by Rosemary Brown
For anyone interested in issues of governance, democracy, and party politics in Canada, I strongly recommend Indian in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power. It is a riveting read.
We were privileged to have the author, Jody Wilson-Raybould (JWR), former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, join us for a discussion of her book. This discussion can be found on the website of the “Native Calgarian” podcast. Note that the book club has gone back to its original name Chapters and Chat.
A lawyer, crown prosecutor, and Indigenous leader in BC, and later a member of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal cabinet from 2015 to 2019, JWR is rooted in traditional Kwak’wala culture and governance systems. A key theme running through her book is an analysis of the differences between the traditions with which she was raised, and how government operates in Ottawa.
The book covers JWR’s upbringing and professional life before politics; her initial meetings with Trudeau and decision to run for the Liberals in the 2015 federal election; her achievements as Attorney General and Minister of Justice; and the SNC-Lavalin scandal, with the personal consequences of her decision to “speak truth to power”.
She shares with us her initial euphoria at the government’s stated commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, and to a different way of doing politics, as well as her later increasing disillusion with empty rhetoric and the reality of partisan politics, culminating in her stand against the government’s violation of the “rule of law” in the SNC-Lavalin affair. She discusses her experiences of racism and misogyny and her growing dismay over how much power was concentrated in the hands of unelected officials in the Prime Ministers Office at the expense of elected Parliamentarians. She also writes glowingly of the respect, loyalty, and hard work she shared with her Ministerial staff and her friendship with Jane Philpot, also a Minister in Trudeau’s cabinet.
Indian in the Cabinet is rich in detail, and JWR ends with a reflection on how in our increasingly interdependent world, with its complex crises, such as pandemics or climate change, we need a different way of doing politics, one that allows for the best decision making possible. Partisan politics does not cut it, and she believes that as a country we have a lot to learn from traditional Indigenous governance systems and values if we are to succeed in dealing with these issues.
The latest offering from the Settlers’ Book Club introduced me to the world of Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, who is Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg and an off-reserve member of the Alderville First Nation in Ontario. She holds a Bachelor and master’s degree in biology and earned a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Manitoba. She is currently on the Faculty of Dechinta: Centre for Research and Learning, located near Yellowknife.
A Short History of the Blockade: Giant Beavers, Diplomacy and Regeneration in Nishnassbewin is a reproduction of a Kreisler Lecture which she gave at the University of Alberta in 2020. She was introduced as a traditional storyteller, critical analyst, poet, spoken word artist, literary and social activist, and musician and songwriter; and both lecture and book offer a wonderful blend of prose poetry and storytelling.
The book is not really the history of one blockade but an analysis of Indigenous blockades in general as sites of resistance to the dominant economic and political order: sites of culture and spirituality, learning, and knowledge generation. The blockades are grounded in what Simpson terms “relationality”, a recognition of our interconnections and interdependence with each other and the natural world around us, and our reciprocal responsibilities based on consent.
Simpson exemplifies this concept by sharing what the seven Grandfather Teachings have to say about the beaver, and shares with us stories infused with humour and aspects of contemporary life such as the internet, Twitter, and selfies. The final words are a concise summary of the learnings embedded in the beaver stories, and an impassioned call to recognize the role of blockades in creating and affirming a different way to live and be in this world with each other.
