Jean Teillet

Teillet definitely has an axe to grind and grind she does in this book. She makes some very convincing arguments, too. The Metis have seen unfair dealings from Canadian governments in about every form you can imagine. I find myself wondering whether the progeny of Western interlopers are deserving of special treatment because they are part indigenous. I’m afraid I don’t know that they do. It’s a sticky question that I don’t think can ever be answered to the satisfaction of all. Still, an enlightening read.… (mehr)

Ms. Teillet, a lawyer and an activist, mostly concerned with Matis-Canadian relations has written an informative book. The thrust can be defined as an explanation of the historical growth of that nebulous concept, "Aboriginal Title". This is a difficult concept to organize in any brief form, and Teillet has attempted to use a chronological approach. It succeeds pretty well given this context. It is not a book that will be liked by fans of; 1) Sir John A. MacDonald, 2) the Hudson's Bay company and its directors, 3)" fans of the current policies and operations of the Indian Affairs department, and 4) the Governments of the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. But that's a hair shirt they will have to continue to wear, probably for a good long while. The prose is clear, and though the maps(A personal irritant, I admit) are relatively slipshod, they are not deliberately greatly misleading. The book is definitely worth the purchase price especially to those interested in Native policy in Canada.… (mehr)