Behind the man

"Behind the Man is the unique "biography" of Alberta political figure John Lee Laurie, a key proponent of Aboriginal rights in the 1940s and 1930s. Before 1961, the aboriginal people of Canada could only vote in Federal elections if they agreed to become "Canada could only vote in Federal elections if they agreed to become "Canadian," that is, to leave their reserves, give up their treaty rights, and leave behind their homes, farms, and families, Laurie was instrumental in securing amendments to the Indian Act in 1961 which gave Aboriginals the unfettered vote." "Author Ruth Gorman worked tirelessly alongside Laurie during these years, and was herself a major force in mobilizing public opinion in support of the Aboriginal vote. Out of modesty and concern for the social constraints of her day, though, Gorman did not lay public claim to these efforts, and remained a passionately vocal supporter of John Laurie for the rest of her life. By 1998, she had been working on a book about Laurie for several years, but, nearing the end of her life and overwhelmed by the project's scope, she persuaded Dr. Frits Pannekock to assist her in seeing it to completion." "As Dr. Pannekock began to sort