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First Nations Perspectives Case Study

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Critical Summary #3: First Nations Perspectives In Chapter eight of Byron Williston’s Environmental Ethics for Canadians First Nation’s perspectives are explored. The case study titled “Language, Land and the Residential Schools” begins by speaking of a public apology from former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He apologizes for the treatment of “Indians” in “Indian Residential Schools”. He highlights the initial agenda of these schools as he says that the “school system [was] to remove and isolate [Aboriginal] children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them[…]” (Williston 244). By doing this, colonial Canadians assumed that aboriginal cultural and spiritual beliefs were invalid in relation to European beliefs (244). The problem with ridding the First Nations Peoples of their languages, as Williston points out is to “deprive them of the sense of place that has defined them for thousands of years” (245). The private schooling system was an attack on First Nations identities, and their identity is rooted in “a respect for nature and its processes” (245). …show more content…

While many environmental ethicists argue for the intervention and replanting of trees and relocating of species, First Nations perspectives believe that is not the way to deal with nature. Aboriginals have, as Bruce Morito highlights in his article titled “The ‘Ecological Indian’ and Environmentalism” a “sound and sustainable environmental ethic, painstakingly worked out over the course of thousands of years occupying this land” (238). To erase their language as the residential school system has is to erase the environmental ethic that Aboriginals have

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Socio-economic status (SES) is defined as when intentions toward Indigenous people are shown and perceived. MacDonald never provided Indigenous people with new food; it was always “rancid,” which made “the Plains First Nations population drop from 32,000 to 20,000” (Hooper, 2018, pg.3). To begin with, a counter-narrative has been to view Indigenous people as inferior and a danger to settler colonialism. This viewpoint is by institutionalized discrimination against Indigenous people by the government of Canada to unify settler groups and use this discrimination, such as the Indian Act in 1876 in Canada, which caused toll consequences. John A. Macdonald has played a role in perpetuating systemic oppression and violence against Indigenous peoples in Canada through policies such as the residential school system, the Indian Act, and the forced relocation of Indigenous communities.

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1262 Words | 6 Pages

Losing one’s cultural knowledge, and therefore the reality of their culture, allows others to have control over their collective and individual consciousness as well as their destiny. In this case, it is clear that the United States government has had the dominant relationship over the Native

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The TRC’s “The History” author appeals to logos through the use quantitative findings. The use of logical evidence from the collection of testimonials made by former residential school students is an effective way to aid the persuasion of a reader. Throughout “The History”, the author describes the memories of known First Nations peoples Frederic Ernest Koe, Marlene Kayseas, Lily Bruce and many others. In addition, the author quotes Vitaline Elsie Jenner’s use of ‘kaya nakasin’ (TRC, 2015, p.38) in describing her experience with residential school. The author’s example that contains the use native language reaffirms his credibility and detailed knowledge of the

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It’s an accepted fact that there have been countless injustices against the FNMI peoples of Canada, which has resulted in a substantial loss of culture and identity within many communities, which is often considered a particularly heartbreaking moment in Canada’s history. The cultural erasure inflicted upon FNMI communities by colonial forces represents an unforgiving time in our past that demands immediate recognition and redress for reconciliation between Canada and the FNMI peoples. This deliberate attempt to annihilate Indigenous languages, traditions, and culture inflicted lasting and devastating effects on FNMI communities which are still present to this day. It is essential for Canadians to acknowledge this painful history and work toward

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1644 Words | 7 Pages

In Michelle Good's “Five Little Indians” the harrowing journeys of Kenny, Lucy, Maisie, Howie, and Clara through Canada's residential school system and their subsequent struggles reveal the profound impact of trauma, discrimination, and societal injustices. Set in the 1960s, the novel searches into the protagonists' relentless battles for identity and sovereignty amidst racism and discrimination. Through their stories, Good explores the myth of progress, highlighting the lasting harmful effects of colonization. This essay examines how the unattainable sovereignty and identity of characters like Kenny, Maisie, and Lily, the portrayal of Indigenous individuals in the 1960s, and the persistent societal injustices they endure, collectively illustrate

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1465 Words | 6 Pages

In Knoph’s “Sharing our Story with All Canadians”, Knoph emphasizes the effects of propaganda on the First Nation by describing the “colonizing gaze to depict Aboriginal culture to be inferior” (Knoph 89), showing that the aboriginals were brainwashed to believe they had to adapt to the newfound culture. The narrator speaks of the uniform brainwashing of minority groups in order to appeal to western culture; “in the face of a crass white world we has erased so much of ourselves and sketched so many cartoons characters of white people over-top the emptiness inside” (Maracle 158), revealing that the heritage of the older generations will soon be completely forgotten. Maracle chose to implement the idea of brainwashing into the story to place emphasis on the importance of carrying on traditions to remember the roots instead of becoming a one indifferent

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“Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”, said Richard Henry Pratt. This belief is redolent of the treatment of Native Americans within indian schools. Indian Schools used gentrification as their method of eliminating Native American culture. “ ...long braids worn by indian boys were cut off ... the children were given new ‘white names’...traditional native foods abandoned...forbidden to speak their native languages…”, all aspects that indicated any native american culture were abandoned.

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The Indian Act was established in 1876, with the intent to regulate Indigenous communities and begin assimilation of these communities, which has led to distinct cases of discrimination and racism against Indigenous people in Canada. It was fundamental in solidifying racialized categories, based on those who were Indigenous and non-Indigenous. This essay will argue that the Indian Act was detrimental to the development of First Nation, Indigenous communities, and people in Canada. The Indian Act was utilized to help assimilate Indigenous people into citizens of an emerging Euro-Christian Canadian society.

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1871 Words | 8 Pages

Native Americans in Canadian society are constantly fighting an uphill battle. After having their identity taken away in Residential Schools. The backlash of the Residential Schools haunts them today with Native American people struggling in today 's society. Native Americans make up five percent of the Canadian population, yet nearly a quarter of the murder victims. The haunting memories of Residential Schools haunt many Native Americans to this day.

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90 Words | 1 Pages

There has long been significant historiographical and popular controversy about the conditions experienced by students in the residential schools. While day schools for First Nations, Metis and Inuit children always far outnumbered residential schools, a new consensus emerged in the early 21st century that the latter schools did significant harm to Aboriginal children who attended them by removing them from their families, depriving them of their ancestral languages, through sterilization, and by exposing many of them to physicalleading to sexual abuse by staff members, and other students, andenfranchising them forcibly.

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1460 Words | 6 Pages

One way that the Indigenous studies requirement would aid in combating racism is through diminishing harmful stereotypes that surround Indigenous peoples. According to Maclean’s, “one in three prairie residents believe that many racial stereotypes are accurate” and that 52% of prairie residents also agree that “Aboriginals’ economic problems are mainly their fault” (Macdonald, 2015) in a poll conducted by the Canadian Institute for Identities and Migration. Canada has had a long history of racism against and the dehumanization of Indigenous peoples, including but not limited to the residential school system and the more recent issue of the high rates of Indigenous children in Child and Family Services (CFS). It is estimated that 150,000 Indigenous children were placed into residential schools from 1874 to 1996 (Fee, 2012) and it is believed 6,000 of these children died while attending, although this number is difficult to determine due to the government ceasing recordings of deaths in residential schools around 1920. Indigenous children were taken from their homes, from their parents and from their way of life to be put into schools that were meant to rid them of their Indigenous culture and assimilate

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502 Words | 3 Pages

Imagine being ripped apart from family members, culture, tradition, and labelled a savage that needs to be educated. Imagine constantly facing punishment at school for being one’s self. Unfortunately, these events were faced head on for many First Nations people living in Canada in the late 20th century. These First Nations people were the victims of an extensive school system set up by the government to eradicate Aboriginal culture across Canada and to assimilate them into what was considered a mainstream society.

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1283 Words | 6 Pages

The indigenous people are literally crashing into the buildings produced by the colonizing culture, “Look out! Bob shouts. There are Indians flying into the skyscrapers and falling on the sidewalk.” (King 63) and it adequately represents the lack of adaptability of the Native Canadians. Thomas King taps again into the effects of colonialism and notions the indigenous people as uneducated and an untamed species.

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786 Words | 4 Pages

The government of Canada understands treaties as “constitutionally recognized agreements” (Treaties With Aboriginal People) between the Crown and Aboriginal peoples. Most agreements were described as exchanges that the Indigenous people made in return for setting out promises, obligations and benefits (Treaties With Aboriginal People). Treaties were signed to determine the rights of Indigenous people and governments to use lands that the First nations people occupied. In 1870, one of the negotiated treaties was the right to educate (Treaties with Aboriginal People). This study “focussed on the expectations of education as a treaty right by the original signatories and the current divergent understandings” (Carr-Stewart).

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1051 Words | 5 Pages

I particularly agreed with the authors’ argument about blending cultural and academic knowledge (McKinley & Brayboy, 2005, p. 435). I think it is institution’s responsibility to respect their cultural knowledge but also provide appropriate academic knowledge, relative to Indigenous students to be able to actively engage in reciprocal learning with their cultural knowledge, which, then, adds value to their survivance practice. I find that this piece opened up a new way of looking at the challenges which Indigenous students encounter and the ways to move forward with the situation through changing the perception of education not only from Indigenous students, but also from the perspectives of non-Aboriginal members in institutions by providing a way to

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