Warrior Life is written by Dr. Pamela D. Palmater, a Mi’kmaw citizen and member of the Eel River Bar First Nation in northern New Brunswick. She has been a practising lawyer for 22 years and is currently a professor and the Chair in Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University. This book is a vital resource for any teacher looking to cover topics such as the continuing effects of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples, discriminatory policies and historical wrongdoings, contemporary challenges facing Indigenous Peoples, and their resistance against colonialism. Palmater informs readers on the truth of government rhetoric and offers an Indigenous experience and viewpoint of current issues and struggles facing Indigenous people in Canada today. A concise introduction to these topics, this book is a welcome addition to any teacher’s library.

272 pp., 6 × 9" • Bibliography • Index

Pamela Palmater (Mi’kmaw, Eel River Bar First Nation)

Source: Association of Book Publishers of BC - Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools (2021-2022)

River Bar First Nation in northern New Brunswick. She has two children, Mitchell and Jeremy, and a large extended family. Currently, she holds the position of Associate Professor and Chair in Indigenous Governance in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University. Pamela has worked for the federal government on Indigenous legal and governance issues, and has held several director positions at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. She completed her doctorate in the Science of Law at Dalhousie University Law School, and holds a Master of Laws from Dalhousie University in Aboriginal Law, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New Brunswick, and a BA with a double major in Native Studies and History from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick. She has specialized in Indigenous identity issues, which include Indian status, band membership, and self-government citizenship, and traditional Indigenous citizenship.

Pamela Palmater's profile page

“As governments try to pull the wool over the public eye by suggesting contemporary colonial acts are best for Indigenous peoples, Palmater helps us see the wrongdoing so we can become informed and be respectful change allies. Read this book to see the many faces of colonialism and to learn how truth, justice, and respect can defeat it.”

Cindy Blackstock, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

“In this moment of multiple existential crises from climate change to species extinction, ocean degradation, toxic pollution and so on, the Indigenous struggle to regain authority over land provides an opportunity to see our place in the world differently. To me, that is what Palmater’s fiery rhetoric is calling for, a chance to see the world through the lenses of different values.”

David Suzuki