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Taiaiake Alfred. Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto. 2nd ed. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press, 2009. 208 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. $19.95 sc.
Clearly a prophet for our time, Taiaiake Alfred competently tackles a variety of very complex issues related to Aboriginal self-determination in Canada. He is admirably equipped to take up this challenge, having grown up amidst the political struggles of the Kahnawake Mohawk, and armed with a Ph.D. in comparative and political thought from Cornell University.
Alfred's primary objective is to clarify what Aboriginal self-determination means and how it can become a reality. In doing so he takes both Aboriginal and nonAboriginal leaders to task for shortsightedness, unfairness, and misrepresentation.
The book includes three sections - peace, power, and righteousness - all of which have to be read if Alfred's intent is to be appreciated. Peace is apparently unattainable for First Nations in a society that fosters materialism, consumerism, and corporate globalization, all of which stand diametrically opposed to traditional Indigenous values (25, 40). As the process of decolonization finally gets underway, Native communities often find themselves represented by leaders who have moved away from the principles embedded in traditional First Nations cultures, accommodated Western cultural values, and endorsed the larger political and economic system (28)....