Calgarians have been talking about 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act since Bob Joseph’s life-changing appearance at the 2019 Imaginairium. Don’t miss your chance to hear from this highly sought-after public speaker, whose new companion volume, 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government: A Conversation About Dismantling the Indian Act, continues the journey toward truth and reconciliation with a practical vision for moving forward. Joseph’s presentation will be followed by a short interview by Leor Rotchild, audience Q&A, and book signing. You can also pre-order copies of books by Bob Joseph at the link here.
We are grateful to Raincoast Books for making it possible to connect you with Bob Joseph.
Leor Rotchild
Hosted Conversation
Audience Q&A
Pop-Up Bookstore
Book Signing
Dandy Brewing Co. Bar
75 minutes. No intermission.
Raincoast Books
Bob Joseph, president of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., has provided training on Indigenous relations since 1994. He has a diverse range of clients, including all levels of government, Fortune 500 companies, resource development companies, and small and medium-sized businesses. He is also the author of the national bestseller 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act.
Bob Joseph’s 21 Things(TM) You May Not Know About the Indian Act captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of Canadians by shining a light on the Indian Act and the problems associated with it. In that book, readers learned that the Consolidated Indian Act of 1876 has controlled the lives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada for generations, and despite its objective to assimilate Indians into the economic and political mainstream, it has had the opposite effect: segregation. They live under different laws and on different lands.
People came away from that book with questions such as Can we get rid of the Indian Act? and What would that look like? Would self-government work? These are timely questions, given that 2026 will mark 150 years since the Consolidated Indian Act of 1876. The short answer to these questions is, yes, we can dismantle the Act, and there are current examples of self-government arrangements that are working.
With his trademark wisdom, humility, and deep understanding, Bob Joseph shows us the path forward in 21 Things(TM)You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government: A Conversation About Dismantling the Indian Act, in which Indigenous self-governance is already happening and not to be feared-and negotiating more such arrangements, sooner rather than later, is an absolute necessity.
21 Things(TM) You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government: A Conversation About Dismantling the Indian Act is a call to action.
Leor Rotchild
Hosted Conversation
Audience Q&A
Pop-Up Bookstore
Book Signing
Dandy Brewing Co. Bar
75 minutes. No intermission.
Raincoast Books
Leor Rotchild is a sustainability consultant, author of How We Gather Matters, and Executive Director for Calgary Climate Week. He brings a unique blend of storytelling, curiosity, and systems thinking to every conversation. As a former Executive Director of Canadian Business for Social Responsibility and a longtime advocate for responsible business and Reconciliation, Rotchild is deeply committed to fostering safe and brave spaces for dialogue and collective action.
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
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