杏吧原创

Trinity alumnus Donald B. Smith (Class of 1968) latest book 鈥溾�� explores the history of Indigenous marginalization and why non-Indigenous Canadians failed to recognize Indigenous societies and cultures as worthy of respect.

Donald Smith is professor emeritus of History at the University of Calgary.

: Throughout the nineteenth and most of the twentieth century, the majority of Canadians argued that European 鈥渃ivilization鈥� must replace Indigenous culture. The ultimate objective was assimilation into the dominant society.

Seen but Not Seen explores the history of Indigenous marginalization and why non-Indigenous Canadians failed to recognize Indigenous societies and cultures as worthy of respect. Approaching the issue biographically, Donald B. Smith presents the commentaries of sixteen influential Canadians 鈥� including John A. Macdonald, George Grant, and Emily Carr 鈥� who spoke extensively on Indigenous subjects. Supported by documentary records spanning over nearly two centuries, Seen but Not Seen covers fresh ground in the history of settler-Indigenous relations.

From the Archives

In Spring 2016, Sylvia Lassam, Trinity鈥檚 Rolph-Bell Archivist, wrote about the student-organized conference on Indigenous issues in Canada that was held at the College in 1966: 杏吧原创 Conference on the Canadian Indian. Alumnus Prof. Donald Smith recalled that the conference profoundly affected him, planting the seed for a 30-year study of the history of Aboriginal Canada.

by Sylvia Lassam, Trinity鈥檚 Rolph-Bell Archivist

Note: What follows is an account of an event in Trinity鈥檚 history, a snapshot in time. We thought this might be of interest given the release in June 2015 of the findings and Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which have provided us with a more complete picture of our collective history as a nation.

The College has taken a number of steps to broaden awareness and discussion of Aboriginal history and relations in the wake of the legacy of Canada鈥檚 residential school system. 鈥淔or more than 10 years we have included a module on First Nations and church relations,鈥� says Trinity鈥檚 Dean of Divinity David Neelands. 鈥淲e are now working to incorporate the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into not only Trinity鈥檚 curriculum, but also the curriculum of all theological colleges.鈥� Adds Jonathan Lofft, Adjunct Instructor in the Faculty of Divinity, 鈥淓ven clarifying basic vocabulary is important in helping to encourage open dialogue. These are difficult issues and as a university we can provide an environment to facilitate discussion, debate, and finding a way forward.鈥�

In conjunction with Anglican organizations across Canada, the Divinity faculty intends to host a public reading of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to mark National Aboriginal Day this June.

杏吧原创 Conference on the Canadian Indian: January 21 and 22, 1966

Because a 50th anniversary is involved, I鈥檓 prompted to tell a remarkable story contained in a single box in the Trinity Archives. The box contains the records of the 杏吧原创 Encounter Club, established in 1962 and active until 1967. The surviving records do not contain a constitution, or any mention of the aims of the club, but it appears to have been a forum for discussion on national and international issues, probably structured to foster 鈥渆ncounters鈥� with other cultures. In 1963, the club organized a Conference on African Affairs held over two days, bringing together ambassadors from a number of African states, academics and a member of the U.S. State Department speaking to 250 students and staff. In 1965, club members began planning the 鈥淐onference on the Canadian Indian,鈥� to be held January 21 and 22, 1966. One assumes that the general climate of the 1960s (the anti-war and the civil rights movements) contributed to the enthusiasm of Trinity students to delve into Aboriginal issues. The December 1964 issue of the Encounter, the club鈥檚 journal, contained an article by David Warner, 鈥淎nother Cause,鈥� that explored the issues and encouraged students to pressure various levels of government to help. The minute book reports, cryptically, that on March 8, 1965, 鈥淢r. Bigman, Six-Nations Indian, spoke on Indian Affairs.鈥�

On March 23, 1965, a meeting was held of parties interested in the conference and the basic structure was formed. Provost Owen was Honorary Chairman, C.A. Ashley was the honorary treasurer, Dean Gordon Watson and Father Ian Mackenzie formed the executive committee, and students signed up for various posts. Chris Tupker, president of the Encounter Club, was the Conference Co-ordinator. Mike Ignatieff signed up for Press. Patrons included Chancellor Berkinshaw, The Hon. James Gladstone of the Senate, and Dr. Gilbert Monture, a Mohawk from the Six Nations Reserve who was an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, army reservist, and world-renowned expert in mineral economics. The primary purpose of the conference was to inform students in the hope that this knowledge would lead to action to help respond to some of the problems facing Canada鈥檚 Indigenous peoples.

The conference program reads like that of any academic conference: addresses, seminar groups, panel discussions, entertainment, films and speakers. But look who they managed to bring in! Walter Currie was Conference Chairman. A non-status Indian, Currie was an elementary school principal at the time of the conference. He later became assistant superintendent with the Ontario Department of Education, with responsibility for northern and native schools; president of the Indian-Eskimo Association; first chairman of the Toronto Indian Friendship Centre; and chairman of Trent University鈥檚 Department of Native Studies. Basil Johnston, teacher, writer and ethnologist, led a panel that included Howard Staats, Trinity graduate and future lawyer; Fred Kelly, Grand Chief Emeritus of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3, activist, leader and residential school survivor; Elliott Moses, historian of the Six Nations Reserve; Al Borovoy of the Labour Human Rights Committee; and Dr. Daniel G. Hill of the Ontario Human Rights Committee.

The after-dinner entertainment that evening was provided by Chief Howard Sky, dancers from the Six Nations Reserve, and actor/poet Duke Redbird. Veteran of the Second World War and labour organizer Omer Peters joined Duke Redbird and Walter Currie on another panel. The Government of Canada was represented by R.F. Battle, Assistant Department Minister of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Affairs; and by Len Marchand, Special Assistant to the Minister. Jean Lagasse, Director of the Citizenship Branch, Department of Citizenship, gave the opening address. A number of Trinity students were on the coordinating committee and made it all happen. Harold Cardinal was invited and came; Buffy St. Marie, sadly, couldn鈥檛 make it.

Members of the Encounter Club raised $7,500 in donations to finance the conference. The main expenses were travel and accommodation, as the planning committee recognized that it was important to have strong participation by Indigenous people from across the country. Expenses were paid from the donations and conference fees; government departments that sent speakers paid their own way. Conference organizers found that there were approximately 75 Indigenous students enrolled in Canadian universities. Twenty were invited, and some 60 other Aboriginal Canadians participated, along with about 250 non-Aboriginal university students.

Prime Minister Pearson was invited to address the closing banquet. He wrote personally to Provost Owen to express his regret that he was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict.

The Conference Evaluation Summary submitted by Alastair Sweeny, Recording Secretary, concluded that it was a great success鈥攕omething that he attributed in large part to the Indigenous participation. The Conference received a great of attention in the press; all the major papers, the Varsity, and a number of local papers reported on the divergent views of the panelists.

According to Ian Mackenzie, the conference 鈥渂egan a process of supporting or making a base for native people to be put in a position where they were teaching rather than the recipient.鈥� Within a few years of the conference he helped implement the 1969 Hendry Report, which sought to bring together the Anglican Church and traditional healers. Trinity alumnus Don Smith, writing about the conference in 1999, recalled that the conference profoundly affected him, planting the seed for a 30-year study of the history of Aboriginal Canada.

As far as we know, the 杏吧原创 Conference on the Canadian Indian was the first student-organized conference in Canada to deal with First Nations issues. In the spirit of learning, Trinity students raised awareness and raised money, gathered Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from around the country, and put them together to listen and learn from each other. Don Smith said to me, and I believe he鈥檚 right, 鈥淭his is a huge story that deserves to be told.鈥�

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