
Most aboriginal groups find themselves marginalized by the political institutions of modern
industrial states. With their claims to ancestral homelands and nationhood, they face a situation
significantly different from that of other ethnic communities or special interest groups. This
volume looks at the characteristics of Canadian Indian politics during the turbulent 1970s by
focusing on in-depth case studies of politics at the regional and local level.
These essays, each a self-contained study from a different region of the country, together
constitute a cross-section of the reality of political marginality, and provide an account of the
emerging forms of political activity which Indians are using to try to change their situation. The book
includes an historical overview of the colonial legacy of native administration, and shows how this
archaic structure continues to influence the political relationship between Indians and the
government.
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