Cultural Maze: Complex Questions on Native Destiny in Western Canada

Native people in Western Canada today face a myriad of complex questions in virtually every sphere of functioning – legal, economic, educational, and spiritual to name a few. This book explores the different aspects of some of the pertinent issues affecting the Native Community, with a view to clarifying the underlying challenges. Written from the standpoint of experience and expertise, particularly in the case of Native writers, each chapter allows for an in-depth understanding of the real issues affecting the future of Native culture. In three main sections, this volume provides a historical background to understanding some of the challenges with which the Indian community is currently grappling; outlines six contemporary issues facing the Native community, namely economic development, land claims, Aboriginal rights, language, educational policy, and local control of education; and explores the direction of Native cultural survival through a discussion of the role of Elders, higher education, and Canadian multiculturalism.