Two Dead White Men - Duncan Campbell Scott, Jacques Soustelle and the Failure of Indigenous Policy
By James Cullingham
Foreword Winona Wheeler
Afterword John S. Milloy
Published by Seneca Press which supports the distribution of scholarly research from within the Seneca community.
Print: $25*
E-book: $20*
Print edition available from Tamarack via email or from Seneca Campus Bookstore.
E-Book available on Kindle.
ISBN 978-17779410-0-0
*Prices do not reflect HST, or shipping and handling.
Two Dead White Men - DC Scott, Jacques Soustelle and the Failure of Indigenous Policy explores the complex careers of Duncan Campbell Scott and Jacques Soustelle.
Scott (1862-1947) was a poet and a key figure in the Canadian Indian Department for decades. Soustelle (1912 - 1990) was an eminent French ethnologist and notorious political figure one of the last Governor Generals of French Algeria.
Photo: Jacques Soustelle (middle) in Algerian classroom 1955 (courtesy Éditions Plon)
Photo: Scott (courtesy Queens University Archives)
In this transnational work Cullingham demonstrates how these men incarnated the fundamental failure of their societies in relation with Indigenous peoples. Their experiences resonate in the present day of supposed reconciliation and decolonization.
Photo: Scott with Anishnaabe woman (courtesy Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto)
Photo: Soustelle (courtesy Musée du Quai Branly, Paris)
Author James Cullingham
Designer Michael Maynard
Copy Editor Tom Bartsiokas
Historical Consultant Erin Dolmage
Seneca College Interns Tanecia Haynes-Mckenzie,
Jason Ma, Madison Shaw, Janet Suek & Nhu Vo (Belle)
Photo: Cullingham, April 2022
What people are saying about Two Dead White Men:
“There's a meme that got repeated during the 90s - "strategy eats policy for breakfast". I felt I understood it then, but now I really get it. Cullingham’s comparative analysis of colonialism between Canada, Mexico, and Algeria clarifies it: no matter how liberal the colonial policies are, the underlying strategy is exclusion. This is an illuminating framework for understanding our history. “
- Mary Gordon, retired public servant
”Cullingham’s magic lies somewhere between the serious social scientist, the diarist, the outdoorsman and the carnival juggler.”
- Robin Benger, author and filmmaker
”The book is brilliant in many ways. A fine, complex yet lucid and readable essai in the original subtle sense that Montaigne meant, to try and explore, search for clues and shed light on all sides of the subjects. Bravo”
- Chris Lowry, filmmaker and musician
Reviews:
Two Dead White Men – A Review
- Active History, March 22, 2022
Media:
James Cullingham discusses new book ‘Two Dead White Men’
- Global News, March 7, 2022