First Nations, First Thoughts: The Impact of Indigenous Thought in Canada

Countless books and articles have traced the impact of colonialism and public policy on Canada's First Nations, but few have explored the impact of Aboriginal thought on public discourse and policy development in Canada. First Nations, First Thoughts brings together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal scholars who cut through the prevailing orthodoxy to reveal Indigenous thinkers and activists as a pervasive presence in diverse political, constitutional, and cultural debates and arenas, including urban spaces, historical texts, public policy, and cultural heritage preservation. This innovative, thought-provoking collection contributes to the decolonization process by encouraging us to imagine a stronger, fairer Canada in which Aboriginal self-government and expression can be fully realized.

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Indigenous Thought in Canada / Annis May Timpson

Part 1: Challenging Dominant Discourses

1 First Nations Perspectives and Historical Thinking in Canada / Robin Jarvis Brownlie

2 Being Indigenous within the Academy: Creating Space for Indigenous Scholars / Margaret Kovach

Part 2: Oral Histories and First Nations Narratives

3 Respecting Oral Histories of First Nations: Copyright Complexities in Archiving Aboriginal Stories / Leslie McCartney

4 Nápi and the City: Siksikaitsitapi Narratives Revisited / Martin Whittles and Tim Patterson

Part 3: Cultural Heritage and Representation

5 Colonial Photographs and Postcolonial Relationships: The Kainai-Oxford Photographic Histories Project / Laura Peers and Alison K. Brown

6 Museums Taken to Task: Representing First Peoples at the McCord Museum of Canadian History / Stephanie Bolton

Part 4: Aboriginal Thought and Innovation in Subnational Governance

7 The Manitoba Government's Shift to "Autonomous" First Nations Child Welfare: Empowerment or Privatization? / Fiona MacDonald

8 Rethinking the Administration of Government: Inuit Representation, Culture, and Language in the Nunavut Public Service / Annis May Timpson

9 A Fine Balance? Aboriginal Peoples in the Canadian North and the Dilemma of Development / Gabrielle A. Slowey

Part 5: Thinking Back, Looking Forward: Political and Constitutional Reconciliation

10 Civilization, Self-Determination, and Reconciliation / Michael Murphy

11 Take 35: Reconciling Constitutional Orders / Kiera L. Ladner

Contributors

Index

Annis May Timpson is Director of the Centre of Canadian Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Contributors: Stephanie Bolton, Alison K. Brown, Robin Jarvis Brownlie, Margaret Kovach, Kiera L. Ladner, Fiona MacDonald, Leslie McCartney, Michael Murphy, Tim Patterson, Laura Peers, Gabrielle A. Slowey, and Martin Whittles

First Nations, First Thoughts affirms the priority of Indigenous thought in understanding and developing public discourses in Canada, and constitutes another step forward in ensuring that Indigenous and Settler people continue to work towards a truly postcolonial future.