Prison of Grass: Canada from the native point of view (Howard Adams) (1975)

Prison of Grass is a very personal look at the issues and history of First Nations and Métis peoples in Canada. Published in 1975 and written by Métis Howard Adams, the book likens the treatment of First Nations peoples in Canada to colonialism.

Adams traces the history of Canada to the 1600s, blaming the mistreatment and racism towards First Nations on capitalism, the blossoming fur trade and the need for cheap labour. He describes how the Church assisted--perhaps unknowingly--in the suppression and domination of First Nations and Métis. They have been misrepresented in the media, dehumanized and robbed of a claim to a history and national identity.

Adams goes on the offer his own perspectives on Louis Riel and the "rebellions" of 1870 and 1885, proposing that in the latter "rebellion," Riel was simply scapegoat for Ottawa to blame the "rebellion" on. He theorizes that with the money Ottawa spent on suppressing the rebellion, they could have given each "Métis man, woman and child" a thousand dollars each. Instead  much of the money went to companies which provided supplies and transportation to the troops sent to fight. The rebellion, Adams suggests, was not caused by a deep seeded hatred for Canada, but rather a reaction to being denied the means needed to live.

Adams explains how the takeover of culture has occurred through political, economic and cultural channels.
In closing, Adams makes a bold claim, linking First Nations issues to class conflict and suggesting that a "radical nationalism of the native people" was "in the infant stage." For change to happen and for liberation, "we have to learn for ourselves through experience, rather than being dependent on the teaching and information of so-called specialists and experts." In his final line, Adams calls for a "state of revolution."

This book is an explanation, but also a call to action for some. It is a culturally important book and its legacy has lasted into this very decade. Unfortunately many of the issues Adams discusses have changed very little since 1975. For these reasons it is an important read for any Canadian trying to better understand that country around them.