The Indian Association of Alberta: A History of Political Action

The history of indigenous political action in Canada is long, hard-fought, and under-told. By the mid-1900s, Native peoples across western Canada were actively involved in their own political unions in a drive to be heard outside their own, often isolated, reserve communities. In Alberta, the Indian Association of Alberta (IAA) represented the interests of Alberta’s reserve communities. Perhaps best known for its role in spearheading the protest against the 1969 White Paper produced by the Department of Indian Affairs, the IAA, founded in 1939, allowed Native peoples access to politics at the provincial level. Its rich history reveals much about First Nations’ perspectives on the place of Indian peoples in Canada before the emergence of civil rights movements and large-scale federal funding of Native organizations. This book, which outlines the significance of treaty rights discussions before their constitutional entrenchment and documents the political philosophies of First Nations leaders in the prairie provinces, will be welcomed by those with an interest in Native studies, political science, and Canadian history.