John A. Macdonald's Relationship With Aboriginal Peoples

150 years have passed since the date of Confederation, and just like any other anniversary, varying responses and reflections are expected. The resulting reflections have manifested into the works of many scholars and historians throughout the span of 150 years, each varying in opinion, context and approach. It is important to explore differing sources in the pursuit of the truth. The following articles “John A. MacDonald’s Aryan Canada” by Timothy Stanley, “John A. MacDonald: A Founder and Builder” by Thomas B. Symons and “MacDonald’s Relationship with Aboriginal Peoples” by Donald B. Smith provide different outlooks on the life and complicated legacies of John A. MacDonald both before, during and after Confederation, offering insight to his policies and their subsequent effects that remain prevalent today, especially to Indigenous peoples. Since it is valuable to consider the viewpoints of different sources, Drew Hayden Taylor’s play, Sir John A.: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion is also an important source on the policies and consequent legacies from a unique and contemporary Indigenous perspective. With the use of the …show more content…
Smith’s article, “Macdonald’s Relationship with Aboriginal Peoples” is more thorough and detailed compared to the text of Stanley and Symons. However, like both articles, it establishes the fact MacDonald played a significant role in shaping Indigenous policy both before and after Confederation. Both Stanley and Symons’ articles possess biases either towards or against MacDonald and his policies which contributes to their respective theses; however, Smith doesn’t quite attempt to explore whether John A. MacDonald was essentially “bad” or “good”, he seeks to better understand the “why” behind the policies, rather than comment on them. It is also notable that this article is long enough to highlight both sides unlike the other articles, however by exploring both sides without taking a side, the thesis became less