Native People’s Caravan

The Native People’s Caravan was a 1974 cross-country protest that saw Indigenous activists travel from Vancouver to Ottawa to meet with parliamentarians and demand justice for Indigenous peoples. In addition to delivering its demands to the federal government, the Caravan aimed to unite Indigenous peoples and call national attention to the injustices they faced. The Caravan culminated in a protest at Parliament that was met with a violent response from the RCMP. Following this, some members of the Caravan occupied an abandoned warehouse, which they named the Native People’s Embassy. The closure of the Embassy in early 1975 marked the end of the Caravan’s activity.

Context: Indigenous political action

The Native People’s Caravan occurred at a time of heightened Indigenous political action, which rose in the 1960s and 1970s. Two particular events served as the seeds for the Caravan: a blockade in Cache Creek, British Columbia and the armed occupation of Anicinabe Park in Kenora, Ontario.

In the summer of 1974, the Cache Creek Warrior Society (consisting of members of the Bonaparte First Nation) set up an armed blockade on Highway 12, which runs through the Bonaparte Reserve. The activists stopped commercial traffic on the highway and extracted a $5 toll from all vehicle drivers, calling for the return of Indigenous land and the improvement of housing conditions on the reserve.

That same summer, the Ojibwe Warrior Society occupied Anicinabe Park to demand that the land be returned to Indigenous people, that living conditions and access to housing and education be improved, and that action be taken on pressing issues such as mercury contamination in Grassy Narrows.

Louis Cameron, leader of the Anicinabe Park Occupation, and Chief Ken Basil, leader of the Cache Creek blockade, went on to become key leaders in the Native People’s Caravan. Out of these two actions, the Native People’s Caravan was born.

Native People’s Caravan

The Native People’s Caravan was created as a way to unite Indigenous rights movements, publicize the problems faced by Indigenous people throughout the country, and bring the demands outlined in the Caravan’s manifesto directly to the federal government. These demands pertained to issues such as broken treaties, education, poverty, healthcare, housing, Métis rights, and a call to replace the Indian Act with legislation that acknowledged Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty. The Caravan planned to deliver this manifesto to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau at the opening of the 30th Parliament of Canada on September 30th, 1974.

In addition to Louis Cameron and Chief Ken Basil, the Native People’s Caravan was organized by a number of other Indigenous activists such as Vern Harper, Ed Burnstick, and Pauline Shirt. They called for support from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups, and received significant support from the American Indian Movement, the Canadian Council of Churches, as well as from the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) [CPC(ML)]. Members of these groups comprised a significant part of the Caravan, as did other Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals of various ages and nations.

Travelling in rented buses, the Caravan left Vancouver on September 15, 1974, and began its journey to Ottawa along the Trans-Canada Highway. Along the way, it stopped in major cities to hold rallies, raise funds, and increase its numbers. As it travelled, the Caravan grew, and by the time it reached Ottawa it comprised approximately 200 participants. Among them were groups such as the Regina Warrior Society, the Ojibway Warrior Society of Kenora, and the Toronto Warrior Society.

The Native People’s Caravan’s journey to Ottawa was not smooth. Participants experienced police harassment, and the Caravan faced internal conflicts over its leadership, some members’ greater militancy, disagreement over deals made with the RCMP, and the role of the CPC(ML). It experienced a leadership split in Kenora.

Protest on Parliament Hill

On September 30, 1974, the approximately 200 Caravan participants gathered on Parliament Hill, joining roughly 300 other supporters. Though unarmed, they were met with barricades and a wall of RCMP officers at the bottom of the steps to Parliament. Some demonstrators attempted to advance through the barricades to the door of Parliament, causing a struggle with the RCMP in which arrests were made. The RCMP re-established the barricades and the skirmish subsided.

The protestors demanded to meet with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau or Minister for Indigenous Affairs Judd Buchanan, and set a deadline for this meeting to occur. Contrary to their expectations, not one Member of Parliament would meet with them. As they waited outside, continuing with chants and speeches, the ceremonies for the opening of Parliament unfolded. Growing frustrated and angry, the demonstrators began to advance again in a final attempt to reach the House of Commons, resulting in another struggle with the RCMP that also subsided.

Then, RCMP riot police, armed with clubs, tear gas, and plastic shields, attacked the protestors. Demonstrators were forced off Parliament Hill, and the RCMP made over 20 arrests. No one was seriously hurt, but injuries were sustained by several protestors and some police.

Native People’s Embassy

After the protest at Parliament Hill, some Caravan participants occupied a vacant warehouse on Victoria Island in the Ottawa River and called it the Native People’s Embassy. The Embassy was seen as a long-term project aiming to build alliances with other marginalized communities, including Indigenous communities and communities in the Global South. Although it was initially well-organized, the Embassy faced deteriorating living conditions, intra-group conflict, and continued surveillance by the RCMP. It was disbanded after five months, in early 1975.

Although government representatives refused to meet with the Native People’s Caravan, and its demands were not met, the Caravan attracted significant media attention and raised public awareness of the struggles of Indigenous peoples. Another result was that the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Judd Buchanan, who had been exposed and embarrassed by the events on Parliament Hill, began to meet with the leadership of Indigenous organizations. The Caravan is recognized as having helped to lay the foundation for future Indigenous political movements.

References

Related Topics:
Demonstrations, Marches, Protests – Indigenous History – Indigenous Issues – Indigenous Land Claims – Indigenous Organizations – Indigenous People – Indigenous Politics – Indigenous Rights – Native Peoples – Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

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