Introduction
Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining me today. My name is Keyjuan and I am here to talk to
you about one of the most important and urgent issues in our country: reconciliation and justice
with Indigenous peoples.
What does reconciliation and justice mean? Why do we need them? And how can we achieve
them? These are the questions that I will try to answer in this presentation.
But first, let me ask you a question: How much do you know about Indigenous peoples in
Canada? Do you know who they are, where they live, what their cultures and languages are,
and what their rights and challenges are? If you are like most Canadians, you probably don't
know much. And that's part of the problem.
Who are Indigenous peoples?
Indigenous peoples are the original inhabitants of this land. They have been living here for
thousands of years, long before the arrival of Europeans. They have diverse and rich cultures,
languages, traditions, and ways of life. They have contributed to the development and identity of
Canada in many ways.
There are three main groups of Indigenous peoples in Canada: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
Each group has its own history, identity, and relationship with Canada. There are also many
subgroups and communities within each group, with different cultures, languages, and
territories.
According to the 2016 census, there are about 1.7 million Indigenous people in Canada,
representing 4.9% of the total population. They live in urban, rural, and remote areas across the
country, from coast to coast to coast. However, they are not evenly distributed. For example,
about half of the Inuit population lives in Nunavut, while about 60% of the Métis population lives
in the western provinces.
What are the rights and challenges of Indigenous peoples?
Indigenous peoples have inherent rights that are recognized and affirmed by the Constitution
Act, 1982. These rights include the right to self-government, the right to land and resources, the
right to culture and language, and the right to consultation and consent. These rights are based
on the historical and contemporary treaties, agreements, and other arrangements that
Indigenous peoples have made with the Crown.
However, these rights have not always been respected or implemented by the Canadian
government and society. Indigenous peoples have faced and continue to face many injustices
and violations of their rights, such as colonization, dispossession, assimilation, discrimination,
