Clearing the Plains; Disease, Politics of Starvation & the Loss of Aboriginal Life
In his latest, James Daschuk reveals the link between the construction of the Canadian railway and the decline of indigenous peoples. The Regina professor sheds new light on Canada’s former prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and accuses him of systematically starving indigenous people to pave the way for the railway and realize his national dream. (2014)
WINNIPEG – In his latest book entitled Clearing the Plains; Disease, Politics of Starvation & the Loss of Aboriginal Life, James Daschuk reveals the link between the construction of the Canadian railway and the decline of indigenous peoples. The Regina professor sheds new light on Canada’s former prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and accuses him of systematically starving indigenous people to pave the way for the railway and realize his national dream.
As the railway moved through Canadian soil, it passed through the territory of the Plains Cree and Woodland Cree, signatories to Treaty 6. At the time, the First Nations in the area were facing starvation due to the disappearance of the bison. Although the 1867 treaty included a clause guaranteeing them government assistance in times of famine, Daschuk argues that the Dominion exploited the situation to its advantage by ordering its agents to withhold food deliveries until the First Nations had moved several hundred kilometres from the construction site.
For his shocking work, James Daschuk wins Governor General’s History Award for Scholarly Research: The Sir John A. Macdonald Prize. The 2014 Governor General’s History Awards will be presented at a ceremony at Rideau Hall on November 3, 2014.
According to Michel Duquet, executive director of the SHC, “James Daschuk’s work, which is based on extensive research, draws on numerous disciplines, including ethnohistory, historical climatology, biology, as well as environmental history. , political and economic to show the devastating impacts of disease, global trade, environmental transformation and government policies on the lives of Plains First Nations in the 18e et 19e centuries. This remarkable work will undoubtedly become an essential reference document on the era of the treaties of the 19e century. “
The Governor General’s History Awards bring together students, teachers, historians, museum and community organizations, authors and producers to celebrate and learn from each other. The day before the awards ceremony, winners will participate in a national forum on Canadian history at the Canadian War Museum. This year’s forum is open to the public, either on-site or online, by registering at www.canadahistory.ca/historyforum.
