The Imaginary Indian: The Image of the Indian in Canadian Culture

by Daniel Francis

Book Overview

First published in 1992, The Imaginary Indian is a revealing history of the "Indian" image mythologized by popular Canadian culture since 1850, propagating stereotypes that exist to this day.

Images of First Nations people have always been fundamental to Canadian culture. From the paintings and photographs of the 19th century to the Mounted Police sagas and the spectacle of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show; from the performances of Pauline...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1551524252
• ISBN13: 9781551524252
• Release Date: April 2012
• Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

excellent book to open your eyes

I am using this book in my fnat class at VIU and am amazed at how easy it is to understand. Daniel Francis is non-native and he manages to give many perspectives to the image non-natives have of first nations people. He breaks it down to explain how from first contact non-natives have been creating the "image" of what we think is "indian". Francis helps you figure out where all the myths and cultural misconcepts come from and why many of these ideas were encouraged by non-natives and who gained from these myths. Fascinating reading, I finished it weeks before I was supposed to!