February 26, 2010 - 7:45am
The
federal government introduced a White Paper in 1969 that proposed to eliminate
native status in Canada. The move triggered outrage and counter-proposals from Aboriginal
leaders who prepared their own document and presented it to the federal cabinet
in June 1970.
Vancouver-based
CBC producer Kathleen Flaherty called on VIU First Nations Studies co-chair Dr.
Laurie Meijer Drees as she prepared White
Paper/Red Paper, a two-part radio documentary that focuses on the drama and
long-term significance of those event s on Parliament Hill.
“The impact of that political exchange in ’69
and ’70 has been huge,” said Meijer Drees.
“It
has a lot to do with why the constitution was amended and how modern land
claims and treaty negotiations are conducted. It fundamentally changed
governance related to First Nations issues.”
The government’s White Paper was presented by Jean Chrétien
who was Minister of Indian Affairs at the time. It justified the proposal to
end native status in Canada with the argument that “the separate legal status
of Indians … have kept the Indian people apart from and behind other
Canadians.”
The far-reaching and controversial recommendations included
abolition of the Indian Act, rejection of land claims and other treaty rights and
assimilation of aboriginal people into Canadian society.
Cree author and lawyer Harold Cardinal led a strong
campaign, backed by the Indian Chiefs of Alberta and the National Indian
Brotherhood, to counteract what he called then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s moves
to create an “unjust society.”
The counter-proposals for First Nations rights were
presented in a document called Citizens Plus. It soon became better known as
the Red Paper.
The confrontation prompted the Liberal government to back
away from the White Paper proposals and inspired First Nations communities and
their leaders to play a stronger role in the political arena.
Meijer Drees was able to help put the dispute in perspective
because she had written about the political manoeuvring in her 2002 book, The Indian Association of Alberta: a History
of Political Action (University of British Columbia Press).
“The documentary will make an excellent teaching tool. It’s
a great resource for history students, First Nations students and others,” said
Meijer Drees.
Meijer Drees commended Flaherty’s documentary for showing
the reverberations of the events 40 years later and revealing views of some of
the lesser-known individuals who were involved.
“Listeners will get
an understanding of Aboriginal people’s involvement in the political process in
Canada and their impact on shaping the Canadian nation.”
The
documentary White Paper/Red Paper
aired on Ideas Feb. 22 and 23 and is
available on CD from CBC. Visit www.cbcshop.ca
to order.
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For more information, contact Laurie Meijer Drees:
email Laurie.MeijerDrees@viu.ca
Tags: In the Community
