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 The records of John Maclean's
10-year ministry among the Blackfoot
have been only scantly reviewed. The one study which was completed portrays him as
a well educated, literary and productive missionary,
teacher and anthropologist. Examination of Maclean's own writing also
reveals him to have been a social critic.
 During the time Maclean spent in southern Alberta, the missions to the
Blackfoot people rapidly increased-both the Anglican church and the
Missionary Oblates established missions and mission schools in the area,
all with multiple staff. Additionally, there were five government-run day
schools (nevertheless, of the nearly 2000 school-aged children living in
the area, reported Maclean, less than 100 attended regular classes). Within
this arena, Maclean's primary objective was, "working out that most difficult
problem . . the intellectual emancipation of the Indian, and its natural
sequel, his elevation to a status equal to that of his white
brother."
In his work, Maclean's predicted that of the various tribes
of Aboriginal peoples in Canada, those which were of a more artistic and
romantic nature-the coastal and mountain people-would be more readily
converted to Christianity and Western ways than the plains people he
served. Perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy,
 Maclean was
found wanting by his Superintendent of Missions,
John McDougall, and the
mission was closed in 1889. The reasons McDougall gave were twofold: the
lack of conversions and establishment of societies of the church, and the
fact that Maclean had not constructed sufficient buildings and
furnishings. For the latter he was supposed to have enlisted the help of the
Aboriginal people for labour and donations of materials, but instead had purchased materials and hired workers.
Citation
Sources
Nix, James Ernest. John Maclean's Mission to the Blood Indians,
1880-1889. Montreal: McGill University, 1977.
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