Aboriginal Conditions: Research as a Foundation for Public Policy, Jerry P. White, Paul S. Maxim and Dan Beavon, eds., Vancouver: UBC Press, 2003, pp. 285.

The situation of Aboriginal people in Canada deserves close attention from academic researchers and policy makers. While it is important to explore the larger questions of self-government, sovereignty, and land claims, it is also necessary to conduct research based on the current reality of Aboriginals in order to develop relevant and effective strategies. This collected volume of essays brings together researchers and policy makers in an attempt to provide an empirical foundation for building better policy and better communities for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The research itself is structured around two central questions: What is the situation? How has it developed? The effort to answer these questions provides a substantial basis for future development and initiatives.