Walking in Indian Moccasins : the Native policies of Tommy Douglas and the CCF
Type
Book
Authors
ISBN 10
0774806095
ISBN 13
9780774806091
Category
General Library Collection
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Publication Year
1997
Publisher
Pages
252
Subject
Indigenous peoples -- Saskatchewan -- Government relations
Tags
Abstract
"In 1944, Saskatchewan elected the first would-be socialist government in North America. Led by the dynamic Tommy Douglas, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation vowed to create a society based on the principles of cooperation rather than competition and to make the CCF an instrument of social and economic justice for the oppressed. It was one of the first governments in Canada to address the problems afflicting the Native community, and its official slogan, 'humanity first,' was meant to include Indian and Métis people in its first agenda
But was the CCF's commitment to Native reform real? In this book, F. Laurie Barron examines the Douglas government's policies with regard to Canada's First Peoples. He argues that, although CCF policies were generally well-intentioned, they were sometimes fundamentally flawed by paternalism and racist understanding. The goal of the CCF was to 'walk in Indian moccasins,' promising a degree of empathy with Native society in bringing about reforms. In practice, this aim was not always honoured, and this led to an overall policy of integration for the Indians of the province and total assimilation for the Métis. The book includes a commentary on the development of Indians and the Métis in Saskatchewan in the postwar period and demonstrates how Native political activism stemmed from a long tradition of organization and resistance. It also documents the CCF's accommodations to vested interests threatened by Indian and Métis reform.
Walking in Indian Moccasins makes a contribution to the historical record because most studies of this period have focused on policy at the federal level. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Saskatchewan, of Native people, and of the development of hte social democratic tradition in Canada."--Back cover.
But was the CCF's commitment to Native reform real? In this book, F. Laurie Barron examines the Douglas government's policies with regard to Canada's First Peoples. He argues that, although CCF policies were generally well-intentioned, they were sometimes fundamentally flawed by paternalism and racist understanding. The goal of the CCF was to 'walk in Indian moccasins,' promising a degree of empathy with Native society in bringing about reforms. In practice, this aim was not always honoured, and this led to an overall policy of integration for the Indians of the province and total assimilation for the Métis. The book includes a commentary on the development of Indians and the Métis in Saskatchewan in the postwar period and demonstrates how Native political activism stemmed from a long tradition of organization and resistance. It also documents the CCF's accommodations to vested interests threatened by Indian and Métis reform.
Walking in Indian Moccasins makes a contribution to the historical record because most studies of this period have focused on policy at the federal level. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Saskatchewan, of Native people, and of the development of hte social democratic tradition in Canada."--Back cover.
Description
xix, 252 pages : illustrations, maps, portraits.
Biblio Notes
Includes index.
Number of Copies
1
