Indigenous Worldview Essay

The Canadian government has great control of where the aboriginals are situated and what resources and services are made available to them. In 1876 the Indian act was created by the Canadian government (Indian Act). “The Indian act is a Canadian federal law that governs and matters pertaining to Indian statuses, bands, and Indian reserves”(Indian Act). A part of the Indian Act made the government give some crown land to the Aboriginals; the

However, the Indigenous people’s concerns are never put on the spotlight. Throughout Canadian history, we know that the Aboriginals were treated unfairly and we know that treaties were signed as a way to cease the gap between Canada’s past inequalities. As much as the Alberta tar sands are an environmental issue, they also are a concerning human rights and Indigenous treaty-rights issue. The First Nations communities of Fort McMurray, Fort McKay and Fort Chipewyan are located along and in the core of the tar sands deposits in Alberta. The Aboriginal treaties 8 and 11 “ensure that Lands of First Nations should not be taken away from them by massive, uncontrolled development, threatening their culture and traditional way of life” (Thomas-Müller, Clayton, Canadian Dimension. Mar/Apr2008). “If we don’t have land and we don’t have anywhere to carry out our traditional lifestyles, we lose who we are as a people. So, if there’s no land, then its equivalent in our estimation to genocide of a people” says George Poitras of the Mikisew Cree First Nation (Thomas-Müller, Clayton, Canadian

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

Although the Canadian government has done a great deal to repair the injustices inflicted on the First Nations people of Canada, legislation is no where near where it needs to be to ensure future protection of aboriginal rights in the nation. An examination of the documents that comprise the Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms reveal that there is very little in the supreme legal documents of the nation that protect aboriginal rights. When compared with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples it is clear that the Canadian Constitution does not acknowledge numerous provisions regarding indigenous people that the UN resolution has included. The most important of these provisions is the

The differences between the Native American and European worldviews were shown through their beliefs in religion, everyday living, and stance on nature and resources. Although the two groups had many differences, they tried to be at peace with each other and they succeeded in most areas except a few. The areas where there was not peace led to fighting and destruction. The first difference in their worldviews was religion. The Native Americans worshiped nature, spirits of birds, bears, and wolves.

Various scholars have supported this premise as they have concluded that as a nation, Canada, needs to act on its belief without excluding the rights of its citizens. First Nations communities should have quality water guaranteed and provided to them. Water should be considered as an important right because it involves Aboriginal Peoples’ health and safety. A national federal water law would help ensure that at the very minimum that water is a human right that needs to be recognized, protected and readily available to everyone. At the very least, acknowledging water as a human right would be the first steps to combating systemic discrimination. Subsequently, policy entrepreneurs should seek to consult with First Nations to ensure that their voices will be heard equally during the decision-making process that involves the lives of Aboriginal peoples. This issue is of significance because Aboriginal people should be treated as equal members of the Canadian society. Thereby, recognizing and providing quality water to on-reserve First Nations communities will ultimately reinforce Canadian values, justice, and human

This demands an intersectional approach when attempting to understand the complex implications it has on a social, political and environmental scale. It has been discussed that the discursive consequences can be seen in maintaining the hegemonic perspectives, silencing of environmental perspectives and progressing the colonial legacy. Also the distributive effects are demonstrated in large economic disparity, and complex social issues in both the communities and aboriginal groups present in Fort McMurray. The recommend course of action to amend these inequities and environmental injustices is to create a new, scientific based, long term environmental assessment act. This act is to stipulate the new parameters the oil an gas sector must follow to preserve environmental integrity in Canada and our resource economy for future generations. This is intended to create a more level playing field against the capitalist tendencies of capital accumulation, and to lessen the social inequalities present in the province. As a final piece of evidence I will offer my own account as a Calgarian moved to the west coast, of the Albertan mind set and understanding of the oil sands. I will admit that my perspective was an indoctrinated one when I initially left Alberta. Not in the sense that there was no environmentalist perspective present in Calgary but, that it was over powered

The Indigenous groups in Canada have been inhabitants on these lands long before any other group arrived. Yet, these groups have been and are still disadvantaged in the political sphere, continuing to be severely underrepresented in Canadian governmental institutions. The government of Canada needs to implement governmental arrangements that will meet the unique needs of Indigenous groups, with responsiveness to their particular political, historical, and social circumstances (Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development Canada, 2010). With section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982, the definition of Aboriginal rights has become a focus as the constitution recognizes existing rights but does not define them. There has also become a specific

Peace, Power, Righteousness: An Indigenous Manifesto questions the governance of the First Nation politicians. In this second edition, Taiaiake Alfred discusses the importance of traditional Indigenous forms of governance. He calls out the Indigenous politicians on turning their backs towards their sacred traditions and instead using a western framework. He urges the Indigenous community to move beyond the pain, loss, and colonization and move forward to creating a different future.

Section 35(1) of the Canadian Constitution of 1982, states that “the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed”. However, it fails to define what these rights include and the boundaries and limitations of said rights. The emerging forms of self governance to be mentioned later attempt to practice some form of self governance and to act on s.35.1. However, none of the forms fully establish a well balanced self-government that would fulfil

It is estimated that Australia is composed of roughly 418,000 - 525,000 Indigenous people (Better Health Channel, 2015), which is a mere 2.5% of the Australian population (Reddust.org.au, 2015). Indigenous life expectancy is averaged to be seventeen years less than those from non-indigenous culture (Aihw.gov.au, 2015). People from aboriginal backgrounds have the highest rate of illness across the country, which most commonly includes, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Respiratory System Diseases, injury and Disability (Better Health Channel, 2015). Indigenous health care facilities do not meet appropriate standards and due to lifestyle habits healthy behaviours often do not result.

The operation of the Athabasca oil sands causes indigenous populations in Alberta express concerns about escalating environmental degradation. More specifically, the rapid development in the reduction of water quality systematically disadvantages indigenous populations. As production in the oil sands continues, the Canadian government neglects concerns about constitutionally protected rights. This paper will provide a comprehensive analysis of policy and legal justifications for water contamination within Athabasca.

Through the years minority groups have long endured repression, poverty, and discrimination. A prime example of such a group is the Native Americans. They had their own land and basic way of life stripped from them almost constantly for decades. Although they were the actual “natives” of the land, they were forced by the government to give it up and compelled to assimilate to the white man’s way. This past scarred the Native American’s preservation of culture as many were discouraged to speak the native language and dress in traditional clothing. Because of this cultural neglect, among other things, Native Indians have not been able to come up on top in many ways. Until recently there have not been many improvements in their social

A large component of this involves identifying the responsibility of the right-holders (the Aboriginal People) and the duty-bearers (the Canadian government). Under s. 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1967, the Canadian government has a fiduciary obligation to address First Nations safe drinking water. After years of pressure, the government proposed Bill S-11 in 2010 as a viable solution. Bill S-11 sought to address the issue of First Nations’ access to clean drinking water rights. Unfortunately, it was not passed. Recently, the Liberal government promised in its 2015 election campaign to ensure that First Nations had access to clean water. The current government should consider revisiting Bill S-11 and provide a clause that recognizes

Environmental issues are not the only problem with fossil fuels in Canada. Aboriginal communities employ technologies that use fossil fuels and occupy various territories where the reserves of fossil fuels are located. The Canadian government had proposed several energy projects to improve the country’s situation, but “Aboriginal communities argue that they are not being suitably informed and consulted during the planning and decision-making process and that they are not benefitting equitably from these projects. Energy