Cowboys and Indians: The Shooting of J.J. Harper

I have been a fan of the writings of Gordon Sinclair Jr. since the inception of his newspaper column many years ago. In the writing of this book, he has relayed the details of this event in such a way, that it is embarrassing to acknowledge what went on between the local Police Department and the First Nations people. No, it wasn't the "Indians" who were the "bad guys." Sinclair has written the truth and portrayed Winnipeg's justice system for what it was then: a farce. Even admitting his own indiscretions only makes Sinclair more believable in the readers' eyes. Who would lay bare their foibles in black and white? Only an honest journalist with nothing to lose. This is a book that should be read and analyzed by all students, not just in Manitoba, but across Canada. We need to see that the truth will continue to be known by the next generation, so J.J. Harper's death will not be in vain.

Once, many lives ago, I worked near Logan and Main in inner-city Winnipeg, Canada. At the time, it was the epicenter of poverty and hopelessness, a toxic mix and this neighborhood, referred to as Urban Renewal Area II when I was there, is as bleak as any ghetto in any country. Native Canadians, the racial group who populate the area, are much like any group who are denied their place in the sun - displaced, despondent, frustrated, and angry at the power structure that oppresses them and sooner or later things reach a point where their issues must be addressed. Sometimes it takes a riot, sometimes an assassination.Unfortunately, it took too long after a troubled white policeman's murder of J. J. Harper, a First Nations leader, for the investigations by judicial commissions to break through the "blue wall" and place blame where it needed to go -- on bigoted cops. The police power structure was forced to examine itself and start to change. (Perhaps they all had a cold and couldn't smell the stink of institutional racism.)Sinclair, on the side of the angels and the aboriginals, crafts a fast paced narrative, which he previously reported on as a columnist for the local paper. His style is smooth, economical, and concise and he covers the upheavals that began at Harper's death deftly and with compassion. (Almost every one here is a casualty including the victim, the cop that killed him and their families.) The book moves with authority and slices and dices through the ultimately futile smokescreens thrown up by the police with a well-practiced hand. The recounting of this tragic story is good for Sinclair's readers and ultimately good for all of the people in the City of Winnipeg.I was in Winnipeg last week and the centre of the city is poorer and more natives have moved in. The white flight continues. The First Nations people are still marginalized. Maybe there's more hope because of this book.

This long overdue examination of the criminal justice system in Canada vis a vis the aboriginal peoples and more particularly, the death of native leader J.J. Harper reads like In Cold Blood or a remarkable work of fiction. But it is anything but the latter. From the opening flash forward suicide to the ultimate closure, Sinclair utilizes his years of experience as an investigative journalist to tell the story, the violence, sex, corruption and human frailty in an objective yet compelling manner. Well written, painful and not for the squeamish. A must read for anyone who thinks that prejudice is restricted to one geographical area, race etc. A fascinating and remarkable first book.