Sovereignty: The Biography of a Claim

"It is wry, fast-moving and instructive…Sovereignty casts a bright light on platitudes that dominate official discourse on First Nations. The result is absorbing."

Holly Doan, Blacklock’s Reporter

"Sovereignty: The Biography of a Claim provides a nuanced… approach to nation-state claims of sovereignty that serve as a useful contrast to Indigenous and emerging articulations of self-determination, thus underscoring the relationships at stake in such claims and the practices these claims foster."

Jim Miranda, Bentley University, Transmotion

“Much wisdom is distilled in this elegant book. An accessible primer on a key political concept, it also sheds much light on the continuing quest for self-rule by repressed and marginalized peoples around the world. At the same time, it provokes timely debate on the future structure of global governing institutions. A remarkable achievement reflecting an exemplary lifetime of seminal scholarship and practical experience.” Louis W. Pauly, FRSC, J. Stefan Dupré Distinguished Professor of Political Economy, University of Toronto

"If you care about Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, then you need to understand the central importance of the term ‘sovereignty.’ This biography of the idea is a terrific place to start."

Robert Vipond, professor of Political Science, University of Toronto