John A. Macdonald Was No Friend to Indigenous Peoples – The Canadian Encyclopedia

by ahnationtalk on January 31, 202516 Views

January 30, 2025

More than a century and a half after the formal birth of the nation he played a lead role in creating, debate continues around Sir John A. Macdonald and his government’s approach to Indigenous people in Canada. While his name has been removed from some schools and other public institutions across the country, his defenders argue that his efforts have been misunderstood or distorted. Because of his exceptional significance as the leading Father of Confederation and Canada’s first Prime Minister, the Canadian Encyclopedia commissioned essays that provide sharply different views on this issue:

Below is “John A. Macdonald was no Friend to Indigenous Peoples”, by Niigaan Sinclair and Sean Carleton. Please also read the companion piece “A Few Facts Every Canadian should know about Sir John A. Macdonald ”, by Greg Piasetski.

In 1887, Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald wrote that he “was not prepared” to decide upon “a claim preferred by the Six Nations Indians to certain lands on the banks of the Grand River.” Instead, he cautioned: “It is extremely inexpedient to deal with the Indian bands in the Dominion…as being in any way separate nations.”

Read More: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/john-a-macdonald-was-no-friend-to-indigenous-peoples

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