Papers of the Thirty-Fifth Algonquian Conference

John Stanley is a senior policy advisor in the Corporate Policy Branch
Management Board Secretariat, Government of Ontario.

The Algonquian Conference is a much-respected institution devoted to the
study of Aboriginal peoples. This publication of the 35th Algonquian
Conference includes 22 articles on topics ranging from James Bay Cree
bags to traditional and modern Algonquian music. Unfortunately, half of
the articles deal with linguistics; these esoteric, dry, descriptive
pieces are accessible only to insiders.

There are, however, a few gems in the collection. “The Persistence of
Nomadic Habits in Urban–Rural Migration: Towards a Qualitative
Demography,” in which Regna Darnell discusses the need to go beyond
mere numbers in talking about Aboriginal migration to and from urban
areas, is an article that every sociologist who wants to write about
urban Aboriginal people should read. In addition, there are two detailed
case studies that make important points concerning the exploitative
practices of officials holding positions of responsibility for
supposedly Native-owned properties. The case study on questionable
surveying practices is of particular relevance to Aboriginal rights
cases. The other, more accessible case study investigates the cozy
relationship between an early 20th-century inspector of Indian
timberlands and a wood-selling entrepreneur in the area of Lake Nipigon
in northwestern Ontario.