No need of a chief for this band
No need of a chief for this band
The Maritime Mi'kmaq and Federal Electoral Legislation, 1899-1951
In 1899, the Canadian government implemented a policy to replaceMi’kmaw leader selection and other political practices with thetriennial system, a Euro-Canadian system of democratic band councilelections. Officials in Ottawa assumed the federally mandated andsupervised system would redefine Mi’kmaw politics. They werewrong.
Drawing on reports and correspondence of the Department of IndianAffairs, Martha Walls details the rich life of Mi’kmaw politicsbetween 1899 and 1951. She shows that many Mi’kmaw communitiesrejected, ignored, or amended federal electoral legislation. Thosecommunities that did accept triennial elections did so sporadically– not in acquiescence to Ottawa’s assimilative project, butto meet specific community needs and goals. This compelling and nuancedstudy complicates understandings of state power by showing that theMi’kmaw did not succumb to imposed political models but ratherretained political practices that distinguished them from theirEuro-Canadian neighbours.
This timely book offers support for Aboriginal claims at a time whenAboriginal peoples and governments across Canada are attempting to cometo terms with the issue of self-governance. It will not only appeal tohistorians of the Maritimes and Aboriginal-state relations in Canadabut also to students and scholars of Native studies, political science,and law.This book is essential reading for historians of the Maritimeprovinces and those studying Aboriginal-state relations in Canada.
This important, compelling study reveals the creativity and persistence of the Mi’kmaq in responding to the federal assimilation campaign. By demonstrating the flexibility with which the Mi’kmaq resisted, accommodated, and adapted the triennial elective band council system, Walls contributes significantly to a more nuanced understanding of Mi’kmaw cultural change, political engagement, and interaction with government.
Walls's book deepens our understanding not only of Mi’kmaw history but also of the entire complex process of the negotiation of authority between Aboriginal communities and the Canadian state. Hers is a very considerable scholarly achievement.
Introduction
1 The Mi’kmaw World in 1900
2 Continuity and Change in Mi’kmaw Politics to 1899
3 The Origins of the Triennial Band Council System
4 Federal Interference and Political Persistence in Mi’kmawCommunities
5 The Limits of Triennial Elections
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
