Direct quotes from Sir John A. These speak for themselves.
These quotes from Sir John A. speak for themselves.
“I have reason to believe that the agents as a whole … are doing all they can, by refusing food until the Indians are on the verge of starvation, to reduce the expense." - Sir John A. MacDonald
“When the school is on the reserve, the child lives with his parents who are savages; he is surrounded by savages… He is simply a savage who can read and write." - Sir John A. MacDonald
“The third clause provides that celebrating the “Potlatch” is a misdemeanour. This Indian festival is debauchery of the worst kind, and the departmental officers and all clergymen unite in affirming that it is absolutely necessary to put this practice down.” - Sir John A. MacDonald
“…..we have been pampering and coaxing the Indians; that we must take a new course, we must vindicate the position of the white man, we must teach the Indians what law is; we must not pauperise them, as they say we have been doing.” - Sir John A. MacDonald
"I have not hesitated to tell this House, again and again, that we could not always hope to maintain peace with the Indians; that the savage was still a savage, and that until he ceased to be savage, we were always in danger of a collision, in danger of war, in danger of an outbreak." - Sir John A. MacDonald
“The executions of the Indians ought to convince the Red Man that the White Man governs." - Sir John A. MacDonald
Sources:
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/here-is-what-sir-john-a-macdonald-did-to-indigenous-people
https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/10-quotes-john-a.-macdonald-made-about-first-nations
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