| Summary: | During the federal elections of 2004 and 2006, observers started to emphasize the influence that a group of intellectuals had on Canadian political life. Located at the University of Calgary and referred by most as the Calgary School, it has been said that it plays an eminent role within the Conservative Party and acts as a sort of laboratory of ideas for Western Canadian Conservatives as well as for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This text analyzes the intellectual influences on the writings of Thomas Flanagan, the leader of the Calgary school. Very much influenced by the Austrian thinker, Friedrich Hayek, Flanagan seeks a major reform on reserves in Canada and sees individual property rights as a way of solving problems faced by the First Nations in Canada. This paper highlights the link that exists between Hayek and Flanagan as well as the influences the letters have on the political orientations of the conservative party when it comes to Aboriginal issues.
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