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We Have the Right to Exist: A Translation of Aboriginal Indigenous Thought : The First Book Ever Published from an Ahnishinahbaeo Jibway Perspective

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The title of this book explains what it is about: We Have The Right To Exist, A translation of Aboriginal Indigenous Thought, the first book ever published from an Ahnishinahbęótjibway perspective.

The author, who died in 1997,was a visionary whose concerns encompassed many of the crucial issues of our time.

Noam Chomsky's review (quoted on back cover): "This study of aboriginal indigenous thought should be read studied, and pondered by anyone who cares about the civilization and culture of the conquerors, and the possibilities of human existence, thought, and creative experience that have been marginalized and suppressed--not to speak of the terrible fate of the victims themselves. It is a remarkable contribution."

This is the Table of Contents:
- Dedication
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Introduction
- About the author
- Chapter I - The Ahnishinahbęótjibway
- Chapter II
. . . . . .Early United States Indian policy.
. . . . . .Columbus
. . . . . .The influx of slaves, convict laborers, and military conscripts
. . . . . .Indian captivity literature.
. . . . . .Genetic engineering.
- Chapter III - French Canadians, the fur trade, and colonial exploitation by corporations with royal charters.
. . . . . .Royal corporate charters
. . . . . .The fur trade.
. . . . . .The Métis
- Chapter IV - Indian treaties.
. . . . . .Various European territorial claims
. . . . . .Indian treaties
. . . . . .Pembina negotiations 1849-1851.
. . . . . .The 1863 treaty at Old Crossing.
. . . . . .Halfbreed Scrip.
- Chapter V - Indian Reservations.
. . . . . .Starvation into submission.
. . . . . .1886: the Northwest Commission.
. . . . . .1889: the Minnesota Chippewa Commission.
. . . . . .The General Allotment Act
. . . . . .Allotment and blood quantum.
. . . . . .Theodore Roosevelt's philosophy of allotment
. . . . . .Allotment at Red Lake.
. . . . . .Reservation economics
. . . . . .Aboriginal Indigenous People.
- Chapter VI - Euro-American perspectives.
. . . . . .William Warren's "Bible of Chippewa History"
. . . . . .Anthropologists
. . . . . .Of anthropologists and Indians
- Chapter VII - History and time.
- Chapter VIII - Identity and stereotypes.
. . . . . .Debunking racist stereotypes
- Chapter IX - The Mission School
- Chapter X - The 1934 Indian Reorganization Act
. . . . . .Indian policy.
. . . . . .The reform movement of the 1920s
. . . . . .The Miriam Report
. . . . . .The Great Depression.
. . . . . .John Collier
. . . . . .Meriam Report recommendations
- Chapter XI - The I.R.A. and Red Lake.
. . . . . .The M.C.T. and its sequels
. . . . . .Rival factions
. . . . . .The 1918 Chippewa General Council
. . . . . .Petitions
- Chapter XII - "Indian democracy"
. . . . . .The United States Government's relocation programs
. . . . . ."Precipitation of factions".
. . . . . .Threats of "termination".
. . . . . .I.R.A. constitutions
. . . . . .The 1958 I.R.A. election at Red Lake.
. . . . . .Dissatisfaction with the I.R.A.
- Chapter XIII - Indian tribal courts.
. . . . . .Dispensing Indian justice.
. . . . . .Indian Major Crimes
. . . . . .Revising the Indian Law and Order Code.
- Chapter XIV - Religion.
. . . . . .Two world-views
. . . . . .Indians
. . . . . .Dichotomy and paradox.
. . . . . .Judeo-Christianity.
. . . . . .The Black-Robes
. . . . . .Indian religion.
- Chapter XV - Language.
. . . . . .Reality and hierarchy.
. . . . . .The abstract
. . . . . .Abstracts
. . . . . .Language and identity.
. . . . . .The Chippewa language.
. . . . . .The English language.
- Chapter XVI - Conclusion.
- Glossary -.
- Appendix I - International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
- Appendix II -
. . . . . .[1918 General Council Constitution] Adopted April 13, 1918
. . . . . . Constitution of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians.
. . . . . .[1934 Indian Reorganization Act Constitution]
. . . . . . Revised Constitution and Bylaws of The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
- Appendix III -
. . . . . .Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota.
- Appendix IV - The Red Lake genealogies.
. . . . . .Computerization.
. . . . . .B.I.A. records
. . . . . .Canadian Government Indian records
. . . . . .Census records
. . . . . .Annuity records
. . . . . .Missionary and church records
. . . . . .Death records
. . . . . .County courthouse records
. . . . . .Halfbreed Scrip.
. . . . . .The U.S. National Archives
. . . . . .Allotments
. . . . . .The fur trade.
. . . . . .General histories
. . . . . .Newspapers and periodicals
. . . . . .Specifically genealogy.
- Appendix V - P.O.W. camps established by the Bureau of Indian Affairs by 1871.
- Notes -


Although Wub-e-ke-niew discusses genealogical resources and the databases in Appendix IV of We Have The Right To Exist, they are not the focus of the book.

Wub-e-ke-niew cites a lot of genealogical resources, including the 1850 Census. But, that list of 6000+ people is published elsewhere and so it was not included in We Have The Right To Exist. The 1850 Census lists most of the Métis who were living in 'Minnesota Territory' at that time, but almost none of the Aboriginal Indigenous people.

One of the best books I have ever read. Clears up a lot of ignorance on my part of how contemporary Natves arrived at where they are today (in general, and particularly in Red Lake, MN). It is a rant - a sad, and beautiful, and articulate rant against the culture that imposed genocide on Wub-e-ke-niew's family, tribe, history, and culture. Definately a MUST READ, especially for Minnesotans, and especially for people who live on or visit Red Lake!!

After reading this book I found many things that were not accurate! For example the authors claim to use recorded statics and go on to cite the
1850 Census for Benton County Minnesota. They also cite my family in the
census but they do not cite every person in this family. In the Genealogy
they leave out my 3rd Great Grandmother that was in the family census. They further make the same mistakes online at there website. This is ineteresting since they also claim to have decended from the same family
so one could expect them to what to atleast get this correct.