Oppression among First Nation People: 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

Since the arrival of the Europeans in 1492 the Native American has systematically been dehumanized, decivilized and redefined into terms that typify a subordinate or minority role, restricted life opportunities persist today as a result.

When Canada was first inhabited by the First Nations people, the land was completely their own. They were free to inhabit and use the land in whichever manner they saw fit. However, since the arrival of the European settlers, the First Nations people have been mistreated in countless ways. They faced many issues throughout history, and are now facing even more serious problems in our modern society like having to endure racism, discrimination and social ridicule. Given what they already have to deal with, the last thing they should have to worry about is the denial of their rights which is a problem that Aboriginals have to contend with as well.

Ever since the late 1400’s when the European discovered North America they brought along with them a practice of domination leaving the first nation people with very little rights forcing them to stand defenceless. Ever since the settlers arrived, the lives of the First Nation people have forever been damaged with the implementation of new ways of living. These changes have created an image

In this research paper, I will be explaining how western colonialism and racism destroyed the reputation of aboriginal peoples in Canada. The reason why I chose this topic because it shows the strong relationship to anthropology and after taking aboriginal studies 30, it also shows that I have a clear understanding about the history of aboriginal peoples in Canada, the struggles they have been through over the past decade and the challenges they still face today in modern day society. I’ll be addressing these issues in a couple of paragraphs on the discrimination and the inequalities of these “minorities” and how they had to assimilate into European culture, leaving their way of life behind them.

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.

Concerns of violent victimization and self-destructive tendencies in Aboriginal communities have become a significant issue in Aboriginal movements worldwide. In Canada, it has taken the specific form of feminist-inspired campaigns for only those Indigenous females that are missing and murdered. The highly vocalized 2015 campaign for the 42nd Canadian Federal Election drew much attention to the fate of missing and murdered Indigenous women. However, the attention on females suggests that the inherent implication that Indigenous men’s attitudes toward Indigenous women are the problem and that the men are not victims of violence themselves. This essay will first acknowledge the chronic problem of violence in the place of Indigenous peoples in first world societies and the continuing social problems that marginalize their position. This paper will then examine the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, the violence in their communities, and whether or not Indigenous men and their masculinities have an appropriate place in the national picture regarding the missing and murdered Indigenous women. I will conclude with a consideration of the extent to which if men do have an appropriate place in the inquiry and which policy recommendations are required to address the issues that Aboriginal people confront.

Before the contact with the Europeans, Indigenous peoples had their own form of justice system, and there was never an issue with their way of administering punishment till the Europeans came. According to Belanger (2014), Native peoples make up a disproportionate amount of people in the prison. He explained that after the contact, there was the creation of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP), which had good relationship with the Indigenous peoples, but changed and became a source of oppression to them. He further explained the creation of the RCMP by the Canadian government, in which “one of is first actions was to raid the six nations in Brantford, Ontario.” (Belanger, 2014, p. 253)

When people think of Canada, they likely imagine a prospering country filled with equal opportunity, safety, and security. While this statement can be true for the population of privileged white people, Canada, unfortunately, has had some unproud moments in its history, and sadly, the treatment of minorities is still poor today. Specifically, there has been historic problems between Canada and indigenous people, from as early as the colonization of the land stolen from the indigenous people to the assimilation of youth with residential schools. The land that is proudly called “Canada” today, once was the home to many aboriginal tribes including the East Indies, before it was stolen by colonizers (Vikings, French, and Europeans) as early as

　　When European imperialists moved into a colony, many did not pay attention to the Indigenous peoples of the land and their needs, especially those that were centered around their relationship with the land. As a result, when Europeans needed land for settlements, railways, lumbering, mining, and large plantations, the Europeans displaced Indigenous peoples from their home and they ended up damaging a lot of their traditions and cultures, something that is still noticeable today. Additionally, when the European government made boundaries in a foreign country, they completely ignored the pre-existing boundaries of the indigenous people and their communities. The colonizer’s disregard for the Indigenous people’s lives, beliefs, and traditions left legacies of civil war, poverty, and starvation. Cultures and communities were also destroyed by the displacement.

The colonization of Canada has left a legacy in many ways, but more specifically it left a negative impact on our Aboriginal peoples. The treatment of First Nations is still a controversial topic that is stemmed from the stigma against Aboriginals that Europeans had set due to their Eurocentric ideologies. Their belief of superiority amongst other cultures had led the Europeans to be ruthless dictators that exploited the land and the people for their own economic growth. Long before the Europeans arrived First Nations were active traders, and had well established trading patterns and alliances throughout North America. Though when European settlers came, the balance that the Aboriginals had with each other and the land was thrown off, which caused conflict between the once peaceful bands. Due to their advancement in technologies they abused their power and pushed First Nations into unproductive land, tarnishing their relationship with the land and its resources. This was the beginning of the assimilation techniques that the Europeans used against the First Nations in order to “civilize” them and integrate them into a “ white cultural”. The numbered treaties was a form of assimilation for the Europeans, as they misled the First Nations into believing that they are negotiating with them, often promising annual payments and other benefits such as, farm animals and tools. When in reality the government was trying to push the First Nations off land that once had a spiritual

The acts regarding Aboriginal peoples is a third important aspect of the major terms and conditions set in the constitution act (1867). Throughout the years, Canada has faced many issues regarding the rights of Aboriginal People. “As colonization spread across North America, native peoples often found themselves unwelcome in habitats of their own lands, and Europeans used a combination of force and peaceful means (eg. treaties) to re-settle natives in reserved areas of land.” (McCormack & Bueckert, 2013). The harsh treatment directed towards the aboriginal people made their lives very difficult. It’s hard to imagine why the people who were in Canada before colonies started to form would be kicked out of their own land. After many years of this

Since the Europeans set foot on North American soil in 1620,they have had a devastating effect on the native population. I will be discussing the long term effect of North American colonisation on the Native Americans, focusing on such issues as employment opportunities, the environment, culture and traditions, health, as well as social justice.