Despite the billions of dollars devoted to aboriginal causes, Native people in Canada continue to suffer all the symptoms of a marginalized existence - high rates of substance abuse, violence, poverty. Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry argues that the policies proposed to address these problems - land claims and self government - are in fact contributing to their entrenchment. By examining the root causes of aboriginal problems, Frances Widdowson and Albert Howard expose the industry that has grown up around land claim settlements, showing that aboriginal policy development over the past thirty years has been manipulated by non-aboriginal lawyers and consultants. They analyse all the major aboriginal policies, examine issues that have received little critical attention - child care, health care, education, traditional knowledge - and propose the comprehensive government provision of health, education, and housing rather than deficient delivery through Native self-government. Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry presents a convincing argument that the "Aboriginal Industry" has failed to address the fundamental economic and cultural basis of native problems, leading instead to policies that offer a financial benefit to the leadership while entrenching the misery of most aboriginal people.
Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry
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"Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry does an excellent job of pointing out logical inconsistencies in the Aboriginal political movement - a matter of great practical as well as academic importance." Tom Flanagan, author of First Nations? Second Thoughts "Insightful, carefully argued and meticulously documented." John Richards, Simon Fraser University
About the Author
Frances Widdowson is a visiting assistant professor of political science, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Albert Howard has worked as a consultant for government and Native groups, and is currently an instructor and D
Albert Howard has worked as a consultant for government and Native groups, and is currently an instructor and D
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very controversial book that examines the current policies guiding Aboriginal affairs. It discusses how those that benefit from these policies are not Aboriginal people themsleves, but non-Aboriginal lawyers, consultants, linguists, etc. This book takes a positivist look at Aboriginal policies. It talks about the consequences of contanct between Aborignal people in a neolithic period of developement and Europeans who were in the beginning stages of capitalism. This book makes arguments that are very Eurocentric, but at the same time raises some very important questions about Aboriginal affairs. An open mind is required when reading this book, and it is important to remember that the authors are not criticizing Aboriginal people, but the policies that are applied to them. This is a point of view not often shared about this subject.
9 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is neither a Native Studies nor Political Science book, as it indicates on its cover. This book is an uninformed, Anglo-centric diatribe that is racist in its intent.
The authors open with the thought that any criticism against the Aboriginal Industry is seen as racism, but really, it's just standing up against the system. If you have to explain that what you are saying is not racist, there is a good chance it is.
One of the authors claims to be a "consultant" for Native groups, but I can't see him doing an effective job, with his attitude towards First Nations, which is downtrodden, poor addicts, who don't have a say in what happens to them.
Some of the more outrageous claims in this book include the idea that (and this is a direct quote) " if it were not for the educational and socialization efforts provided by the residential schools aboriginal peoples would be even more marginalized and dysfunctional than they are today (26)." They argue that since hunting and gathering societies are bound to fail in this day in age, we did our First Nations a favour by putting them in residential schools.
They also make the statement that oral traditions are less `trustworthy' than written traditions, and even go so far as to state that some First Nations tribes fabricate oral traditions to get land claims and other monetary compensation (44). Was it not Mark Twain who wrote "The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice?"
The sad part is, I suspected that this book was going to be extremely prejudiced when I started, but I gave it a chance - luckily, I borrowed it from the library, since this is not a book I would be happy spending any amount of money on. I am only on Chapter two and I have already wondered how this book ever got published.
I do not recommend this book to anyone, unless you are alright with gross inaccuracies, sweeping generalizations and an Anglo centric smugness.
The authors open with the thought that any criticism against the Aboriginal Industry is seen as racism, but really, it's just standing up against the system. If you have to explain that what you are saying is not racist, there is a good chance it is.
One of the authors claims to be a "consultant" for Native groups, but I can't see him doing an effective job, with his attitude towards First Nations, which is downtrodden, poor addicts, who don't have a say in what happens to them.
Some of the more outrageous claims in this book include the idea that (and this is a direct quote) " if it were not for the educational and socialization efforts provided by the residential schools aboriginal peoples would be even more marginalized and dysfunctional than they are today (26)." They argue that since hunting and gathering societies are bound to fail in this day in age, we did our First Nations a favour by putting them in residential schools.
They also make the statement that oral traditions are less `trustworthy' than written traditions, and even go so far as to state that some First Nations tribes fabricate oral traditions to get land claims and other monetary compensation (44). Was it not Mark Twain who wrote "The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice?"
The sad part is, I suspected that this book was going to be extremely prejudiced when I started, but I gave it a chance - luckily, I borrowed it from the library, since this is not a book I would be happy spending any amount of money on. I am only on Chapter two and I have already wondered how this book ever got published.
I do not recommend this book to anyone, unless you are alright with gross inaccuracies, sweeping generalizations and an Anglo centric smugness.
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