Talking Back to the Indian Act: Critical Readings in Settler Colonial Histories

"I would recommend Talking Back to the Indian Act to anyone interested in learning about the Indian Act – or in learning about the historical method. It is an easy read and I expect to see it not only in my classroom but on my summer vacation this year."

Daniel Sims, BC Bookworld

"This collection will engage the mind in a critical reading of the complexity of the Indian Act’s storied past and ongoing present through the documents it contains. Talking Back to the Indian Act will also engage students and those willing to learn more about a key Canadian historical document. And it will help students, Canadians, and Indigenous people to more fully engage with the TRC’s calls for action by increasing knowledge of Canada’s Settler colonialism."

Karl Hele, Anishinabek News.ca

"Written in the first person, interwoven with the professional parlance of history educators, fortified with primary-source evidence, and shored up with inquiry questions, maps, and a timeline, Talking Back to the Indian Act is not an unwieldy academic tome; rather, it speaks to all Canadians. With a bit of a nudge, it would be as comfortable on a coffee table as it would be in a course syllabus."

Connie Wyatt Anderson, Canada’s History

"Putting the Indian Act under the microscope, this is an outstanding resource for teaching historical thinking, critical reading skills and for learning about the legal structure of settler colonialism. At this time of Reconciliation every Canadian should know about the history and legacy of the Indian Act, the most important Canadian legislation affecting Indigenous people. Archaic as it is, it remains in force today."

Sarah Carter, Department of History and Classics, University of Alberta

"The Indian Act is the most profound piece of legislation affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada. While many Canadians are aware of its existence, few are aware of the profound destructive effect, it has had upon Indigenous peoples over the last 142 years. Kelm and Smith have produced an outstanding text on the historical development and analysis of the Indian Act, using both western and Indigenous criteria. Through a focus on four areas: governance, enfranchisement, gender, and land, they demonstrate the impact the Act has had upon Indigenous peoples over the last 142 years. Anyone who reads this text will never again ask the question ‘why are Indigenous peoples poor and marginalized in their own lands?"

David Newhouse Director and Professor, Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies, Trent University

"Finally, a book that critically engages the Indian Act in an accessible way. This book is an excellent resource for understanding what is wrong with Canada's Indigenous policies, and what needs to change."

John Borrows, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law, University of Victoria Law School