Canadian expatriate David Frum defends John A Macdonald against his detractors. I analyze Frum's case.
David Frum defends John A Macdonald
Settler Solidarity on Bill C-15
Former Truth and Reconciliation commissioners addressed a webinar attended by 1,000 settler allies on Bill C-15 and residential schools. I was a participant.
Please (unelected) Senators: pass Bill C-262
A group of Conservative Senators are attempting to prevent an important piece of legislation from becoming law. Bill C-262 would ensure Canadian laws are consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This bill passed resoundingly the House of Commons on May 30 by a vote of 206-79, with only the Conservatives... Continue Reading →
Mark Abley channels Duncan Campbell Scott on Indigenous relations
Increasingly it is Indigenous writers who are telling the story of their peoples’ relations with European settlers, which is as it should be. I am thinking, for example, of Tanya Talaga’s Seven Fallen Feathers and her more recent book All Our Relations, which is based upon her Massey Lectures delivered on CBC Radio in November... Continue Reading →
Bill C-262: Canada must implement UN declaration on Indigenous rights
When they were campaigning for election in 2015 Justin Trudeau’s Liberals promised that they would adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but it appears that they are now less eager to do so. Inherent rights It took 23 years of effort and negotiation for Indigenous peoples to have... Continue Reading →
Confronting John A. Macdonald’s racism with ‘acts of anger’
Just as the Americans are dealing with what to do with statues of Confederate leaders such as General Robert E. Lee, Canadians have embarked on their own debate about stripping the name of Sir John A. Macdonald from schools and other buildings in Ontario. At its recent annual meeting, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario... Continue Reading →
Indigenous rights with a twist, a settler claims privilege
My wife Martha and I joined walkers in May for the final three days of a Pilgrimage for Indigenous Rights, a 600-kilometre trek from Kitchener, Ontario to Ottawa. The walkers encountered warm support from individuals and churches along the route but a few of us received one bit of push back from a middle-aged settler,... Continue Reading →
Trevor Herriot, Towards a Prairie Atonement
In April, I was invited by the Canadian Council of Churches to interview the well-known writer, naturalist and activist Trevor Herriot. Members of the CCC's Commission on Justice and Peace were meeting in Ottawa and asked Trevor to address them during an all-day meeting. They believe, correctly, that Trevor has much to say about living sustainably and with justice in our... Continue Reading →
Colten Boushie shooting in Saskatchewan fuels backlash
Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old First Nations man, was shot to death on Aug. 9. He was in a farm yard near Biggar, Sask., about 100 km west of Saskatoon. Gerald Stanley, a 54-year-old farmer, has now been charged with second-degree murder. According to Boushie’s family, he and four friends were returning from swimming at a... Continue Reading →
Taking the pledge: The TRC reading challenge
It’s been a year since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its report into the history and legacy of Indian residential schools. Yet most of us have probably read little more than snippets of it or none at all. Now, Duncan, B.C.-based writer Jennifer Manuel has created an online campaign asking Canadians to pledge... Continue Reading →
Pulpit and Politics 