Defining Indigenous Space By Ken Coated: Article Analysis

Social and political activism in aboriginal communities
Aboriginal people in Eurocentric society struggle to gain acknowledgment and fair treatment in Canada through the use of diplomatic solutions. Maria Campbell’s “Halfbreed,” sheds some light, in this autobiographical view, telling of a woman and her struggles to belong, and gain recognition as an ethnic group (metis), growing up in Saskatchewan. The article, “Defining Indigenous space,” written by Ken Coates and Greg Poelzer, brings about the nature of First Nations and federal government relations, with respect to land claims and the political implications and legal processes that go along with political struggle. The first nations land claims were permitted disallowing the development

Many Aboriginals have tried to push for equality, as Maria’s father did when he was trying to unite the people and create “an organization that the government couldn’t ignore.” (73). However, this is largely not the case as many aboriginals are under represented or have been denied their entitlements through a fair court case. The unfair representation of Metis has caused those to give up and ridicule those who do, an example of such ridicule is when others of the community ridiculed Maria’s father for enacting for political change, sarcastically saying “Saskatchewan has a new Reil.” (74) As stated by Kelly L. Saunders in “the hunt for justice: Metis harvesting rights and the pursuit of self government”, “the governments denied that metis collectivities existed, denied that they were aboriginal, denied their aboriginal treaty rights, and denied that government had any legal obligations towards the Metis.” (Saunders 4). Denied that one is represented under an ethnic group when one affiliates with said ethnic group. Metis are then denied rights and entitlements in treaties based on their ancestry. Denial and elusion of Metis policy decreases the support and optimism of the metis people, with regards to effectiveness of political activism in bringing about change. Metis

Just as aboriginal Canadians face racism today so did Maria’s family when in the city people would “hurl insults at us… Halfbreeds are in town, hide your valuables.” (36) causing discouragement and degrading their moral. Racism caused a “change in her[my] parents and other adult’s attitudes.” (36). The Metis people whole dynamic and attitudes changed and faced such degrading racism every time and everywhere they went. The effects of the past are still a problem and struggle today for the aboriginal people, as stated “Activism for the ages” “will take a long time to change attitudes at all levels of government, throughout society, as well as in our schools such a long time that it will be the children, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, who will need to carry on this work. And we have a responsibility for helping them.” (Shaker 3). Attitudes of the hegemonic society need to shift in order to make way for real social change. If the party in power as stated above does not recognize Metis as then how are they to over come racism. The shift needs to be from the top down not the bottom up. Just as Maria faced throughout her life racism in a dominate white Eurocentric society, so do modern aboriginals in society. This has brought to light things such as the “idle no