You are on page 1of 10

Review: Dances with Dependency: Out of

Poverty through Self-Reliance

Erin Gaboury

History 3374
Dr. Stephen Dutcher
October 13, 2010
Roughly four hundred years ago the landmass we now call North America was

dramatically altered; newly arrived Europeans and their expansionist vision quickly engulfed all

the inhabitants, the Indigenous people and wildlife alike.1 The impact of this contact has

resonated throughout the ages and into the present day. The whites used British law to assimilate

the “inferior” Indigenous people into a more “superior” governing system.2 Britain's goal was

achieved through the development of British institutions that impeded the Aboriginals from self-

reliance and caused them to have a dependency on Europe. This reliance would manifest into the

need for government assistant in the forms of transfer payments and welfare.3 Calvin Helin, an

Aboriginal himself, analyzes this oppressing situation that the twenty-first century Indigenous

people have now found themselves in his book, “Dances with Dependence: Out of Poverty

through Self-Reliance”. He argues, that in order to become independent again aggressive action

must be taken by the Aboriginals to move towards self-reliance. He continues to state that the

Indigenous people must move out of the mindset of grievance for the past and look forward to

their future.4 No longer can Aboriginals allow this digression to continue, and as a united front

they need to rise to the challenge of creating a self-reliant Aboriginal State; otherwise, they will

remain as they are at present, suppressed.5

In “Dances with Dependence”, Helin addresses all the matters facing Aboriginals today

by taking his readers on a mystical canoe ride through four cultural waves starting back 10,000

years ago. Helin’s canoe takes his readers into the heart of the Aboriginal history and there he

1 Calvin Helin, Dances with Dependency: Indigenous Success through Self-Reliance (Ravencrest
Publishing, 2006), 66.
2 Ibid., 91-93.
3 Ibid., 25.
4 Ibid., 166.
5 Ibid., 107.
demonstrates how they once were a highly autonomous people. Later, he shows how Europe’s

colonization devastated the Aboriginals and placed them into today’s “welfare trap”.6 Finally, the

canoe leads the audience into the coming of the fourth wave, in which Helin instructs

Aboriginals on how to rise above the current unjust climate. His book is based upon the belief

that the Canadian government will not solve the Aboriginals’ dependency problem even though it

created the turmoil the Indigenous people now face; moreover, it is now up to the Aboriginals to

correct the injustice.7

In the beginning of “Dances with Dependence”, Helin explains how at first the

Indigenous population accepted European presence, for it meant that the Indigenous people were

able to acquire tools that were otherwise unattainable to them, i.e. iron and metal goods.8 Yet, as

the relationship evolved it became clear that the British were destructive and only wanted to

shatter everything that stood in the way of British expansion, including the Aboriginal

populations. The British used everything they had to their advantage, this included: diseases,

alcohol, and gunpowder, which gave Britain the upper hand and contributed to the ruin of

Aboriginal self-reliance and to the development of their dependency.9

Helin argues, Aboriginal dependency was furthered in two ways, one being isolating the

Aboriginals from one another and from mainstream society and the other was through designing

and implementing legislative establishments for Aboriginals to model after. For example,

Residential Schools, which were developed in 1849 and lasted until the 1960s, were believed by
6 Ibid., 104.
7 Ipid., 166.
8 Ibid., 24.
9 Ipid., 87-88.
the British government as a way to help assimilate and integrate younger generations of

Aboriginals into mainstream society. Many Aboriginal children were separated from their

families and placed into these schools where a large number were physically, emotionally,

psychologically, and sexually abused.10 Furthermore, under the British North American Act

section 91(24) (also known as the Indian Act) the Canadian government was given complete

authority over "Indians and Lands Reserved for Indians". The reason reserves were created and

subsequently written into the constitution was the government’s belief that it would detach

Aboriginals from their culture and make it easier to control the unruly people.11 Helin shows that

when one looks back over the course of Canadian history it becomes clear that the federal

government suppressed the Aboriginal population immensely.

Helin explains that the “welfare trap” was devised in the 1960s when social initiatives

and income supplements were created. Through these developments destructive political and

sociological pathologies created.12 Now, he argues, that these pathologies of expectancy have

been engrained into the psyche of Aboriginals.13 Furthermore, Helin argues that establishments,

such as the Department of Indian Affairs Canada, which were formed to provide resources and

assistance to the aboriginal population, have continuously promoted the Aboriginals’ reliance on

subsidies have ultimately made the Aboriginals believe that this corrupt system of social

assistance is some how normal.14 Unfortunately, low self-respect and poverty are consequences

of these social assistant programs.15 Additionally, there are higher suicide rates, drug abuse,

10 Ipid., 97.
11 Ipid., 93.
12 Ipid., 259.
13 Ipid., 103.
14 Ipid., 25.
15 Ipid., 109-110.
diseases, incarceration,16 and homelessness among the Aboriginals than amongst the average

Canadian population.17 This is one of the reasons Helin believes a developed Aboriginal

economy would be good for the Aboriginal people.

Helin explains to his readers that the federal government clearly does not understand how

to appease the Aboriginals for the damage it created. This was demonstrated in 1969 when the

government once again resorted to assimilation as a way of dealing with the Aboriginals. The

government wanted to integrate Aboriginals into the greater Canadian society through Trudeau’s

White Paper. The White Paper goal was to make all Canadians equal through the dissolving of

the Indian Act and the various Aboriginal institutions; however, it was greatly opposed by the

Indigenous population and by 1971 it was rejected.18 The reason was that the White Paper failed

to address some of the underlying issues held within the “welfare trap”.

As stated earlier, Aboriginals were forced into the “welfare trap”, yet by doing nothing to

stop this devastating cycle of reliance, Helin believes, Aboriginals are essentially accepting their

place as second rate citizens.19 He urges non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal Canadians alike to

recognize the current problems and demand that reform takes place on the reserves. Helin

demonstrates that although there is money going into the reserves it is just as easily being pored

right back out, leaving Aboriginals in the same financial situation of dependency as before. This

is attributed to the fact that there are no private sectors on the reserves; they are economically

16 Ipid., 112.
17 Ipid., 126.
18 Ipid., 99.
19 Ipid., 120.
isolated.20 He pleads with his aboriginal counterparts to start developing enterprise by creating

businesses and attracting investment, which will also help establish jobs for the ordinary

Aboriginals.21 Although these are long term goals and perhaps the Aboriginals of this generation

may not see the impact of their actions, future generations will.22

Helin insist that the Canadian population in general should be interested in Aboriginal

developments because Canada’s financial future is on the brink of something disastrous, which

he coined a “demographic tsunami”.23 The baby-boomers are growing older, placing Canada in a

difficult situation. Less workers in the market place means less public revenues and that social

programs are going to be lacking in funding. Not only is this true, but Aboriginal birthrates are

on the rise. As a result, the Canadian government has a huge wave of dependent people

forthcoming with seemingly no outlet for escape. Helin though presents the idea of Aboriginal

economic integration. He explains, that although Aboriginals were suppressed into isolated areas

those areas are now high in demand. Many Aboriginals are resting on some of Canada’s most

highly demanded resources and with the proper Aboriginal entrepreneurship this could open up a

gold mine of opportunity and wealth for both Canada and its Indigenous people.24 By integrating

Aboriginal resources and enterprise into the Canadian economy the Aboriginals as an individual

society will have an opportunity to become a prosperous population; moreover, Canada will also

be able to maintain its status as a leading country.25

20 Ipid., 128.
21 Ipid., 133-135.
22 Ipid., 131.
23 Ibid., 59.
24 Ipid., 29.
25 Ibid., 59-60
Helin informs his readers that although this is an attainable goal, fundamentals within the

reserve system must be changed in order for self-reliance to be a reality. Helin insists there needs

to be some form of accountability formed on the reserves.26 During the 1960s when Aboriginals

were given more autonomy, through various reforms to the Indian Act, no steps were taken by

the Canadian government to develop administration or financial institutions that would hold the

now semi-powerful chiefs accountable to their people, as is the norm in other democratic

systems.27 The reformed Indian Act has made chiefs accountable to Ottawa versus their own

people.28 Although many chiefs do hold the well-being of their people very highly, some are

tyrannical and self-fulfilling developing corrupt ties with the government, who then turn a blind

eye to the plight of many Aboriginal people.29 Helin gives an example of this disturbing

relationship with the Bill C-7 and its denial of passage. The Bill was meant to hold Aboriginal

leaders more accountable to their people. Fifty-one percent of Aboriginals voted in favour of the

bill along with seventy-five percent of Canadians; in spite of this, many chiefs opposed the bill,

and it was eventually denied.30 In addition to Bill C-7, the Royal Commission has held hearings

where the Aboriginal people have asked for more accountability of the chiefs because the leaders

of the reserve maintain the power of the purse, doing as they please with no repercussions of ill

spent money.31 Despite all this, little has been done by the Canadian government to help regulate

the actions of the leaders on reserves.32

26 Ipid., 140.
27 Ipid., 150-151.
28 Ipid., 142.
29 Ipid., 151.
30 Ipid., 147.
31 Ipid., 140.
32 Ipid., 152.
In addition to the problem with how money on reserves is used, there is another barrier

facing Aboriginals’ growth as an independent people. Many Indigenous people are lacking in

education, especially the chiefs and leaders.33 Helin argues, all Aboriginals need to have a proper

understanding of how to economically lead themselves away from dependency, but that it is

essential for the leaders.34 Helin states that the reserve Aboriginals should reach out to the off-

reserve Aboriginals, which amount to over fifty percent of the Indigenous population,35 who have

had the opportunity to obtain an education and to which they would be able to use their

knowledge to help economically integrate their fellow Aboriginals into the Canadian and world

systems.36

Helin is able to submerse his readers in to the historical struggle of the Indigenous people

very well. He shows that this struggle was not just a generational thing; moreover, it was a

struggle that traces back to before the creation of Canada. Helin was able to use both institutional

and social history, enabling his readers to have a very board prospective on the Aboriginal

dependency problem. He gives examples of various institutional responses to the Aboriginal

population and how that socially affected the Indigenous people; by doing this he allows his

readers to have an understanding of the corruption on the reserves and how that is applicable not

only to Aboriginal Canadians, but Canada as a whole.

Helin’s solution of economic integration to the Aboriginal dependency problem is very

compelling. For if the Aboriginals are able to achieve this type of autonomy they will no longer

33 Ipid., 205.
34 Ipid., 159.
35 Ipid., 29.
36 Ibid., 250-251.
be suppressed by the general population, which is very inspiring. He was able, throughout his

book, to address the main issues the Indigenous population face each and everyday. In addition

to this, he enables his readers to indulge in the life on the reserves by using some of his own

personal experiences. Helin has definitely written his book with great passion and

comprehension on the subject at hand, engaging all Canadians in the struggle towards Aboriginal

self-reliance. Helin strongly displays his discontent for the corrupt system with the reserves and

the belief in the need for reform.

Although Helin insists on leaving past grievances alone, he does not encourage

Aboriginals to forget their heritage or where they came from; instead, he tells them to look to

their past as their blueprint for the future. He uses the Indigenous ancestors’ legacy as the

backbone for the Aboriginals’ future. Insisting that for the Aboriginals to know where they are

going they need to know where they are from. They are from an “independ[ent],

interdepend[ent], self-discipline[d], [ethically led], cultural cooperat[ing]” society in which they

have an opportunity to return to by using the tools Helin portrays in his book, “Dances with

Dependency”.37 He tells them, although is not going to be easy the payoffs will be worth the

struggle towards self-reliance. Furthermore, Helin demonstrates, through various Native

American models, how different Indigenous populations have taken the reigns on their life and

directed themselves out of the colonial disaster in which they were once trapped.38 This shows

the Aboriginal population that a brighter tomorrow is possible if they reincarnate their ancestors

believes into today’s capitalist system.

37 Ipid., 168.
38 Ibid., 217-238.
Bibliography

Helin, Calvin. Dances with Dependency: Indigenous Success through Self-

Reliance. Ravencrest Publishing, 2006

You might also like