The Indian Act: Assimilation Of Indigenous People In Canada

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. Thus, this essay will focus on the way in which the Indian Act regulated land control, disrupted Indigenous self-government traditions,

Thus, giving control to the federal government, who then outlined and determined the use of reserve land, where the use of these lands was decided by the Indian Department. Indigenous status was defined in relation to property, those with status, specifically, men had a right to the land of a Reserve. Additionally, people could be controlled by tying their status to a band, and so they were only entitled to be on a single reserve, and could be removed from others. This led to the implementation of the pass system, wherein non-residents could be removed or barred from reserves. Indigenous people no longer had control over their lands or resources, and they were confined to the reserve, and could be ejected from communities where they did not hold residence. . Their lives and ability to travel between reserves, and build relationships were compromised by the Indian Act. As the government continued to insert their selves into Indigenous land affairs, it signalled the increasing control of the government over Indigenous

The Indian Act was utilized to remove traditional forms of government that were resistant to “civilizing”, or rather, adopting Euro-Canadian society politics, norms and values. These nations were often disassembled, since their independence was a threat to the progress of civilizing Indigenous people. Governance was then defined as a band, and thus tied to the reserve. These new forms of government, comprised of a municipal model with limited powers. It established a patriarchal system, wherein there was male-only elective systems for chief and council. 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. Indigenous communities were