As Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepares to meet with national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Shawn Atleo, as well as other First Nations leaders this month, it’s fascinating to remember how different things were when Canada began. On a related note, I am nearly through Richard Gwyn’s masterful second volume on John A. Macdonald (Nation Maker – Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times.) Gwyn reminds us that the American Indian was in drastically worse shape than their Canadian counterparts during the late nineteenth century. As the U.S. moved aggressively across its western plains with the intent to occupy the land by force, the Canadian western narrative was appreciably different. Macdonald’s deft handling of this file helped strike a tone of respect, with instructions to meet with First Nations groups and find out what their needs were. Few skirmishes took place. American whisky smugglers (and U.S. border crossers in general) were a major concern at the time, both for First Nations peoples and western settlers. Macdonald’s creation of the North West Mounted Police force, (modelled after the Royal Irish Constabulary) created a law and order presence (but importantly, not a military one) and their presence was trusted. Just as Macdonald sought harmony between francophones and anglophones, Macdonald repeatedly referred to First Nations peoples as “the original owners of the soil,” as Gwyn reminds us. This was an attitude well ahead of its time. Gwyn makes note of the fact that more than a hundred years later, it is the Canadian First Nations peoples in dire need of change, compared to the better integration of the American Aboriginal population. Many will scoff at Harper’s focus on Native education and linking the Canadian economy with First Nation’s success. But perhaps ‘concrete’ is what’s needed now, rather than the loftier ideals we’ve all heard before. Here’s hoping there’s a solid agreement put in place for First Nations people. |
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CategoriesFirst NationsGovernment Prime Ministers Teaching History The Settlement of the West This and That |
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