Arthur Manuel is an Indigenous political leader and co-author, with Grand Chief Ronald Derrickson of Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-up Call (Between the lines, Toronto, May 2015.) The son of George Manuel, who served as president of the National Indian Brotherhood and of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, Arthur was born into the struggle along with other activist family members. In the 1970s, he served as president of the national Native Youth Association. He was four times elected chief (1995–2003) and three times elected chair of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council (1997–2003). During this period, he served as spokesperson of the Interior Alliance of B.C. indigenous nations and he was at the forefront of the indigenous logging initiative.

On the international stage, Manuel has served as chair of the Global indigenous caucus and co-chair of the Forum’s North American caucus. Since 2003, he has served as spokesperson for the Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade (INET) and working through INET, he succeeded in having the struggle for Aboriginal title and treaty rights injected into international financial institutions. Manuel is also a member of the board of directors of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Development and a spokesperson for the Defenders of the Land, an activist network aligned with the Idle No More movement.