Historic letter recalls time when Indigenous people were discouraged from 'excessive indulgence' in dancing

June 28, 2017

When Sylvia McAdam posted a 95-year-old letter to Twitter, written by the former deputy superintendent of the Department of Indian Affairs, it went viral.

That's because in the letter, Duncan Campbell Scott expressed alarm at the increasing rate of dancing on reserves and instructed department staff to use "tact" and "firmness" to "obtain control" and "dissuade the Indians from the excessive indulgence in the practice of dancing."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/duncan-campbell-scott-letter-resurfaces-1.4179568