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Clearing the Plains

Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Indigenous Life

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About this listen

Revealing how Canada’s first Prime Minister used a policy of starvation against Indigenous people to clear the way for settlement, the multiple award-winning Clearing the Plains sparked widespread debate about genocide in Canada.

In arresting, but harrowing, prose, James Daschuk examines the roles that Old World diseases, climate, and, most disturbingly, Canadian politics—the politics of ethnocide—played in the deaths and subjugation of thousands of Indigenous people in the realization of Sir John A. Macdonald’s “National Dream.”

It was a dream that came at great expense: the present disparity in health and economic well-being between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, and the lingering racism and misunderstanding that permeates the national consciousness to this day.

This new edition of Clearing the Plains has a foreword by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Elizabeth Fenn, an opening by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, and explanations of the book’s influence by leading Canadian historians. Called “one of the most important books of the twenty-first century” by the Literary Review of Canada, it was named a “Book of the Year” by The Globe and Mail, Quill & Quire, the Writers’ Trust, and won the Sir John A. Macdonald Prize, among many others.

©2013 University of Regina Press (P)2022 University of Regina Press
Americas Canada Social Sciences United States Native American Dream

What the critics say

“A tour de force that dismantles and destroys the view that Canada has a special claim to humanity in its treatment of indigenous peoples…This is fearless, evidence-driven history at its finest.”—Elizabeth A. Fenn, author of Pox Americana

“Required reading for all Canadians.”—Candace Savage, author of A Geography of Blood

“Clearly written, deeply researched, and properly contextualized history. ..Essential reading for everyone interested in the history of indigenous North America.”—J. R. McNeill, author of Mosquito Empires

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Most Relevant
Lots of facts with backed up notes and where the information came from.

Hard to listen when at the end of every sentence the narrator had to say "N.Note #"
I understand what the notes are for, but when listening to an audio book does it have to be stated. Ruined listening to this book for me.

Probably just going to buy the book

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must read for all Canadians. performance could have been better by not listing and reading all footnotes.

must read for all canadians

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Important information. This story needs to be heard. The end note mentions are tedious though.

Great book.

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The European(settlers) brought there diseases; black & white death, there tuberculosis and small pox. They purposely/really tried to take us out. Also by keeping us in reserves, where we could not leave it is stated that they kept us here to kill us with starvation, diseases brought by rations, blankets; clothes (wagons) by the Canadian government.. We were treated worse than metis ppl..

Moniyasses brought there Disease

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