Library
As Indigenous rights include the right to self-determination, the book contends that restored practices of Indigenous sovereignty constitute important steps forward in securing better relationships between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian state. While the Canadian state maintains its position of dominance with respect to the exercise of state sovereignty, Tim Schouls reveals how Indigenous nations are nevertheless increasingly carving out and reclaiming areas of significant political power as their own.
While dozens of Indigenous communities have signed varying forms of self-government agreements with the federal government, Indigenous Nations still face many obstacles along the path to true self-determination. As a former Chief of Siksika Nation in southern Alberta, Leroy Wolf Collar dealt with many of the same problems other Indigenous Nations face across the country. From serious housing shortages to the lack of opportunities for youth, Chief Wolf Collar experienced the challenges and frustrations that come from operating in a colonial system still constrained by the Indian Act.
Warrior Life: Indigenous Resistance and Resurgence is the second book of the best blogs and articles authored by Pamela Palmater since her first book: Indigenous Nationhood: Empowering Grassroots Citizens. Like the first book, this one provides short chapters on current Indigenous issues that are easily accessible to students and the general public under the general topic areas of Canadian and First Nation politics, racism, sexualized genocide, Canadian law and policy impacting Indigenous peoples and a critique of reconciliation initiatives.
Through detailed analysis, the authors illustrate that unexamined and unresolved contradictions between the historic and the present have created powerful competing versions of Indigenous law, legal authorities, and practices that reverberate through Indigenous communities. They have identified the contradictions and conflicts within Indigenous communities about relationships to land and non-human life forms, about responsibilities to one another, about environmental decisions, and about wealth distribution.
For decades, Georges Erasmus led the fight for Indigenous rights. From the Berger Inquiry to the Canadian constitutional talks to the Oka Crisis, Georges was a significant figure in Canada's political landscape. In the 1990s, he led the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and afterward was chair and president of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, around the time that Canada's residential school system became an ongoing frontpage story.
While Canada set up its colonial powers—including the Supreme Court, House of Commons, Senate Chamber, and the Residences of the Prime Minister and Governor General—on her traditional Algonquin territory, usurping the riches and resources of the land, she was pushed to the margins, exiled to a life of poverty in Toronto's inner-city.
With only beads in her pocket, Gehl spent her entire life fighting back, and now offers an insider analysis of Indian Act litigation, the narrow remedies the court imposes, and of obfuscating parliamentary discourse, as well as an important critique of the methodology of legal positivism.
Jody Wilson-Raybould outlines in impassioned, inspiring prose the actions that must be taken - by governments, Indigenous Nations, and all Canadians - to achieve true reconciliation in this country.
Here Rebecca Nagle recounts the generations-long fight for tribal land and sovereignty in eastern Oklahoma. By chronicling both the contemporary legal battle and historic acts of Indigenous resistance, By the Fire We Carry stands as a landmark work of American history. The story it tells exposes both the wrongs that our nation has committed and the Native-led battle for justice that has shaped our country. (Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.)
Search using keywords. You'll find books, DVDs and online resources like e-books and streaming video.
To find resources on this topic, we suggest you first try typing into the search box the following terms:
If you are having trouble finding any resources using these search words, you can try using more outdated terminology or you can ask us to search for you. For example, two subject terms used frequently in our Library catalogue are Native Peoples Canada and Indians of North America. These terms are commonly used in academic libraries, even though they don't accurately reflect the current language used to describe Indigenous people in Canada today. This terminology is disrespectful and hurtful. We sincerely apologize for any pain this may cause. We are currently working towards changing this aspect of the library system. Unfortunately these changes can take time and we appreciate your patience and understanding. The good news is that our newer resources are all using the more representative and respectful subject term Indigenous Peoples.
Content by Vancouver Community College Library is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License 