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First Nations In Canada Summary

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The article that I have chosen is by Mark Aquash, University of British Columbia, “First Nations in Canada: Decolonization and Self-Determination”. The point that interest me was “how Canada as an evolving colonial entity has used education as a process of colonization of First Nation communities, families, and children; and to regard decolonization and self-determination as processes in education that can derail oppression in First Nation communities.” (Aquash, 2013).

From the article the First Nations or Indigenous people first educated or shared their skills and knowledge with the foreigners to their land, on how to survive in their new environment. In 1620 to 1629, conversion to Christianity and European education by boarding school start to colonise the Indigenous people. And after the 1812 war Canada began a flawed process of policy development directed at First Nations. The process was to eliminate existing Indigenous knowledge and replacing it with the Eurocentric values, perspectives, and worlds views. (Miller, 1996). The First Nations were assimilated to consider their traditions, culture and identity as interior compared to European values and …show more content…

The quality of education provided for the First Nations by the federal government was of inferior quality than those given by the provinces. Again, the Canadian government seemed like they created another loophole, not to oblige their agreements with the First Nations. Reserve Schools and Band operated schools are paths for decolonisation of the First Nations. By limiting the resources to operate and maintain these schools, it seems at least from my point of view that the federal government is not in favour of decolonisation or in favour of the Indigenous people reclaiming their cultural identity and

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