates what that subset of the indigenous population who might describe themselves as activist want. Here's how it works. Imagine a map of Canada - just the outline - no provinces or territories. Now imagine it colored with just two colors - say green for those parts claimed by the indigenous peoples as being their territories, and orange for Canada. What you would see is that the vast majority of that map would be green. And that is the *starting* position for any negotiations between indigenous people and Canadians.

Not happening.

To accede to that claim would guarantee economic ruin for Canada and for Canadians. And, from the book it is clear that economic privation is one of the chief weapons in the arsenal of the indigenous activists. For example I think that most people believe that the softwood lumber NAFTA trade disputes that occurred on various occasions were driven by American Forestry Interests - and certainly they had a role - but this book makes clear that it was Canada's indigenous people who gave them the ammunition to attack Canada and attack it they did. Likewise, these native activists have been attempting to do an end-run around Canada by pressing their claim at the United Nations. Now that may seem like a reasonable approach but when you consider the fact that the United Nations is made up of a hodgepodge of underdeveloped countries all trying to undermine the West it becomes clear that what is going on is a sustained attack against the western values of free enterprise and capitalism - generally under the facade of environmentalism.

The author claims that these issues are racist in nature and he is absolutely, one-hundred percent correct. This is a struggle between indigenous and non-indigenous people. There is no middle ground and it is racist on both sides. Not only is there bigotry on the part of individuals - again on both sides - but the core issue as to who owns the real-estate that is known as Canada, is racist.

Although this book focuses strictly on indigenous issues and Canada, it illustrates a much broader issue that is seen more clearly south of the border. Americans, and by extension Canadians - although not so obviously - are polarized along the lines of politics, race, class, religion - in fact any demographic you can think of is a polarizing factor. Indigenous land claims constitute just one more log on the fire. In 2017 there is next to no common ground among people. I don't expect to see outright civil war in the United States, nor do I expect to see it in Canada, but I do expect to see a continuation of any number of irritants that drive people apart and result in sporadic outbreaks of violence. The author makes it clear that he supports only non-violent protest - but it is equally clear that whenever you get two antagonistic groups together there will be some individuals who will cross the line. Remember the Oka crises and Caledonia. With respect to Oka remember the iconic image of the Mohawk warrior wearing a camouflage shirt, a red bandana over his mouth, his left arm high in the air in defiance and holding a gun. The author might like to believe that indigenous protestors are non-violent, but that is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

In general, if your politics are of the far left you will enjoy this book as will many indigenous people. On the other hand if you are on the far left, you probably already know, or think you know what the author is saying so it might not be worth reading it from cover to cover. For those whose politics are right of center you won't enjoy it; however, it might be worth reading just to understand what the other side is thinking and on what they are basing their claims. For those in the middle you might find it a bit tedious - and rather repetitious in places - but as long as you keep in mind that this is a position of the far left of the indigenous spectrum then I think it may be informative.

[Andrea McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible story from a person who has shaped Canada for the better over many decades.

The writing was plain and unvarnished, often so much so as to obscure the remarkable shape of the story being told (the reason for the 4 stars; it's more like 4.5). I also felt at times that the losses and sacrifices made by those in the author's personal life or periphery were somewhat overlooked or given short shrift.

It was often uncomfortable to read, as a Canadian, even being familiar with the history. I learned a lot, too, about the internal politics of various Canadian indigenous organizations and communities that is, in settler narratives, often glossed over to present a more unified reality in favour of whatever conclusion that author is trying to draw (even if well-intentioned). I would strongly recommend this book to anyone.

[Annie Desjardins · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’en ai beaucoup appris sur les luttes qu’ont menées les leaders autochtones du Canada et sur les défis qu’ils ont rencontrées pour se faire entendre et reconnaître surtout sur le plan légal/politique.

La lecture a pas toujours été facile tant en raison de l’histoire triste que du narratif rempli d’acronymes et de petites choses qui alourdissent le texte.

[Brooke Eboule · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Canadian should read this book.

[Stephen Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearing the juncture of 150 years of Canadian Confederation, Arthur Manuel's wake-up call to occupy not just the time, a time since and with some optimism a time hence, but also the place, a place of real anguish and suffering for some and also of real ignorance and indifference and malice for many, offers not only a clear voice to the uninitiated in the struggles of First Nations indigenous peoples of Canada, but also an incorruptible conscience to the governments of Canada and the provincial jurisdictions.

During much of the European colonial and neocolonial project these governments undertook and continues to undertake legislation and policies to extinguish Aboriginal rights to the land, despite clearly articulated rulings by the Supreme Court of Canada on issues of the Canadian Constitution as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The reader learns quickly how the federal and provincial governments engage in "gas-lighting" and other systems of oppression and deceit and extinguishment, including in the treaty processes as well as in international fora where Canada's delegates wilfully misrepresent the agreement and consent of Aboriginal peoples.

Manuel also does not shirk from clearly accounting for the absurdity of the Assembly of First Nations and the financial dependency on the Department of Indian Affairs. The leadership of Indian bands are sometimes shown to be led by economic expediency and also to be quite clueless about the grassroots aspirations of genuine sovereignty and economic prosperity.

Throughout the book, however, Manuel's personal and interpersonal accounts of the political struggle including those of his family and his father, the strategy and tactics involved, as well as the firm and resolute goals of decolonization and justice and the comprehension of the Two Row Wampum treaty, provide the reader with a highly textured understanding of a warrior individual among warrior individuals who undertake their own decolonization and those of others. And clearly not without personal and social risk, because the government of Canada and law enforcement are not beyond arm's length of imprisoning them and doing harm and violence on their characters and bodies. And this clearly is the modus operandi of official Canada and of settler Canadians at large.

Unlike books authored by so-and-so writer, Manuel's work, as that of the others like him, is definitely not the book of words and sentences and paragraphs that you read. For the book only indexes a lifetime's lived struggles and hopes and aspirations. Manuel's work is clearly the demanding and risky and often unrewarding work outside of the book. But the two types of work together both confront the government of Canada and the status quo among Canadians. And this the works do so with charisma and character and enough clout to overcome a people's trepidation about their decolonizing identity, to power a drive to genuine indigenousness, to win over global allies in defense of shared commitments to the land and water. And to do all this with great understanding and knowledge and wisdom is the fruit of a spirit that will carry on as long as the grass grows and the rivers flow.

[Dasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Unsettling Canada Manuel provides an insider's analysis of Indigenous rights movements that grew in the second half of the nineteenth century. While Manuel begins with Trudeau’s infamous White Paper in 1969, Manuel also uses the book to detail his life story. Therefore, readers become privy to Manuel’s childhood, including his parents’ involvement in activism and struggles they faced, his time in the Residential School system, and his awakening to Indigenous rights and activism which began with writings from international rights movements such as the Black Panthers. Manuel, through a semi-autobiographical standpoint, uses the book to demonstrate the Indigenous rights movement within Canada but also their work on the international stage and the challenges they met, the changes they struggled for, and the ongoing battles they face such as the fight for Indigenous governance and economies that operate in sustainable manners. The latter is taken up by Derrickson in the afterword.
This book’s strength comes from the insider view it presents on Indigenous activist struggles within Canada and globally. Manuel does an excellent job of presenting the struggle for recognition in Canada and the opportunities the global sphere presented. The transnational aspect of this book demonstrates that Canada’s Indigenous activism did not occur within a vacuum but drew on groups and strategies outside of the country as well as how the global community provided a chance to finally have issues addressed in a manner Canada could not ignore as easily. Indeed, by putting Canada’s global reputation on the line Indigenous people pressured Canada to face their demands, although this varying degrees of success. For example, although Canada revoked their rejection of UNDRIP guidelines, they have yet to implement any of its recommendations. Moreover, the insider perspective complements work such as Sarah Nickel’s Assembling Unity: Indigenous politics, Gender, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (2019), which while an excellent analysis is written from an outsider perspective as someone who did not participate or lead such events.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am trying to get a grip on Indigenous issues. The book helped focus on the mistreatment of indigenous by European conquerors and settlers of 1800, and how colonialism led to the marginalization and persecution of indigenous people in the 20th century. Past injustice and past oppression is explained, as is the. philosophical wishes and rights. The author hints at the problem of the many different and contentious wishes of the various native nations. These differences must be a major problem with negotiations with the Canadian Government. What is missing, and what I want to know, is what specific territorial, economic and political rights are wanted, and how these can be accomplished. Is it ever possible to respect the indigenous rights and do so without compromising the rights of others who are part of the Canadian nation?

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives good insight to what's been happening in Canada from the 1960s to the present (with some information surrounding the issues prior to that, but it's definitely more focused on the author's lifetime). Interesting read because it is so relevant. Good insight into the legal situation and the key things to understand within that. Good blend of grassroots focus with an understanding of what is happening on other stages as well - and the importance of continuing to have grassroots movement, especially as what was once grassroots becomes institutionalized. Makes me want to protest more.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

[Saif Elhendawi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is crazy to me that indigenous people are still being oppressed in settler countries in this day and age. Of course, I already knew that it was happening to some extent, but the extent of the marginalization and the reality of the struggle were shocking to me. Especially, in a country like Canada which I imagine to be more progressive. I think a part of me thinks of Native Americans as a thing of the past, an extinct animal. I think of the crimes committed against them and the settler cultural and physical genocide as a historical crime, not as an ongoing and contemporary issue. The book is a wakeup call that quickly brings you up to speed with the seriousness of the struggle. The similarity between their issue and the Palestinian issue also struck me more than ever. Probably, because I was reading about both at the same time.

The work is part manifesto, part political analysis and part memoirs. This gives it a good balance and a narrative storytelling structure that makes it easy to read and allows you to connect to the struggle. Just like any movement, of course, there are a range of demands that fall in a spectrum with the 'appeasers' on one end to the 'radicals' on the other end. I think anyone with a moral political compass should find it easy to be radicalized in this situation, I certainly have. I also appreciate the foreword by Naomi Klein, who seems determined to be on the right side of history in whatever issue she tackles.

Just like other oppressive hierarchy structures (patriarchy, capitalism, white supremacy, etc.), settler colonialism is a multifaceted monster, an institution that will fight as hard as it can to continue itself. It can use political correctness and inclusive rhetoric as a veiled excuse for its marginalization and oppression. The argument is that we just want to treat Indians equally and fairly, just like other Canadians, we can't have them as a nation within a nation, etc. , all these stances are a continuation of the settler mentality. Forced assimilation should be seen as what it is, a denial of the history of the land, and a form of cultural genocide. Just like other oppressive hierarchies, there is intersectionality at play here, where settler colonialism can be combined with racism, classism, etc. and the end result are communities that are challenged from all directions. The solution as I have said before and will continue to say is flattening the hierarchies, and forming anarchic and radical horizontal organizations that are decentralized and inclusive. Whether it takes the form of solarpunk collectives, anarchist communes, or less radical reform that doesn't really matter. We can at least agree on all the ways that the current hierarchies are fucked and encourage the struggle against them. The first step is spreading the word, so consider yourself preached to, if you read this far.

[Joe Corrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur Manuel provides a thorough review of the relationship between First Nations and the federal and BC provincial governments from the time of his father George to just before his own passing in January of 2017. On reading this very compelling narrative detailing the negotiations between First Nations and the various governments over the years you see the First Nations perspective and their frustrations with the entire process. It reminds me of how John F. Kennedy described Nikita Kruschev's negotiating as Canada's attitude seems to be "What's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable". Arthur Manuel took his frustrations with the government's refusal to negotiate in good faith to the United Nations and Standard and Poors to put international political and economic pressure on Canada. His work helped connect the world's 300,000,000 indigenous people in their struggle to counter the colonial regimes' "Doctrine of Discovery" which lead to the United Nation's Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Something that Canada along with the United States, Australia and New Zealand, as nation states created by British colonialism, declined to support when the UN adopted UNDRIP in 2007. The appendix of the book includes the text of UNDRIP which I appreciated reading as it really shows how far out of step Canada is with the terms of the declaration. The book provides an interesting narrative for anyone wanting to have a better understanding of what has to be learned and done to achieve the goals of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Report of 2015. Arthur Manuel's two books (the other being "The Reconciliation Manifesto") are part of his legacy in standing up for the rights of his people and indigenous people around the globe. Well worth the time spent reading and a useful future reference.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read - an important Indigenous book.

It was not as good as 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality, but I still enjoyed it.

Would definitely recommend for those interested in reconciliation.

3.8/5

[Leah Bauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dense, but it's 100% worth getting through to get a better understanding of the absolute sea of bullshit the Canadian Government sifts through every day to keep denying Indigenous Nations their land and title rights.

[Rasmus Weibull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, that was a very important and impactful book. I was really happy to have read it during my week in Canada, to better understand the history of the place and the current (highly problematic) relationship between the state and the indigenous peoples. Also very relevant in the Swedish context, and I really would want to find a similar text based there!

[Chris Wejr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy read but a very important one to better understand the frustrations and mistrust around land rights in Canada.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

[Donna Marlatte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The hideous history of the Treaty Process in Canada.

[kim child of the god of thunder · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the grassroots are demobilized, for whatever reason, our cause does not move forward, it falls back. —Arthur Manuel

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'ai beaucoup retardé la lecture de cet ouvrage, non pas par intérêt, mais simplement parce qu'il s'est retrouvé en bas de ma pile de livres à lire (avant le début de mes vacances, j'en avait plus de trente...). J'ai toutefois pris mon courage à deux mains et décider de l'extraire de là pour pouvoir enfin le lire.

Je regrette quelque peu de ne pas l'avoir commencé plus tôt, c'est un ouvrage à la fois historique, militant, de droit et un mémoire d'Arthur Manuel (décédé en janvier 2017, un peu avant sa traduction) vraiment fascinant qui m'apprend immensément sur les luttes des premières nations canadiennes (surtout en Colombie-Britannique, mais on les évoque dans des contextes plus larges, à la fois canadiens et internationaux, régulièrement). J'avoue que je ne connaissais pas grand chose de celles-ci apparemment (ou peut-être que je connais un peu mieux celles spécifiquement québécoises)

Lui-même fils d'un militant Secwepemc de renommé international, ce n'est pas tant à la suite des traces de son père qu'il a lutté toute sa vie, mais à travers ses propres combats (d'avoir de meilleurs plats à la cafeteria de son pensionnat à 16 ans à la mise sur pied d'une instance aux Nations Unis sur les questions autochtones beaucoup plus tard).

Ce mémoire est vraiment fascinant puisqu'à travers son propre parcours, et légèrement celui de son père, on assiste à une histoire des luttes de son peuple, de la résistance des premières nations aux projets privés qui niaient les droits de territoire des premiers peuples ainsi que de la résistance face au gouvernement et à son refus de négocier de bonne foi, en contradiction même avec ses lois, sa cour suprême et le droit international.

L'omniprésence des questions relatives au droit et à l'économie fut un surprise de mon côté. Bien qu'il n'obtiendra jamais sa license de droit à l'université (il abandonna les études avant), cet aspect de son parcours informe certainement sa vision très légale du territoire et des redevances. Sans être jamais hyper complexe, nous avons tout de même des discussions sur l'utilisation de tel ou tel mot (extinction, consentement, négociation, etc.) dans les traités et lois, des différents impacts économiques des redevances, mais sans jamais oublier les questions environnementales, de protection du territoire et de la terre qui permettent aux peuples de survivre (chasse, pêche, plantes médicales, etc.).

C'est donc un peu plus de 50 ans luttes autochtones qui sont décrites à travers les yeux d'Arthur Manuel et qui nous informe de celles-ci, à travers sa perspective d'acteur très impliqué autant au niveau militant, qu'au niveau des négociations ou encore en tant que chef durant quelques années. Le titre de l'ouvrage ne ment pas, c'est un appel à décoloniser le Canada qui ne fait aucun effort en ce sens, qui nous donne le contexte, les statistiques, les faits, etc. et qui n'hésite pas non plus à critiquer les négociateurs de bande professionnels qui s'enrichissent à passer leur temps à négocier des contrats avec le gouvernement qui ne mène jamais nul part tandis que d'autres nations s'endettent de centaine de milliers de dollars pour pouvoir juste négocier avec le gouvernement qui souvent va décider de mettre fin aux négociations et de demander à avoir le remboursement du prêt consenti pour pouvoir effectuer cette négociations en premier lieu.

Bref, à la fois une dénonciation de l'hypocrisie du gouvernement canadienne dans le sort réservé aux premières nations, à la question des redevances de l'exploitation des territoires, aux jeux politiques, aux couteaux dans le dos et à la fois une mémoire des luttes autochtones militantes et historiques.

[Morgan Dhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsettling Canada - A National Wake-Up Call sounded like something I'd want/need to read from the minute I heard about it. A collaboration between two First Nations leaders, Arthur Manuel - a vocal Indigenous rights activist from the Secwepemc Nation - and Grand Chief Ron Derrickson - a Syilx (Okanagan) businessmen, it is touted by the publishers as bringing "a fresh perspective and new ideas to Canada’s most glaring piece of unfinished business: the place of Indigenous peoples within the country’s political and economic space."

Much of the writing on Indigenous rights and
Indigenous activism in Canada is not accessible to someone like me, who can pretty much only read ebooks. (I can read a physical, bound book, but only very slowly, stopping the minute my breathing begins to be affected, which in practice means three or four paragraphs a day, and that means only one or two such books a year, so I pick only the most important books to be read in this manner.) So I was delighted to find an ebook copy of this available from the library.

The book is written from Manuel's voice, wth advice and input from Derrickson. He begins with a rumination on the land of his peoples, what settler-colonialists have called the B.C. Interior, and on his work with the Global Indigenous People's Caucus - in particular, the presentation of a statement on the 'doctrine of discovery' to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The doctrine of discovery is a poisonous piece of European colonialist legalism which says that a European sailing along the coast of the land and seeing the rivers flowing down from the interior had, by virtue of their 'discovery' of evidence of that land, more right to it in law (European-derived settler law, of course) than those peoples whose ancestors have lived on, gained nourishment from and stewardship to, for generations.

It's a law that has no justice or even sense of reality behind it. It can only exist if you pretend that Indigenous people never did. Yet it is the basis by which most of the land of the American continents were taken from the people inhabiting those continents, and it lies at the root of land claim discussions even to this day.

Manuel goes on to speak briefly about his family - George Manuel, his father, was a noted Indigenous activist but not very present during Manuel's early life - and his youth, which included time in residential schools due to his mother's long hospitalisation and his father's absences.

These two strands - the history of Indigenous land claims, and his father's legacy of activism, come together in the narrative of Indigenous resistance to the Trudeau government's Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian Policy - the 1969 White Paper.

"Ironically, the impetus for unity [among Indigenous activists and organisations], and what finally put my father into the leadership of the National Indian Brotherhood, was provided by the Trudeau government's Indian Affairs minister Jean Chrétien. In June 1969, Chrétien unveiled a legislative time bomb that was designed not only to destroy any hope of recognition of Aboriginal title and rights in Canada, but also to terminate Canada's treaties with Indian nations. ...

The statement sparked an epic battle that did not end in 1970 when the Indian Association of Alberta presented its counterproposal in the Red Paper. In many important ways it was the opening shot in the current battle for our land and our historic rights against a policy designed to terminate our title to our Indigenous territories and our rights as Indigenous peoples. The White Paper of 1969 is where our struggle begins."

The White Paper, in essence, sought to end all concept of Indigenous nations, abrogate all treaties, eliminate the concept of sovereign lands held in common by an indigenous nation, and force full and complete assimilation - ending by cultural genocide the disappearing of the Indigenous peoples that no previous strategy had quite managed to accomplish.

Resistance to the White Paper was strong. Indigenous leaders formally rejected the government's position, declaring that nothing was possible without the recognition of the sovereignty of Indigenous people and a willingness to negotiate based on the principle that "only Aboriginals and Aboriginal organizations should be given the resources and responsibility to determine their own priorities and future development." But although the paper was withdrawn, the positions it espoused have continued to resurface, recycled and repackaged, in government negotiations with Indigenous peoples to this day.

In 1973, however, a Supreme Court decision gave Indigenous peoples a tool for fighting the White paper proposals. In a 3-3 decision in the Calder case, the Supreme Court declined to set aside the provisions of the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which stated that Indigenous peoples living on unceded land - which at that time included most of what is now Canada - had sovereign rights to that land, which could not be set aside by government fiat, but only surrendered via treaty. While a contested victory, and one that was less useful for many nations who had been tricked into giving up more rights than intended in colonial treaty negotiations, this decision still established the legal concept of the sovereignty of Indigenous nations which would eventually lead to more fruitful legal arguments.

Balancing between historical, academic perspectives and personal recollection, Manuel traces the story of the struggles of Indigenous peoples to reclaim their rights and build a new partnership with Canada over the past 50 years. As he examines the history of court arguments and governmental negotiations over issues of sovereignty, land claims, and other key points of dispute between Canada's Indigenous Nations and the Canadian federal and provincial governments, Manuel clearly and concisely explains the legal concepts involved at each stage. In so doing, he weaves a chilling narrative of repeated attempts to, quite literally, extinguish the rights, and the existence, of the original landholders in the interests of corporate exploitation and gain - a neo-colonialist project that would finish off what settler colonialism began.

Events that for many white Canadians passed by without any comprehension of what they meant to Indigenous peoples - the James Bay hydroelectric project, the repatriation of the constitution, the Oka crisis, Elijah Harper's lone stand against the Meech Lake Accord, the Nisga'a Treaty, the Canada-US softwood lumber disputes, the Sun Peaks protests, to name a few - are placed in a coherent context of colonial oppression and Indigenous resistance.

Manuel also places the struggle of Indigenous peoples in Canada within an international context, that of the "Fourth World" - defined as "Indigenous nations trapped within states in the First, Second and Third Worlds." He recounts his father George Manuel's role in the creation of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, which led to the establishment in 2002 of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - a document fiercely opposed and flagrantly ignored by Canada and the other major colonial nations, Australia, New Zealand and The United States.

What makes this book so important - and so accessible - is the insider perspective that Manuel brings to the narrative. He and members of his family were intimately involved with many of the key actions and negotiations; his personal knowledge of the dealings behind the scenes fleshes out his factual accounting of the events he witnessed and participated in. Manuel's personal lived experience makes this more than just a relating of legal points and bureaucratic counters, it allows the reader to feel the profound injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in their struggle to preserve their rights and their identities and their fierce determination to succeed.

[Eric Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly written by Arthur Manuel, told in the first person, about the struggles of First Nations in Canada and the tactics used by the Canadian and Provincial Governments to deny them their land and their rights, even those written into treaties and the Canadian Constitution. This is fairly detailed and a must read for white people to understand what is being done, ostensibly in their names, but mostly for the benefit of resource companies or "developers".

It also expresses his disappointment that some Nations have made concessions that he feels are harmful in the long run, though also that he understands that they made them with their backs to the wall through poverty.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. I was not aware of all the historical elements - I didn't get that much exposure in school, nor do I think many Canadians do - so to learn about how the federal and provincial governments have managed first nation affairs over the last several decades was very interesting.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, eye-opening. Plain language, focused on the war between Indigenous people and the federal and provincial governments, focused on BC (which was nice) and the international community. It's like we live in a parallel universe. Highly recommended reading for non-Indigenous folks.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immensely helpful in understanding Indigenous struggles for sovereignty and decolonization for the past 50 years in the Canadian context, from direct action to economic analysis to international legal advocacy.

[Chris Tempel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for anyone trying to understand (Canadian) Indian country politics, legal status, the history, organization, representation, and an analysis of successes and failures.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of what makes this such a readable book is that it is largely a kind of political autobiography. So while Manuel is providing a comprehensive look at many of the ways in which the Canadian government has oppressed, dispossessed, and repressed Indigenous peoples since the 1960s (when his career as an Indigenous rights activist began) and even before (by looking back at the activism of his father George Manuel and earlier generations), the struggle for Indigenous resurgence is easy to follow because it is narrated through Manuel's own personal experiences. He was involved in national and international Indigenous organizations, worked on behalf of his own Secwepemc nation, served as a chief for his people, engaged in activism of all different kinds, and fought numerous legal battles trying to restore Indigenous land rights.

Land rights are at the center of Manuel's narrative and activism, though he touches on a number of other issues facing Indigenous people in Canada (like the genocidal residential schools, crippling poverty, casual and overt racism from non-Indigenous Canadians, etc.). But land rights and the ability to control what happens to the land is really the center of his focus in this book. Most of the legal battles, direct actions, and so on that he describes are focused on ensuring that Native people have the right to be on their land, which is fundamental to the continuation of Indigenous cultures--not just in terms of having space, but in terms of an ontological culture founded on place0based relationships. Indigenous cultures conceptualize the land not as property or object, but as a host of relationships and obligations to flora, fauna, water, geography, ecosystems, etc. within particular spaces, as well as personal/familial histories of hunting, fishing, and trapping grounds and sacred spaces. Because of these deep and fundamental connections with the land broadly conceived, much of Manuel's focus is on the struggle to ensure that Indigenous title is recognized, that treaties are recognized by the Canadian government, that any negotiations for land use or development by non-Indigenous peoples or corporations are just, etc.