A #teenpick from Kiona!
21 things you may not know about the Indian Act is an adult non-fiction book that all first nations teens should read so they know what’s going on.
The book talks about laws that were passed that were inhumane. Some still apply or weren’t appealed until recently. For example Section 12 of the Indian Act removed a woman’s Indian status if she married a non-Indian man but if a Indian man were to marry a white woman she would gain status. Only in 1985 was the law amended. As well as the law in which the government banned potlatches from 1884 to 1951, less than 100 years ago(70 years).
This book could also be for non-indigenous teens or adults. The author, Bob Joseph, helps break the Indian Act down, describes what the laws said, and what they mean.
This book helped open my eyes to the past traumas my ancestors had to go through and how much we as the next generation to step forward. This is a good book to read after Talking back to the Indian Act : critical readings in settler colonial histories by Mary-Ellen Kelm and Keith D. Smith. 21 things you may not know about the Indian Act is way shorter and gives you a brief understanding of what we need to change. If you do like this book you may want to read more from Bob Joseph or try Cynthia F. Joseph, Mary-Ellen Kelm and Keith D. Smith. They have more on the Indian act.