They continued to resist against the Canadian government's attempts to assimilate them, and to use their land for projects that would cause their communities harm, such as building oil pipes, and an incredible amount of other causes impacting Indigenous peoples. Throughout the history of Indigenous people, before Canada was even a country, they have resisted the attempts of colonizers to take their land, and attempt to take their culture as well. Paragraph #2 for Response Questions #4 A specific historical moment mentioned in the timeline that connects particularly well to “The Right to be Cold” by Sheila Watt-Cloutier is the education heading in Dr. Susan Dion’s talk. The policy paper detailing more Indigenous control of their own communities' education under the Education headline was fought for by the National Indian Brotherhood, and it led to the Canadian government giving back control of Indigenous education back to Indigenous people.
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.
Every so often, it is essential to learn and unlearn details about individuals. With my new knowledge on Indigenous peoples, I commit to reconciling Indigenous peoples history, whether it be by advocating for the protection of stolen Indigenous lands, understanding the proper terminology that should be used to address Indigenous peoples and finally, educating myself about the injustices and false promises made to Indigenous peoples through Treaties and how to resolve them. To begin with, I would like to advocate for the protection of Indigenous lands that were stolen from Indigenous peoples by colonialists. In the article, “To be Indian in Canada today.” , Canadian author and journalist, Richard Wagamese discusses the agonizing experiences that
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).
The land went from being the best hunting grounds, to having none from the fur traders hunting all of the buffalo. The government supplied the Metis peoples affected with nations like they agreed in the treaty, but this got to be expensive. The metis claimed that they were fed one day and starved the next. The Metis peoples were not pleased with the whites over taking their land and sources.
The Indian Act passed in 1876, and amended countless times, in its present state, is a portrayal of the complicated and problematic relationship between First Nations and Canadian Society, distinguished through power imbalances, historical injustices and problems, and current inequalities. Through its many conditions, laws, and arrangements, The Indian Act portrays paternalistic control, giving the Canadian government power and control over Indigenous peoples and communities. Further causing discrimination, and alienation, along with current and ongoing inequalities and power imbalances, further demanding reconciliation. The Indian Act passed in 1876, was an oppressive way to gain control of Indigenous people and Land and further assimilate
Relations between the Indigenous People of Canada and first settlers have been a tumultuous and often dark chapter of Canada’s geography. The movie Avatar is a fair comparison to the Indigenous people and first settlers of Canada because of the greed for resources, attempts at assimilation and shared Aboriginal culture. The first settlers of Canada were notorious for their greed of resources, much that belonged to the Indigenous people. In order to access the economic base, the Europeans pushed out the Indigenous from their homes into reserves. As well, mankind attempted to push out the Na’vi to access the land and precious minerals in the movie Avatar.
The Indian Act was constructed to reflect the Canadian government’s primary goal of assimilation. The government anticipated that the process of organized assimilation through legislation would reduce the number of status Indians in Canada, remove the government from the responsibility of First Nations affairs, and make available the land that was currently reserved for First Nations. Without the responsibility of the ‘Indian problem’, the Canadian government would no longer be required to spend limited federal funds on its burdensome inhabitants. However, the ‘Indian problem’ did not go away and instead produced gender-based discrimination towards the women of Canada’s First Nations communities, resulting in a loss of status, status rights, and identity for generations to come.
Since the First Nations people did not have the knowledge of or immunity to diseases such as Smallpox and Measles, when the Europeans arrived in Canada for the fur trade, these new diseases quickly spread amongst First Nations communities. It is estimated that smallpox wiped out around 75% of the First Nations peoples and their villages. Furthermore, HBC was demanding more furs than ever and in response, the First Nations people started setting aside important traditions and parts of their yearly cycle such as fishing, hunting, and preserving foods just to keep up with HBC’s constant demand. With the yearly cycle being put aside and all the deaths adding up, important knowledge and First Nations culture was being lost instead of being passed down to future
Canada’s History with Aboriginal Peoples How would one feel if their cultures, land, and even children were taken away from them? Aboriginal peoples of Canada would know the answer to that from personal experience after the Europeans began to take over Canada. Their relationship grew tension through many historical significant events after the Indian Act was passed in 1867. Despite recent improvements, Canada should not be proud of it’s history in respect to its treatment of Aboriginal peoples because of it’s policies of assimilation, limitation of rights to basic citizenship, and neglect of Aboriginal claims.
The Metis have faced difficulties because of dealing with the segregation from the other majority cultures in Canada. This is shown through the treatment they received
The chief and council were granted powers over inconsequential issues, which were subject to oversight, and so, much of the power in Indigenous communities were exercised by the Federal government. This loss of self-autonomy and power as a community was based on a policy of civilization. This policy held significant racial tones, which reduced Indigenous people from that of a person to a mindless savage. Furthermore, it took away individual autonomy, and paved the way for systems that discriminated heavily against Indigenous people. Indigenous people of Canada were marginalized, and victimized by such institutions, unlike their non-Indigenous counterparts who were already seen as civilized and could be allowed the rights of a free and equal citizen.
Before reading this section of the book that was assigned, I think for me even though I didn’t believe in any biases towards indigenous people myself, I know that many people did due to the lack of knowledge and blindspots for these peoples there are one culture in society that have been seen as a “shamed” culture. I know from personal experience even though Canada is built on their land we still make them seem like we overrule them as a society. Indigenous peoples are not seen as an elite group in society due the racist and biased thoughts of other people in society. But this is defiantly something I am aware of as be an issue in Canada even until today.
One of the more prevalent topics discussed in contemporary Canada is the need to reconcile and repay the indigenous peoples for atrocities committed during settler colonialism. Although many act as though colonialism is a historical event, it is actually an ongoing social structure that forces indigenous peoples into an underprivileged position in society in an ongoing attempt by the state to assimilate them and appropriate their land. The socioeconomic, individual, and institutional disadvantages suffered by the indigenous peoples can also explain the over representation of indigenous incarceration in Canada and the self-perpetuating cycle of criminalization, social disadvantage, and increased incarceration rates. When European explorers
The indigenous people have a long and proud history, including the rich cultural and spiritual traditions. However, many of these traditions have been changed or even disappeared after the arrival of the European settlers. Forced introduction of European culture and values, Aboriginal community, indigenous land being deprived, and the imposition of a period of governance outside the pattern of the beginning of a cycle of social, physical and spiritual destruction. You can see the effects of today. Some of the effects include poverty, poor health, and drug abuse.
