Summary
The Department of Indian Affairs wrote letters to the organizers of agricultural exhibitions in Lethbridge, Calgary, Edmonton, Brandon, Regina, MacLeod, and High River asking them to remove "Aboriginal performances" from their programs. For the most part, this request was simply ignored. The Government believed participating in fairs and exhibitions distracted the Indians from agricultural activities and encouraged them to continue to engage in their traditional customs.
Implications
Although Indian Affairs attempted to completely eliminate the participation of Indigenous peoples in agricultural fairs and exclude them from local social life, organizers and participants of the fairs accepted and encouraged their participation and were unwilling to comply with DIA's request.
Sources
NAC RG 10, vol. 3825, file 60,511-2, F. Pedley to J.W Hyde, Blood Agency
Date
1911-01-00
Theme(s)