Illustrated History of Canada's Native People, Fourth Edition: I Have Lived Here Since the World Began, Edition 4

Arthur J. Ray

May 2016 · McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP

About this eBook

Canada’s Native people have inhabited this land since the Ice Age and were already accomplished traders, artisans, farmers, and marine hunters when Europeans first reached their shores. Contact between Natives and European explorers and settlers initially presented an unprecedented period of growth and opportunity. But the two vastly different cultures soon clashed. Arthur Ray charts the history of Canada’s Native people from first contact to current land claims. The result is a fascinating chronicle that spans 12,000 years and culminates in the headlines of today. In the preface to this new edition, Ray elaborates on the increasing effectiveness of Indigenous peoples and their leaders in bringing demands for justice to centre stage. He discusses recent court decisions, the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and the hope for change following promises made by the new Trudeau government.

About the author

Arthur J. Ray is professor emeritus of history at the University of British Columbia and author of Aboriginal Rights Claims and the Making and Remaking of History and Telling It to the Judge: Taking Native History to Court.