The "Nations Within": Aboriginal-State Relations in Canada, the United States, and NewZealand. by Augie Fleras; Jean L. ElliottReview by: Harald E. L. PrinsSocial Forces, Vol. 72, No. 4 (Jun., 1994), p. 1272Published by: Oxford University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2580311 .

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1272 / Social Forces 72:.4, June 1994

The "Nations Wiffiin": Aboriginal-State Relations in Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. Augie Fleras and Jean L. Elliott. Oxford University Press, 1992. 267 pp. $22.00.

Reviewer: HARALD EL PmN% Kansas State University

Representing less than four percent of the world population, aboriginal peoples are sometimes collectively identified as the Fourth World. Typically encapsulated by large bureaucratic states and harrowed by ethnocidal policies, most of the three thousand or so "tribal" nations teeter on the brink of extinction. Many, having resisted incoming settlers, signed treaties and secured a quasi-sovereign status. Granted limited self-government, they form so-called internal colonies. In the past two decades, as Canadian sociologists Fleras and Elliott indicate in their comparative study of aboriginal politics in Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S., tribal nations such as the Maori (400,000 people, or 13% of New Zealand's population, owning 5% of its land) have achieved considerable success in their efforts to secure native rights.

The "Nations Within" (not to be confused with Deloria and Lyttle's 1984 book), represents an ambitious undertaking. In the preface, the authors explain that "this book is not about aboriginal peoples per se; it does not delve into aboriginal language, culture, history, or personalities." Instead, focusing "on relationships and intergroup dynamics within a framework of government policy and administration," they make their unit of analysis "the larger society" of which tribal nations are a part. Rightly noting that "aboriginal peoples constitute a social type, occupying similar structural positions in society and facing similar challenges," they employ the comparative method, as it provides "a much fuller picture of group dynamics." For this purpose, they single out three former British colonies with "somewhat comparable histories," identified as "liberal democracies supported by capitalist economies." Significantly, "the aboriginal peoples in Canada, the United States, and New Zealand share a commitment to 'nations within' status (i.e., sovereignty) as a fumdamental characteristic of their political culture."

The book is divided in four disproportionate parts. Following an all-too-brief introduction (6 pages), part 1 is devoted to "Aboriginal Nations within Canada." Organized in eight chapters, it subsumes more than half of the total text (117 pages). Part 2, "Aboriginal Nations within the United States," consists of only one chapter (41 pages). Part 3, "The Maori of Aotearoa/New Zealand," also has one chapter (46 pages). Part 4 is a short concluding chapter called "The 'Nations Within': Towards a Restructuring of Aboriginal-State Relations" (12 pages).

As comparative analysis, this work contributes to an emerging genre of Fourth World studies. Unfortunately, it disappoints, beginning with a fatuous disclaimer: 'As non-aboriginals, the authors are not equipped to speak about aboriginal groups as social or cultural entities." This manifesto has the unfortunate consequence of robbing the text of meaningful insights into the internal workings of aboriginal politcal cultures. It also may account for the book's rather sterile tone. Further, the text lacks clear organization and left this reader sometimes befuddled. Most disturbing, however, it is riddled with factual errors, oversights, and misunderstan- dings, and is not always adequately documented - in particular with respect to the US. (a political arena I am most familiar with). While this book provides some original detail about a complex, controversial, and vital topic, especially with respect to New Zealand (the region I am least informed about), I cannot recommend it.

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