Film #1 - “The People of the Kattawapiskak River” Introduction In the documentary “The people of the Kattawapiskak River”, the housing crisis and lack of assistance promised in Northern Ontario is represented. The Documentary closely follows the chief of the Attawapiskat tribe and portrays the difficult living conditions endured by local residents. These problematic conditions include the lack of clean water, electricity and basic housing especially during the intolerable cold Canadian winter. Moreover, when a colony around the world is suffering it is our duty as human beings to help them through their difficult times. As the government overlooks the aboriginals and local residents, this documentary is created in order to shed light to the …show more content…
According to Anzovino and Boutilier (2014), “the legislative definition of Aboriginal peoples includes all persons of “Indian” blood who were known to belong to a specific band, living on specific land, with their descendants [and] all persons intermarried with any such “Indians” who resided among them” as well as all children and persons adopted in infancy (p. 90). These persons are immensely proud of their good character, race, beliefs, values and morals. However, they are receiving abuse and a lack of promised assistance from the government. How can Canada act so neglectful and inattentive to those that live north of the suburban area? Are we not all equal and deserve the same rights, especially basic living conditions in order to survive? The documentary asserts how these deprived people are forced to live in these subpar conditions. For example, many scenes in the documentary display that housing is scarce and the little housing that is available on the reserve is falling apart into pieces. Families are having to paying rent for years after years before they can claim that house their home. It is unfortunate to watch one struggle with housing when a couple miles south there are enormous houses being built just for show and hardly any tenants living in them. The urban house market revolves around the almighty dollar and instead of building basic homes for people on reserves to live in, the …show more content…
Aboriginal identity, mental health and suicide rates were outlined throughout this analysis along with the disgusting lack of government aid. As stated above, the aboriginals from the Kattawapiskak River have a strong sense of identity. The persons on these reserves are proud of their traditions and practice resilience in their faith and values, however, the physical and emotional pain these people are put through will soon break their spirits. They can only ask for help from the government so many times before it will be too
To understand why the Indian Act has had such a negative impact on Aboriginal women in society today we must observe the previous affect it has had on Aboriginal women during the post colonial time period. The Indian Act is a law that European settlers created in 1876 in order to assimilate the Aboriginal population, and therefore we can deem that the Indian Act is law that was created in the post colonial generation. The Indian Act was a law put in place by the Canadian government to intentionally discriminate against the Aboriginal people in order shrink the number of Aboriginals in Canadian society and to reduce the obligations the government had (Cannon and Sunseri 2011: 90). It was very hard for Aboriginals to overcome the discrimination they faced from the Indian Act because major politicians like Sir. John A MacDonald, Nicholas Flood Davin, and Duncan Cambell Scott despised the Aboriginals in Canada and therefore supported the Indian Act in order to assimilate and destroy the culture of the Aboriginal population (ibid: 312-313).
The indigenous population in the geographical location of western Canada had their land officially taken over in 1869. (Daschuk 79) From then on, even with multiple treaties signed, the aboriginal people in this area and on the plains were ravaged with disease, fighting, famine and theft of land from the Canadian government. In this paper, I will first present a summary of James Daschuk’s two chapters outlining the issues stated above, and then an internal critique of the chapters, and, finally, an external critique of the chapters, comparing and contrasting it to Sidney Harring’s ““There Seemed to Be No Recognized Law”: Canadian Law and the Prairie First Nations’. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight and analysis on the aboriginal issues raised by Daschuk.
Throughout this analysis we will take a critical look at the aboriginal identity, the suffering these people go through mentally and physically, and their relationship with the government (Anzovino & Boutilier 2015). The
The documentary talked about how these communities were built to be very simple and family orientated cookie cutter houses. This was because there was a huge wave of first-time house buyers. With over 15 million of them being soldiers returning from war, looking to start a family and live peaceful after just being overseas. The documentary talks a lot about how race, economy, transportation and social acceptance have
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.”
As they confront the crisis that threatens their survival, they must also reckon with the deep-seated racism and distrust that has long characterized the relationship between Indigenous communities and the Canadian government. This is evident in the community's reluctance to accept outside help and their suspicion of the motives of non-Indigenous people who come to their aid. Through their shared exploration of the impact of systemic racism and discrimination on Indigenous communities, both works underscore the need for ongoing efforts to address past and present injustices. They also highlight the resilience and strength of Indigenous peoples in the face of adversity, and the importance of community, connection to the land, and cultural identity in healing and rebuilding. Ultimately, both "Moon of the Crusted Snow" and "One Native Life" offer powerful and insightful perspectives on the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the ongoing work towards justice and
This paper will give an overview of the act and how it impacted the Indigenous community into becoming
Richard Wagamese brings to light the troubles of aboriginals living in Northern Canada in his book Indian Horse. Wagamese demonstrates the maltreatment aboriginals have faced at the hands of the Zhaunagush and their residential schools. The disgusting truth of the treatment of aboriginals in Canada is shown through recovering alcoholic, Saul Indian Horse, who recounts his life from the time he lived in the bush with his native family, the Anishinabeg, to the the time he checked into The New Dawn Treatment Centre. Seen through Saul’s eyes, the Canadian government captures and transports native children to residential schools. Not only are these children stripped from their native way of life, they are placed in an environment that eerily resembles an internment camp.
When reading a book about an issue such as the schooling systems one gains knowledge and information, but lacks the visual aspect that demonstrates the emotion and sense of severity that is accompanied with it. The media devices that were used in this week’s lesson, specifically the short film Savage, the broadcasted apology, and the CBC clip I was able to grasp onto different ways of acquiring knowledge about the situation of residential schools which becomes beneficial to my understanding. I personally knew about this social issue in education prior to this lesson, but only was taught through books and written documents. Viewing the film and audio aspects helped me emotionally feel for the victims of this schooling system and learn more about this issue. I was not particularly aware of the public apology until this lesson, but however, it furthered my knowledge of the aboriginal schools, not just how they were constructed, but how the issue was politically
3. The gradual development of a new administrative and practical definition of ‘Aboriginality’. This definition was based on community and self-identification, not just a person’s DNA or
Blackfoot is a native tribe that resides in the Great Plains of Montana and Canadian provinces of Alberta. King writes about how the mother had to face several guards and spend a few nights in the car with her son because of their treatment by Canada. In my point of view, I find the theme to be that aboriginals are treated as objects and are forced to give up their identity and lifestyle. Just like in America, it seems like that Canada is pushing aboriginals are pushed to the side and cover it with some sugar. For instance, when parked at an border office, a woman tried to persuaded the mother to pick a identity by saying “I can understand how you feeling about having to tell us about your citizenship, and here’s what I’ll do.
The story is set in an isolated Indigenous village in northern Ontario, Canada, and it explores how the community of individuals deals with a sudden social breakdown as well as the obstacles they encounter in protecting their society. As the community deals with the consequences of societal breakdown, they recognize the value of interdependence and mutual assistance. The community gathers together to share resources, talents, and labour, forging a cooperative and solidaristic collective identity. They overcome difficulties and maintain their way of life by working together. Individual and community identities can be reinforced and redefined as a result of the community's response to the crisis.
Canada is known for its amazing healthcare and it is considered one of the best in the world. In Canada, healthcare is ‘universal’ to its citizens under the Heath Care Act. However, not everyone has equal access to healthcare, Aboriginals being some of them. Aboriginals have trouble getting the access they need because of socio-economic status, geography, lack of infrastructure and staff, language or cultural barriers an more. Aboriginals on reserve face many barriers when it comes to access to healthcare, they include cost, language, distance, climate, education and more.
April 26, 2016 Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Lately, First Nations people in Canada have been faced with many issues surrounding their living conditions, rights, and resources. Specifically, in Attawapiskat, a community located in the western Hudson Bay Lowland, they are facing a housing crisis. The housing conditions aren’t liveable, with one house containing 1 family including, immediate and non-immediate family. Families aren’t just living in houses, they are living in used donated trailers. The houses don’t have access to running clean water, or a significant source of heat.
The documentary series, 8th fire, by Dando and Ingles (2012) supports this claim. The Indigenous peoples ' have long felt betrayed by the government that they had signed a treaty with, so why would an Indigenous person seek health services from this establishment? The mistrust between the Indigenous peoples and the Government of Canada is the result of colonization, specifically the Indian Act, and it undoubtedly impacts Indigenous peoples and their faith in, and ability to get proper care from, the healthcare system. The Indian Act, first introduced in 1876, was primarily a way for Canada to exercise complete control over the Indigenous population, limiting their rights and dissolving their identity.