The 4 Way test

Of all the things we say, think or do: is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? And will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are the four principles that guide the day to day lives of Rotarians from all over the world.

Now, I’ll be honest with you. When I first heard about the history and the application of the Four-Way Test during last year’s Rotary Youth in Action Leadership Camp in March, I was completely confused. I couldn’t understand how such a simple philosophy could change the lives of so many people, and have such an immense impact on global enterprises and companies. Over dinner, we were asked to discuss our opinions on the significance of the Four-Way Test. When it was my turn to share, I expressed what I had on my mind the entire time.

“Isn’t it just common sense?”

Of course, I didn’t fully understand the gravity of the Four-Way Test then. Although the statements seems simple in theory, the true value of it lies in the application. The key to this test is not necessarily the answers to the question; rather, it is valuable in the way it forces you to think. In the process, you can appreciate the impact of your words and actions on others.

For example, let’s look at one of the most important and controversial moments in Canadian history, the Indian Act of 1867 and its following amendments. The original Indian Act aimed to assimilate First Nations peoples into normal “European” society, authorizing the Canadian government to impose overarching control over almost all aspects of their lives with the end goal to eventually eliminate them as “Indians”. Although some provisions of the act were beneficial to the native population, the large majority of the policies associated with the act were deeply harmful to Aboriginal society. From examining how the Four Way Test could be applied to the Indian Act, we can gain a better understanding of the impact the test could have on our every to day lives.

Let us first focus on the first principle of the Four Way Test: “Is it true?”. Are the intentions true and sincere? Are the actions in anyway deceitful or dishonest? These are the some of the issues we aim to answer in asking ourselves this question. The Indian Act of 1867 aimed to codify rights promised to Native peoples in the Royal Proclamation of 1763 while simultaneously integrating them into society. On the surface, this is true. The act did indeed provide benefits for Indigenous peoples, and it did indeed integrate many generations of First Nations peoples into mainstream society. However, there were hidden consequences in achieving these two goals. The policies introduced through the Indian Act enforced harsh assimilation of Aboriginal peoples through systems such as residential schools and marriage.

This brings us to our next two principles: “Is it fair to all concerned?” and “Will it build goodwill and better friendships?”. To answer these questions, let us consider both perspectives of the Canadian government and the native population of Canada. The Canadian government believed that the best way to achieve equality for Aboriginal peoples was to assimilate them into Euro-Canadian standards of civilization. However, although the Aboriginal peoples of Canada sought to be treated as equals, they also wanted to be recognized as a distinct society with their

own rules and government, just like how they’ve been living in the centuries before European colonization. These two viewpoints can be seen in when the federal government proposed the White Paper of 1969, which aimed to abolish the Indian Act and effectively remove Indian status from all Aboriginal peoples, making them equal to all other Canadian citizens. The federal government believed that it was fair, and it would build goodwill and better friendships.

This was true, in a sense. It was fair because it provided the same equal rights as any other Canadian citizen to Indigenous peoples under the Indian Act. It would build goodwill and better friendships because the Canadian government believed that they were improving relations with the native population by giving them equal rights. However, this move does not pass the last principle of the Four Way Test: will it be beneficial to all concerned? Although it may seem beneficial as it would remove the derogatory act that has oppressed Indigenous peoples for more than a century, most of the native population do not want this to happen in fear of losing their already little benefits and status provided by the Indian Act. In fact, for more than half of the Indigenous peoples in Canada, their “Indian” status is the only thing they have to prove their Aboriginal heritage.

In the end, the proposal of the White Paper of 1969 was an immense failure, and was met with heavy backlash and criticism from Aboriginal peoples. Their hatred of this act even compelled them to wittily retaliate with an act of their own: the Red Paper of 1970.

And so, the Indian Act continues to exist today in its amended form; a disgrace to Canadian history and yet a complex issue that simply cannot be erased. The Indian Act of 1867 failed to pass all four principles of the Four Way Test; and as you can see, the Indian Act had catastrophic consequences to Aboriginal society. Even today, Aboriginal culture continues to suffer from the consequences of the original Indian Act. From examining the failures of the Canadian government in their approach to the Indian Act, we can see how the government could have benefited from the application of the Four Way Test in their planning and execution of the Indian Act.

In the future, whenever you’re encountered with a tough decision, I hope that you’ll perhaps remember the failures of the Canadian government in regards to the Indian Act, and think back to the 4 guiding principles of the Four Way Test: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? And will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Thank you.