The Comeback: How Aboriginals Are Reclaiming Power and Influence

Once again, John Ralston Saul presents the story of Canada's past so that we may better understand its present - and imagine a better future. Historic moments are always uncomfortable, Saul writes in this impassioned argument, calling on all of us to embrace and support the comeback of Aboriginal peoples. This, he says, is the great issue of our time - the most important missing piece in the building of Canada. The events that began late in 2012 with the Idle No More movement were not just a rough patch in Aboriginal relations with the rest of Canada. What is happening today between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals is not about guilt or sympathy or failure or romanticization of the past. It is about citizens' rights. It is about rebuilding relationships that were central to the creation of Canada. These relationships are just as important to its continued existence. The centrality of Aboriginal issues and peoples has the potential to open up a more creative way of imagining ourselves and a more honest narrative for Canada. Wide in scope but piercing in detail, The Comeback presents a powerful portrait of modern Aboriginal life in Canada, in contrast with the perceived failings so often portrayed in politics and in media. Saul illustrates his arguments by compiling a remarkable selection of letters, speeches and writings by Aboriginal leaders and thinkers, showcasing the extraordinarily rich, moving and stable indigenous point of view across the centuries.

About the Author :
John Ralston Saul is Canada's leading public intellectual. Declared a "prophet" by Time magazine, Saul has received many awards and prizes, including Chile's Pablo Neruda Medal. He is president of PEN International, an organization dedicated to freedom of expression. He has published fourteen works, which have been translated into twenty-five languages in thirty-six countries, the most recent of which is The Comeback, an examination of the remarkable return to power of Aboriginal people in Canada. Saul lives in Toronto.

Review :
"(Saul) has written a powerful treatise that provides a fresh way to look at Canadian history." - The Globe and Mail "The Comeback surges across the past two thousand years of history with scholastic ease, reframing some of the current Aboriginal debates through an inspired lens. . . . Saul lives up to his reputation for breadth and originality of thought, arguing that what are typically presented as 'Aboriginal issues, ' are actually political battles that matter to us all." - National Post "Every Canadian should read The Comeback." - The Walrus