Anti-racism book club looks at the Fourth World

This article was originally published in the Catalyst e-newsletter.

PART continues its anti-racism book club series on November 16, 2021, at noon with a review of The Fourth World: An Indian Reality by George Manuel and Michael Posluns. Originally published in 1974, The Fourth World is a critical work of Indigenous political activism that has long been out of print. The newly updated edition in 2018 includes an introduction by Glen Sean Coulthard (Yellowknives Dene) and an afterword by Doreen Manuel (Secwepemc/Ktunaxa), a daughter of George Manuel.

George Manuel (Secwepemc), a leader in the North American Indian movement at that time, with co-author journalist Michael Posluns, presents a rich historical document that traces the struggle for Indigenous survival as a nation, a culture, and a reality.

The authors shed light on alternatives for coexistence that would take place in the Fourth World - an alternative to the new world, the old world, and the Third World. Manuel was the first to develop this concept of the “fourth world” to describe the place occupied by Indigenous nations within colonial nation-states.

Sara Anderson, manager, research program development and partnerships, indigenous initiatives in the Office of Research will facilitate this book club. She looks forward to a spirited discussion about the genesis of the Indigenous rights movement, and the legacy of this work today

“I am honoured to facilitate a discussion on George Manuel’s vitally important book,” said Anderson. “Despite being first published over 40 years ago, The Fourth World is one of the foundational texts in the ongoing work of recognizing Indigenous rights, not just in Canada, but across the globe.”