Annett is a world expert on indigenous genocide, human rights, and child trafficking. It was reported that he was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The author is passionate about shedding light on aspects of history that people often turn away from, including the genocide of indigenous people in Canada. His new book, At the Mouth of a Cannon: Conquest and Cupidity on Canada’s West Coast: A Personal Account, puts a human face on genocide in Canada.
Annett wanted to educate people about the crimes against indigenous people in Canada. “I learned firsthand from the survivors and eyewitnesses who I met doing my church ministry in Port Alberni after 1992,” he said. “Later their stories were confirmed by documentary evidence and records I found in church and government archives. Being under attack by those responsible, and seeing similar attacks against the survivors, forced us to start educating the world about these crimes.”
He continued, “Natives know these things already but are usually fearful about the repercussions of speaking about them. Whites and other non-natives usually react with either indifference or angry denial, even when the incontrovertible proof is shown to them.”
Technology
When asked about what role technology has played in bringing his work into the consciousness of Canadians, Annett responded, “The ‘mainstream’ media has generally blacked out or censored the issue. The alternative media has been a better ally but also tends to handle the issue from a distance, and sporadically. The Internet has helped get the evidence out more widely, but information-overloaded people are also slow in reacting, or knowing how to react.”
Annett feels that technology can “inform people and educate them” with regard to preventing crimes against children, thus “assuming the recipients are receptive but informing is only the first step.” Technology can’t prod awake people’s conscience and capacity to act, only an inner moral and intellectual resolve can,” he said.
For his readers, Annett said, “I want them to not only get an awakening of the society they are a part of, but the desire and capacity to act to change things and to take as a personal affront any harm done to the innocent and to children.”
On the impact of technology on the book publishing industry, Annett said, “I can only speak from my personal experience, that I have been able to publish books far more easily thanks to recent technology than I was able to previously, during the 1990’s.”
At the Mouth of a Cannon: Conquest and Cupidity on Canada’s West Coast: A Personal Account by Kevin Annett is available on Amazon.
