Indigenous Groups In Canada

First Nations is a term used to define Aboriginal people in Canada who are not Métis or Inuit. First Nations people are commonly identified by other names, such as Indians, Natives, Native Canadians, and Native Americans. Using any general term almost always involves an explanation as these names can cause problems. After watching the Ted talk I realized having only one viewpoint to a story can limit the ideas we are able to obtain from it. The Ted talk connects with First Nations as it opens our minds allowing us as viewers to get a new perspective on our prior knowledge. This has led me to question what we are being taught about First Nations and whether it’s the truth.

Since the colonization of Canada First Nations people have been discriminated against and assimilated into the new culture of Canada through policies created by the government. Policies created had the intentions of improving the Aboriginal people’s standard of living and increasing their opportunities. Mainly in the past hundred years in Canadian Society, policies and government implemented actions such as; Residential schools, the Indian Act, and reserve systems have resulted in extinguishing native culture, teachings, and pride. Policies towards the treatment of Aboriginal Canadians has decreased their opportunities and standard of living because of policies specified previously (Residential schools, the Indian Act, and reservation systems).

Canada ­as a nation is known to the world for being loving, courteous, and typically very welcoming of all ethnicities. Nevertheless, the treatment of Canada’s Indigenous population over the past decades, appears to suggest otherwise. Indigenous people have been tormented and oppressed by the Canadian society for hundreds of years and remain to live under discrimination resulting in cultural brutality. This, and more, has caused severe negative cultural consequences, psychological and sociological effects. The history of the seclusion of Indigenous people has played a prominent aspect in the development and impact of how Indigenous people are treated and perceived in today’s society. Unfortunately, our history with respect to the treatment of Indigenous communities is not something in which we should take pride in. The Indian Act of 1876 is an excellent model of how the behavior of racial and cultural superiority attributed to the destruction of Indigenous culture and beliefs. The Indian Act established by the Canadian government is a policy of Aboriginal assimilation which compels Indigenous parents under threat of prosecution to integrate their children into Residential Schools. As a nation, we are reminded by past actions that has prompted the weakening of the identity of Indigenous peoples. Residential schools has also contributed to the annihilation of Indigenous culture which was to kill the Indian in the child by isolating them from the influence of their parents and

Second, Canada’s First Nations’ plight can be improved through self-governance. According to Pocklington, “For several years, Canadian aboriginal leaders have been demanding the recognition of a right of Native self-determination and thereby, for the aboriginal collectivities that choose it a right of self-government” (102). Aboriginal self-governance is a controversial issue in Canada. Before researching the issue I believed that self-governance would deter national unity, after further investigation, I presently believe that the claim for Aboriginal self-governance is justifiable. Although, according to Blakeney, “It will be a real challenge to make effective

My first reason to support the fact that Canada hasn’t affirmed collective rights for the Aboriginal group is the Indian Act and how poorly it treated the Aboriginals. The Indian Act is a federal legislation that is related to the rights and status of First Nations peoples (“status Indians”), which was first passed in 1867. During this time, the government thought that is was appropriate/acceptable to make laws for the First Nations peoples without consulting them. This move connected to Canada’s colonial past, the part where people of European descent strongly believed that their culture and way of life was way more superior to any other culture existing. In other words, they were ethnocentric. Within the Indian Act, it defied who may be registered as a “status Indian” with treaty rights. This meant that the Federal government were the ones who mostly made

The Aboriginal peoples of Canada had gone through many situations to get to where they are today with their education system. Pain, sorrow, doubt, and hope are all feelings brought to mind when thinking about the history and the future of Aboriginal education. By taking a look at the past, anyone can see that the right to education for Aboriginal peoples has been fought about as early as the 1870s. This is still is a pressing issue today. Elder teachings, residential, reserve and post-secondary schools have all been concerning events of the past as well as the present. Though education has improved for the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, there are still many concerns and needs of reconciliation for the past to improve the future.

Townshend describes how Aboriginals view the Canadian government as a foreign government. Furthermore, Townshend disputes the process of assimilation, integrating Aboriginals to the modern Canadian society. The solution is to create a third tier government that would work in cohesion with the Federal and Provincial levels. Different levels of government and the “…sharing of jurisdictional powers between government institutions is already part of the essence of the Canadian state,” (Townshend 39). If Canada is able to increase globalization and trade agreements on an international level, than Canada should not be so unwilling to share jurisdiction with an Aboriginal government.

Indigenous governance is filled with legislations and amendments that began with the Royal proclamation act of 7th October 1763. Since then, there has been a massive effort to civilize the indigenous population in order to integrate them with the non-indigenous population by the government of Canada. The main purpose of such a congress is debated till date.

The Canadian native aboriginals are the original indigenous settlers of North Canada in Canada. They are made up of the Inuit, Metis and the First nation. Through archeological evidence old crow flats seem to the earliest known settlement sites for the aboriginals. Other archeological evidence reveals the following characteristics of the Aboriginal culture: ceremonial architecture, permanent settlement, agriculture and complex social hierarchy. A number of treaties and laws have been enacted amongst the First nation and European immigrants throughout Canada. For instance the Aboriginal self-government right was a step to assimilate them in Canadian society. This allows for a chance to manage

After the creation of Manitoba was the métis were treated in terrible and cruel ways. Canada was viewed as taking advantage of the métis. After the creation of Manitoba the Europeans believed they were superior to the Metis and many laws were made to just benefit themselves. The métis had tried to obtain scrips which were basically a piece of paper that could be used to certify possession of land or be exchanged for money. The land scrips would allow the Metis to either claim 160 acres of land or sell it for $160. You could also get money scrips that were either $160 or $240. The problem with scrips is that they were frequently stolen which caused major problems for the métis as there weren't any names attached to it which meant it was useable to anyone. At

During the first half of the 20th century the western countries experienced what was called the Great War, commonly known today as the First World War (WWI). There were 330,000 men and women that served (WWI) for Canada, some of whose experiences were very diverse. Aboriginal men who served in the war suffered great inequality because of racism.

Under-representation in Parliament has a damaging effect on Aboriginal peoples. While Canada itself is diverse in its regions and cultural backgrounds, many groups feel as though elected parties do not represent them, including Aboriginal peoples (Couture, 2014). Aboriginal peoples want their historic claims to be made good (Pilon, 2001). However, this can be difficult to achieve without proper representation. Without proper representation of Aboriginal peoples, issues that affect Aboriginals such as historic claims and treaties can remain largely unchecked. A mere 2% Aboriginal voice can be easily drowned out by the other 98%

Since the first Europeans came to Canada hundreds of years ago, the First Nations have been seen and treated as inferior peoples and thus treated in a deplorable manner. In 1876 the Indian Act was first implemented and was changed most significantly in 1951 and 1985 . This act stipulated that the federal government of Canada had the right to determine who was given ‘Indian’

First Nations people in Canada have faced colonization and assimilation through Canadian Aboriginal policy throughout history. Policies such as the Indian Act, residential school system, the sixties scoop, and the White Paper have all shared the main goal of assimilation throughout many years. In today’s society, First Nations people are beginning to see positive changes throughout Aboriginal policy. The changes made to the Constitution Act and the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement proves that the government is slowly making positive changes toward Aboriginal policy in Canada. Although the past has shown nothing but struggle and trauma faced by First Nations people because of Aboriginal policy set forth by the government. The Indian Act began

From the first contact between Aboriginal Peoples and European immigrants to the present day, the aim of Canadian government policy has been to assimilate the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. The attempted forced abandonment of their culture was perpetrated through a variety of strategies including force, aggression and legalities. While historians and politicians may disagree about the motivations of Canadian policy, the impact has been irrefutable. In efforts to create one unified nation, successive governments failed to recognize their destructive actions. In this failure, Canada has come close to shattering the sub-nations and peoples who comprise them. This paper will review the government’s effort to absorb the Indigenous peoples’ culture, their refusal to assimilate, and will also identify potential strategies for future relations.