What do you know about farming among the Prairie nations? Here’s what I knew. I knew that after the annihilation of our main economic base, the buffalo, native peoples in the Prairies were encouraged to become farmers. I knew that ‘experts’ were sent by Indian Affairs to teach on-reserve populations how to farm. I knew…
Category: Alienation
Thinking about studying Law? Consider this.
I feel like over the past few months, I’ve written enough descriptions of my experience of law school to fill a novel. No, it hasn’t been on this blog (mostly), but rather via email to native and non-native students who have contacted me for ‘advice’ about going into Law. Mostly I ramble on at length…
The Stolen Generation(s).
If you’ve ever heard the term “60s scoop” and thought it had something to do with ice-cream in the old days, I’m here to enlighten you. I prefer the term Stolen Generations, because the scooping I’m about to discuss did not end in the 60s. In fact, many argue that it didn’t end with a…
Canada’s closets packed with skeletons
There are many stories that Canadians do not regularly learn in school. Its history is littered with forgotten events, either deliberately overlooked, or rationalised away somehow. This lacuna in our collective knowledge is not limited to events which impacted indigenous peoples. You might reach adulthood without ever once being aware that in 1918, twelve ‘enemy…
Won’t someone think of the Third Party Manager?
INAC (Aboriginal Affairs) is busy patting itself on the back for solving all of Attawapiskat’s problems. To hear them tell it, Jacques Marion was a veritable hero, swooping into Attawapiskat in the nick of time, narrowly averting disaster. INAC is magnanimously withdrawing its Third Party Manager, but shouldn’t hold its breath for any thanks from…