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How Did Colonialism Affect Indigenous People

Decent Essays

Fourth, colonialism and economic changes created much poverty among Indigenous peoples. The Europeans traded for profit; therefore, price markups of 300-400% were common at the trading posts (Pearson et al., 1972). It was difficult for First Nation peoples to afford these prices with the furs that they caught, and consequently, Indigenous communities were often poverty-stricken (Pearson et al., 1972). While the Hudson’s Bay Company grew richer, the Indigenous peoples grew poorer. Additionally, after 1820, the Industrial Revolution lessened the demand for fur. This, and the continued depletion of resources caused the fur trade to decline (Champagne, 2006). This decline had devastating effects on Indigenous peoples. Champagne (2006) declared that “many Native people and communities became impoverished as they could no longer trade for necessities” (p. 436). Evidently, the capitalist system of economic organization did not support Indigenous communities indefinitely, but rather, created poverty.
As well as immediate impacts, European colonialism and capitalism created long-term impacts on Indigenous peoples in Canada. For example, many Indigenous communities still experience poverty today. Alfred (2009) discussed that Indigenous survival often depended on economic trends over which they had no control. For instance, a lack of access to traditional foods was damaging for First Nation peoples. Alfred (2009) stated that this lack of control caused “deterioration in First Nations

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