Political Theory of the Red River Resistance: The Declaration of December 8, 1869

1978 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Flanagan

Although there exists a respectable literature on political thought in Canada, relatively little of this work has been done by political theorists or philosophers. Much of the research has been carried out by historians, sociologists, or more recently by political scientists working with sociological conceptions such as “political culture.” But there is still a place in the study of Canadian political thought for one of the traditional tasks of political theory, the critical analysis of significant texts. This paper examines one such document, which deserves to be better known than it is, the “Declaration of the People of Rupert's Land and the North West,” of December 8, 1869. The text is presented in both English and French versions, the background of the document is briefly discussed, and its argument is analyzed at some length.

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Urbinati

Populism is the name of a global phenomenon whose definitional precariousness is proverbial. It resists generalizations and makes scholars of politics comparativist by necessity, as its language and content are imbued with the political culture of the society in which it arises. A rich body of socio-historical analyses allows us to situate populism within the global phenomenon called democracy, as its ideological core is nourished by the two main entities—the nation and the people—that have fleshed out popular sovereignty in the age of democratization. Populism consists in a transmutation of the democratic principles of the majority and the people in a way that is meant to celebrate one subset of the people as opposed to another, through a leader embodying it and an audience legitimizing it. This may make populism collide with constitutional democracy, even if its main tenets are embedded in the democratic universe of meanings and language. In this article, I illustrate the context-based character of populism and how its cyclical appearances reflect the forms of representative government. I review the main contemporary interpretations of the concept and argue that some basic agreement now exists on populism's rhetorical character and its strategy for achieving power in democratic societies. Finally, I sketch the main characteristics of populism in power and explain how it tends to transform the fundamentals of democracy: the people and the majority, elections, and representation.


Polar Record ◽  
1971 ◽  
Vol 15 (99) ◽  
pp. 893-920
Author(s):  
Alan Cooke ◽  
Clive Holland

During the period covered by this instalment of our list, the accomplishments of the North West Company, both in geographical exploration and in the realization of profits were great. It consolidated its position in the fur-rich Athabasca district and, with a few posts along Mackenzie River, began to draw in the furs of that immense territory. Its traders invaded not only the western part of Rupert's Land but even Hudson Bay itself. The Hudson's Bay Company rose only slowly to the challenge of its formidable rival, but, gradually, it began to adopt new policies and new techniques and to meet the North West Company on its own grounds and on its own terms. Finally, after a bitter struggle that was almost the destruction of both companies, the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1821, effectively absorbed the North West Company in a coalition that gave the older company greater strength than ever and a wider monopoly than Prince Rupert had thought of.


T oung Pao ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 97 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 1-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Skonicki

AbstractThis article focuses on the political thought of the Song-dynasty Chan monk Qisong (1007-1072). In opposition to earlier studies, which have tended to view Qisong's political theorizing simply as an offshoot of his philosophical syncretism, it is contended here that his political arguments played an important role in his refutation of the Ancient-style Learning movement's attacks against Buddhism. As is well known, several Song-dynasty proponents of Ancient-style Learning impugned Buddhism for the negative impact it exerted on Chinese social and political culture. Qisong responded to their attacks by crafting a comprehensive political theory, which sought to demonstrate not only that Ancient-style Learning thinkers had misunderstood the dao and proper governance, but also that Buddhist institutions were indispensable to the creation of political order.


1938 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 733-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. G. Ivens

LAMALANGA is situated on the north-west coast of the island called Raga, or Araga (Pentecost Island), in the central New Hebrides, Melanesia.The head station of the Melanesian Mission on Raga is at Lamalanga which itself is on the coast; but the people who speak the language represented in this grammar live on the hills just above the Mission Station. Dr. R. H. Codrington published a grammar of the language spoken at Vun Marama on the same coast, a few miles north of Lamalanga.


1961 ◽  
Vol 107 (449) ◽  
pp. 795-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Prince

Witchcraft, the extra-natural interference in the welfare of the community by women, has long since ceased to be a source of major concern in Western society. In many other areas of the world, however, the witch remains a very active and vital image in the consciousness of the people, This is certainly true for the Yoruba*—a negro group occupying large areas of Nigeria, Dahomey and Togoland along the north-west coast of Africa. With the Yoruba (irrespective of his social level, religion or education), belief in the witch and in her powers is all but universal.


Author(s):  
Wuchu Cornelius Wutofeh

This article is aimed at evaluating the contributions of community radios to the development of regions. Qualitative and quantitative research designs were adopted added to secondary data (published, unpublished sources and the internet). The data derived was coded and analysed to come out with the following findings that Donga-Mantung community radio has significantly contributed to the local development of the division in the following ways. First, the community radio contributes to improvement in the agricultural activities of the local population. Second, the Donga Mantung community radio helps in promoting the culture of the people as well as the general sensitisation of the people. Third, the station has provided a forum for Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) to reach out to the larger population by undertaking advertisements at very affordable fees. Fourth, the station contributes in sensitising the public on health issues focusing on AIDS prevention, vaccination and family planning.


With the growing insecurity in the country, many commentators are beginning to question the provision of the 1999 Nigerian constitution, Chapter 2, Section 14 (2)(b), which stipulates that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”. In Nigeria today, virtually 50 percent of headline news relates to some form of insecurity affecting almost every part of the country. From the Boko Haram insurgencies in the North East, to Herdsmen – Farmers crisis in the middle belt, to banditry and kidnapping in the North West. From South-South region battling militant agitation, to South-East security menace of separatist agitation, kidnapping and armed robbery. Of recent is the issues of kidnapping and banditry surfacing on highways within the South West region, one would rightly say that the centralized form of Policing structure being operated in Nigeria has completely failed. Hence, agitation for institutionalising the concept of Community Policing in Nigeria. Community Policing is a concept that emphasises proactive measures – preventing the act of crime through intelligence and community participation, rather than reactive policing. It is also principled on partnership and decentralisation of powers for effective crime fighting.


1971 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. V. Nally

1. What follows is a sketch of the phonology of the English spoken in Emper, Co. Westmeath. Emper is a pocket of fertile country partly enclosed in a loop of the River Inny and situate some eleven or twelve miles to the north-west of Mullingar. The population, fluctuating about two hundred souls, is composed mostly of farmers and farm labourers. They are engaged in mixed farming, that is tillage, stock-raising, and dairying; and are a settled community in that the farms in most cases have been occupied by the same families for generations. It is difficult to say at what date exactly the people of Emper ceased to speak Irish and became English speakers. The evidence is scanty and entirely oral, yet sufficient to warrant the conclusion that at some time after the middle of the eighteenth century, and certainly before 1800, Emper had become English speaking. The findings and conclusions below are based on my own (dialect) pronunciation and my memory of auditory observation of the speech of the older stratum of the inhabitants, and especially of those born before 1900. This is my vernacular speech and I have never lost touch with it.


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