Liquor Control and the Native Peoples of Western Canada

From the Author's Abstract, Page iii-iv:

"The study of alcohol use among Native peoples in North America has been a popular academic pursuit among scholars for the better part of this century. Most have focussed [sic] on the variety of drinking styles that exist within the First Nations, often emphasizing the negative effects of alcohol consumption on both individuals and cultural groups in general. Few focus on the liquor control legislation itself and the various ancillary functions it serves (Conn, 1986).

Through an analysis of liquor-related legislation, historical documents, and contemporary studies, this thesis shows the political utility of liquor control legislation. Specifically, how it was used as a tool to control a population which was seen as detrimental to Canada's economic aspirations as encapsulated in the National Policy.

This study examines how liquor control legislation was enacted in various forms by numerous governments during the century leading up to, and just after Confederation. These liquor laws have often been described as necessary forms of legislation designed to reduce social problems which have traditionally been blamed on liquor. However, this study has attempted to show that any causal link between drinking and social problems is both simplistic and detrimental to the pursuit of a clear and rational understanding of issues surrounding the use of alcohol because it ignores the social context of their application. Any focus on drinking among Native groups must be intrinsically tied to the political and economic conditions of the particular society and examined within its specific historical framework.

After an examination of the fur trade under the Hudson's Bay Company (H.B.C.) rule, this study describes the various strategies used by governments in their attempt to retain a hold on the western hinterland. It outlines the various treaties and coercive laws which were enacted to control the Native population before the arrival of large numbers of immigrants. These treaties and laws, including liquor control legislation, and the development of the North-West Mounted Police were all designed to establish Canadian sovereignty over the west, and to ensure that the Native population would not deter large-scale immigration to the Canadian west and thus impede the goals of the National Policy." (iii-iv).