Introduction
The issue of self-governance as an element of Aboriginal policy in Canada has triggered a lot of deliberations (Belanger, 2008). Among the debaters are Flanagan and Cairns, who have expressed opposing views on how to formulate and implement Aboriginal policy. Tom Flanagan in his work "First Nations? Second Thoughts" and Alan Cairns in his work "Citizens Plus: Aboriginal Peoples and the Canadian State" both bring attention to the typical issues that follow the practicability of Aboriginal governance. These two writers discuss the concerns that face Aboriginal self-governance – discrimination, lack of financial support and stability, corruption and the incompetence of rulers (Gordon, 2002). Cairns considers it unrealistic for Aboriginal people to receive independence from the rest of Canada and Flanagan shares this perspective but the two are in opposition on many different issues.
Colonialism has played an integral role in Aboriginal policy formulations and implementation. Previous and current policies and practices of the colonial nature as exhibited by the imperial government work to change the perceptions and consequently the cultural practices of the Aboriginal people to suit the wishes of the British/Canadian administration and also to have dominance over the Aboriginal community of Canada (Gordon, 2002). Flanagan is especially in support of the role of colonialism as a stratagem of administration for the Aboriginal people.
In assessing Aboriginal policy, there is need to consider the role legal ruse played in the interactions of Aboriginal with the settlers. The Aboriginal people were displaced from their lands on which the British/Canadian Empire was made as they let notions such promise of discoveries to blind them to the true intensions of the invaders. According to Gordon (2002), “Words and concepts were deployed in a two-pronged attack on the autonomy and livelihoods of Aboriginal peoplesthey were meant to structure ways of thinking which would replace Aboriginal forms of thought." The concept is the basis of Cairns argument in dealings with the Aboriginal people.
Flanagan and Cairns are geared towards the survival of the British/Canadian Empire, and their perspectives influence the Aboriginal people in various ways. Cairns aims to integrate this community into the ‘civilized' society and consequently to force them to depart from their cultures. Flanagan would rather a rule over the Aboriginal people be strict and overbearing to restrict this community from rising against their counterparts (Gordon, 2002). Cairns and Flanagan both believe the awakening and resistance of the Aboriginal people to be a threat as they perceive the change in mentality and a will to forge their path to be a warning sign (Gordon, 2002). The debates over the issue of Aboriginal self-governance have attracted excessive attention towards the current Aboriginal policies and the possibilities of introducing new policies; the protection of Aboriginal people's interests should, however, be at the center of any discussion that concerns them.
Cairns’ Argument on the Aboriginal Policy Debate
Cultural Transformation
In assessing Aboriginal policy in Canada, there is the issue of maintaining the empathy of the non-Aboriginal population to the plight of the Aboriginals to assimilate them into the mainstream culture with little opposition from the non-Aboriginal communities. According to Cairns, self-government, as presented by the Aboriginal people of Canada as a way out of the rule of the Canadian state, threatens the support they receive from the rest of the population. To achieve freedom, this community would be better off focused on the concept of becoming citizens as this is a means of maintaining peace and unity (Gordon, 2002).
Cairns believes that the Aboriginal people lack sufficient capacities to maintain entirely their self-rule proposition. Another reason put forward by Cairns on the lack of viability of the issue of self-governance is the existing interrelations between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of Canada and he suggests that it would be a more productive effort for the Aboriginals to seek to be integrated into the mainstream society as Canadians than to pursue the issue of self-governance (Cairns, 2000).
The Reality and Exercise of Power
The existence and practice of power over the Aboriginal people have endured the change in time as well as transformed with time. Colonial power over the Aboriginal people has been practiced overtly up to recent times through legal systems, academic literature, and government policies. These efforts were supposedly supposed to assist the Aboriginal people to transform them into ‘civilized people' (Gordon, 2002). Cairns, as a perceived colonial apologist, proposes that the power of the colonialists persist through underhanded techniques such as the integration of the Aboriginal people into the conventional shape of civilization.
In analyzing Cairns point of view, it is possible to assess his standpoint as he tries to fashion a situation that would lead to the assimilation of the Aboriginal people of Canada and the eventual disappearance of their cultures and history. His policy propositions would lead to neutralization of the ambitions and traditions of the Aboriginals (Gordon, 2002). In summary, Cairns arguments on cultural transformation and the exercise of power are indirect and psychological; he focuses on how to get the Aboriginal people on “his side”.
Flanagan’s Argument on the Aboriginal Policy Debate
Cultural Transformation
Flanagan on the issue of cultural transformation believes that the civilization of the Aboriginal people should be considered a gift rather than a burden. He supposes the existence of “higher civilization” and that the Aboriginal people should be content to abandon their traditions to become members of such a high status of civilization (Flanagan, 2000).
The concept of Western civilization, as the leading form of civilization in the world, "high civilization" as Flanagan calls it assumes that it is social standing alone should be enough to overpower any other culture even the Aboriginal culture of Canada in attracting followers (Gordon, 2002). Gordon further expresses that Flanagan’s assumptions even though deceivingly correct should be accompanied by the right to choose by the Aboriginal people (2002).
The Reality and Exercise of Power
Flanagan proposes a more overt display and exercise of power as was previously in place to obstruct the progress of the culture and self-rule of the Aboriginal people. Flanagan shows a preference for past government policies and legal techniques of handling the needs of the Aboriginal people in the Canadian society (Flanagan, 2000). The past success of these policy appeals to Flanagan as he bases his assertions on the historical policies over the Aboriginal people of Canada.
According to Gordon (2002), “Flanagan’s strategy is to argue that colonialism was never ‘evil’ nor mistaken.” The opinion on Aboriginal policy tries to misguide the population into believing there exists benefits in colonization and that it is for the best of the Aboriginal people that they remain colonized (Gordon, 2002). Colonialist rule over the Aboriginal people is Flanagan’s solution in the formulation of Aboriginal policy in Canada. He is not focused on progressive notions of democracy but rather he assumes the past policies guided by colonialism will continue to be effective.
Commentary on the Aboriginal Policy Debate
Basis of the Arguments
Both Flanagan and his counterpart Cairns convey genuine concern over the fact that the Aboriginal people are becoming more aware and making informed choices beyond the restrictions of colonialism. The realizations and progressive mentality are as a result of the government policies in place, for example, the ones behind the residential school system. The Aboriginal people have come to the realization that these policies were put in place to indirectly destroy their cultures. According to Gordon (2002), "not to be achieved by way of guns and steel, but through control of thought and action using sustained efforts to have Aboriginal peoples come to think and act like the colonizers."
The Aboriginal people are preparing to get back their community status and their lands through the process of self-governance. However, the non-Aboriginals perceive this as a threat to their existing authority and stability. According to Gordon (2002), “In both Cairns’ and Flanagan’s work an ongoing struggle to construct and shore up conceptual discursive walls around Aboriginal peoples.” These writers’ opinions are of influence to the non-Aboriginal people on whose support the Aboriginal people have depended on and, therefore, there is an apparent conflict threatening; one of academic writing, government policies, and legal strategies.
Verdict Statement
With regards to the exercise of power of the Aboriginal people, Cairns’ suggests that assimilation would be more acceptable than that of Flanagan. Open colonialism over the Aboriginal people would be distasteful for many reasons. Colonialism of most communities ceased in the twentieth century and this being an era of transformation it would be better to try and integrate the Aboriginal people into the mainstream culture than rule over them forcefully as suggested by Flanagan (Flanagan, 2000). Flanagan’s assumption that Aboriginal people should follow the culture of “high civilization” at the cost of their own is egotistical as he counts out other cultures, which identify the various communities and promote diversity (Gordon, 2002).
Another reason to support Cairns’ argument is that some of the members of the Aboriginal community of their accord have started observing the cultural practices of the "high civilization" (Gordon, 2002). It is evidence that assimilating the Aboriginal people into the mainstream culture is effective even though time is an essential element of the process. It is still seemingly a better policy to forcibly eliminating the culture of the Aboriginal people as suggested by Flanagan. It is better to allow people the illusion of choice as this will lessen the retaliation.
Both Flanagan and Cairns in their books depict the aspirations of the Aboriginal people to be of the economic nature and that they are geared towards obtaining material gains. Their efforts to save their traditions is a not possible as these have already been lost in time (Gordon, 2002). In his book “A People’s Dream: Aboriginal Self-government in Canada”, Russell proposes a solution that is seemingly better than those of Flanagan and Cairns as it allows for the element of choice. He also believes in the validity of their dreams to restore traditions. Russell believes if both the Aboriginal people and the non-Aboriginal people are presented with the option of choice and of allowing the choice to the rest then a suitable solution can be formulated (Russell, 2000).
Conclusion
It is clear that debates over the issue of Aboriginal self-governance have attracted excessive attention towards the current Aboriginal policies and the possibilities of introducing new policies. The protection of Aboriginal people’s interests should, however, be at the center of any discussion that concerns them. Cairns argument is that the government policies on the Aboriginal people should work to assimilate them into the mainstream culture as this would convert the Aboriginal people into Canadian citizens. According to Cairns, the choice of language used in promoting this policy is essential and that there is no need to rule over the Aboriginal people forcefully to protect the British/Canadian Empire.
However, Flanagan believes in the effectiveness of colonization as a method of ruling over Aboriginal people. He suggests that they should be happy to let go of their traditions and culture and embrace the “high civilization,” which is enviable to the rest of the world. His views are seemingly narrow-minded and; thus, there is a reason to dispute his claims and support those proposed by Cairn. The element of self-government as part of the Aboriginal policy is faced with numerous challenges as this technique seems improbable due to a variety of limitations. As Cairn suggests, having a form of self-rule in an already existent state would cause the non-Aboriginal community of society to resent the Aboriginal people and withdraw their support, which would cause distress to the leaders of the Aboriginal community.
References
Belanger, Y.D. (2008). Aboriginal self-government in Canada: Current trends and issues. Saskatoon: Purich Pub
Cairns, A. C. (2000). Citizens plus: Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian state. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press
Flanagan, T. (2000). First nations? Second thoughts. Montreal: McGill University Press
Gordon, C. (2002) “Book Review: Citizens Plus: Aboriginal Peoples and the Canadian state, by Alan C. Cairns; First Nations? Second Thoughts, by Tom Flanagan; A People’s Dream: Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada by Dan Russell” Osgoode Hall Law Journal 40 (2) 189-200
Russell, D. (2000). A people’s dream: Aboriginal self-government in Canada. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press
