Aboriginal Peoples and Politics: The Indian Land Question in British Columbia, 1849-1989

By Paul Tennant

Book Overview

Aboriginal claims remain a controversial but little understood issue in contemporary Canada. British Columbia has been, and remains, the setting for the most intense and persistent demands by native people, and also for the strongest and most consistent opposition to native claims by governments and the non-aboriginal public. Land has been the essential question; the Indians have claimed continuing ownership while the province has steadfastly denied the possibility. This book presents the first comprehensive treatment of the land question in British Columbia and is the first to examine the modern political history of British Columbia Indians. It covers the land question from its beginnings and gives detailed attention to the most recent court decisions, government policies, land claim developments, and Indian protest blockades. Providing a new interpretatoin of Governor James Douglas, Paula Tennant views him as less generous to the Indians than have most other historians and demonstrates how Douglas was largely responsible for the future course of the land question. In contrast to what many non-Indians are assuming, the Indians of British Columbia began their land claims at the start of white settlement and perservered despite the massive efforts of missionaries and government officials to suppress Indian culture and despite Parliament's outlawing of claim-related activites. The Indians emerge in this book as political innovators who maintained their identity and ideals and who today have more strength and unity than ever before.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0774803479
• ISBN13: 9780774803472
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: UBC Press
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

At last, someone has tackled this complex issue!!!!

Tennant has done everyone a great service by writing this excellent book. The land question is a nightmare of complex issues and undertones but Tennant has succeeded in presenting this material in a concise matter. The book is easy to read and full of important infromation and insights into the workings of the Indian Politque. A must for anyone involved with First Nations, natural resource policy, or British Columbian.