A very good article, Hansard! Your article is a testament to these western pioneers, the sacrifices turning eventually to rewards. And it is interesting that “Canadian-ness” was encouraged.
Yet these are the "colonizers" hated by the progressives and indigenous for the "sin" of cultivating the land and bringing civilization.
I know the progressives are a relatively modern expression of an ancient idea (Marxism) but was there anything preventing the indigenous people from participating in the taming of Canada?
The Indian Act stopped Indigenous people cold. Section 70 from 1876 banned status Indians from homesteading on the Prairies. The feds pushed them onto reserves instead of letting them claim Dominion Lands like the settlers. This stayed on the books until 1951. That's why the big 1909 rush was all newcomers. See the Library of Parliament report: https://publications.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/bp175-e.htm
I checked why in the records. Treaty Indians already had reserve land from the treaties. The 1876 Indian Act banned extra homesteads so they wouldn't get both. Ottawa wanted tight control and fast settler immigration instead. See the Library of Parliament breakdown here: https://publications.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/bp175-e.htm
The salt of the prairies
A very good article, Hansard! Your article is a testament to these western pioneers, the sacrifices turning eventually to rewards. And it is interesting that “Canadian-ness” was encouraged.
Yet these are the "colonizers" hated by the progressives and indigenous for the "sin" of cultivating the land and bringing civilization.
I know the progressives are a relatively modern expression of an ancient idea (Marxism) but was there anything preventing the indigenous people from participating in the taming of Canada?
The Indian Act stopped Indigenous people cold. Section 70 from 1876 banned status Indians from homesteading on the Prairies. The feds pushed them onto reserves instead of letting them claim Dominion Lands like the settlers. This stayed on the books until 1951. That's why the big 1909 rush was all newcomers. See the Library of Parliament report: https://publications.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/bp175-e.htm
I was not aware of that. How awful!! And how insane!! Why would the gubbermint want to prevent anyone from being productive citizens??
I checked why in the records. Treaty Indians already had reserve land from the treaties. The 1876 Indian Act banned extra homesteads so they wouldn't get both. Ottawa wanted tight control and fast settler immigration instead. See the Library of Parliament breakdown here: https://publications.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/bp175-e.htm