Synopses & Reviews
This book challenges the contemporary wisdom on Aboriginal governance. It argues that indigenous peoples must return to their political traditions and use these traditions to educate a new generation of leaders committed to values and the preservation of indigenous nationhood.
Review
"Alfred writes in an eloquent, straightforward style....This is must reading for those who ask what natives want and for those who aspire to lead us."--Globe and Mail
About the Author
Dr. Taiaiake Alfred is Kanien'kehaka, born and raised in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. He was schooled by Jesuits, and has been a machine-gunner in the U.S. Marine Corps. Dr. Alfred earned a doctorate from Cornell University, and is known widely for his scholarly work on Native nationalism, Iroquois history, and indigenous traditions of government. He is an advisor on governance and land issues for the Mohawks of Kahnawake. Dr. Alfred is the author of
Heeding the Voices of Our Ancestors: Kahnawake Mohawk Politics and the Rise of Native Nationalism (Oxford, 1995). He resides in Songhees Nation Territory, where he is Director of the Indigenous Governance Program at the University of Victoria.
Table of Contents
First Words
I. PEACE
Native American Political Traditions
Who are the Leaders?
'Rejoicing, Recognizing, and Responsibility'
II. POWER
The Problem of Native Politics
Nationhood
Sovereignty - An Inappropriate Concept
Colonial Mentalitites
Co-optation
Self Conscious Traditionalism
Responsibility
Accountability
III. RIGHTEOUSNESS
Money as an Illusory Panacea
Modern Treaties, a Devious Method of Assimilation
Toward a New Native Leadership (for the Youth)