Students will write a 1500-word review of Harold Cardinal’s The Unjust Society. Students will write a scholarly review that engages with the arguments that Cardinal puts forward and critically evaluates the book’s contribution to an understanding of Indigenous issues in the 1960s. Essays must have a central thesis and will be assessed on how well students engage with the book to demonstrate their thesis.

The goal of the assignment is to demonstrate your ability to think critically about Indigenous-settler relations and to evaluate the contribution of Cardinal’s book. What is unique about the book’s contribution? 

Format: Your paper should be in essay style, double-spaced, 12-point font, with page numbers and 1-inch margins. 

Citations: All sources used in your essay must be properly cited using one of the major citation styles (APA, Chicago, MLA).

Grading: 

You will be graded on: 

• your demonstrated understanding of the course content; 
• your ability to reflect critically and engage with the reading and its arguments/questions/problems; 
• the clarity of your argument; the originality of your ideas; and the quality and effectiveness of your writing.

A strong essay:

• has a clearly defined introduction (should not exceed one paragraph) that introduces the topic and states the thesis of the paper, e.g. “This paper argues…”/“I argue…” (Note: You don’t have to use this exact phrasing, but it can help ensure you have a thesis statement.)
• provides a summary/overview of the book (should not exceed 1-2 paragraphs)
• has a logical structure, i.e. each paragraph has a topic sentence and develops one point that supports the paper’s thesis
• analyzes specific examples from the book to support each point
• contains no spelling or grammatical errors
• contains proper citations