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A review by midici
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph
4.0
I honestly think they should make this book mandatory in Canadian schools. Schools mentioned colonialism and some of the atrocities committed by settlers but it not in an in-depth way; the information was always presented as "history" as if there were no ongoing issues.
This book, in contrast, lays out 21 aspects of the Indian Act (still law in Canada today) to provide a comprehensive look at how the Canadian government worked - and continues to work - to subjugate the First Nations people. It covers a lot of history, but more importantly it demonstrates exactly how much of this isn't history at all; it's on-going and systematic. The Act was written to try and legalize First Nations people out of existence by: assimilation, laws about who 'counts' as an Indian, violence, bribery, etc.
It's a small book that packs a big punch. I'm glad I read it, and I definitely know more now about how the history of the Indian Act informs the politics and issues that are on-going today.
This book, in contrast, lays out 21 aspects of the Indian Act (still law in Canada today) to provide a comprehensive look at how the Canadian government worked - and continues to work - to subjugate the First Nations people. It covers a lot of history, but more importantly it demonstrates exactly how much of this isn't history at all; it's on-going and systematic. The Act was written to try and legalize First Nations people out of existence by: assimilation, laws about who 'counts' as an Indian, violence, bribery, etc.
It's a small book that packs a big punch. I'm glad I read it, and I definitely know more now about how the history of the Indian Act informs the politics and issues that are on-going today.