From Talking Chiefs to a Native Corporate Elite
The Birth of Class and Nationalism among Canadian Inuit
Description
Mitchell demonstrates the transformation of relationships -- both between the Inuit and Europeans and among the Inuit themselves -- that has occurred since contact with the West, focusing on the intersection of class and nation. This intersection provides a unifying framework to order the history of Inuit-European contact. At the heart of the book is a detailed and original presentation of the Inuit cooperative movement. Mitchell's skilful blending of primary sources with personal experience and secondary literature provides a compelling analysis of the Inuit co-op as a development tool used by the state. In the final chapters, she provides an astute evaluation of contemporary Inuit land claims, concluding that the Inuit have been unequally incorporated into the Canadian class system because of their ethnic status and lack of capital. Growing nationalism among the Inuit and demands for self-government make From Talking Chiefs to a Native Corporate Elite a timely and important addition to the field of Native studies. It will be of great interest to both scholars and general readers.
Reviews
"An impressive book, a true tour de force. Using the interaction of class and nation (or race) as an analytical framework, Mitchell provides a detailed and original history of the Inuit since contact and evaluates contemporary Inuit land claims from a critical but insightful perspective." Mel Watkins, Department of Canadian Studies, University of Toronto. "A delightfully provocative perspective on Inuit-white relations that will generate a lot of commentary. Mitchell successfully argues the case for a gradual movement from a collective way of life to an emerging class system." Lee Guemple, Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario.