An historical comparison of urban and reserve coast Salish Indian with non-Indian employment in Victoria, B.C.: a test of two models of Indian underdevelopment
Date
1988
Authors
English, Cindy Lou Ehrhart
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Abstract
The continuing problem of Indian poverty is examined using tests of two explanations of Indian underdevelopment: an acculturation model and a dependency model. Against an historical backdrop, the study examines the development of underdevelopment for the Victoria, British Columbia area Coast Salish Indians, relative to non-Indians living in similar geographic areas from 1972-1984. The thesis follows Mooney (1976), who looks at years 1952-1971. Both studies utilize employment information from the Victoria city directory as a data base for testing of these two explanations of Indian underdevelopment. As in Mooney's study, an acculturation model fails as an explanation of Indian underdevelopment, while dependency theory appears to be the stronger explanation.