Struggle for Survival

This book studies the cultural adjustment of the coastal Indian of British Columbia to white society and the development of leadership among the Indians in response to the great changes they have experienced as a result of the settlement of Canada. It presents, in fact, an important example of a struggle by a contemporary people whose ancestors were once dispossessed. The author carries his study forward under three main headings which indicate the chief areas of conflict and adjustment between whites and Indians: potlatch law, the land question, and the rise of groups of an economic or 'protestant' nature. The treatment is historical and political adjustments are emphasized. In many ways these themes show a parallel development: legislation enacted without proper consideration for the viewopint of the Indian has brought about resistance on his part and also a questioning among many whites and Indians of the justice of disregarding the rights of the first occupants of the province.