Why Is Canada An Oppressive Colonist

the First Nations were criticized and judged for moving to Canada and keeping their own cultural beliefs. The natives held onto their religion and culture because it was a part of them and their past and they also would not give it up willingly because they have been through too much to give up. “The federal government and most non-native Canadians believed that life for the First Nations people would be greatly improved if they gave up their culture and became part of mainstream, Christian Canadian”(Freeman-Shaw, Hastings-Winner 38). Canadian society was so full of itself that they considered everyone else and their culture to be less than their own. The Canadians thought everyone would be happier if they shared to same religion and beliefs

Aboriginal self-government is a long standing issue that continues to be a struggle for the First Nations People. To truly understand the scope of Aboriginal self-government within First Nations communities, more effort is needed to understand the legislative system that runs Canada. This issue of self-governance has been very destructive in First Nations communities. After signing the Treaties, First Nations People was stripped of their livelihood and from that point on to abide by the Dominion of Canadas legislative policies. One current issue that would be a perfect example is the Nisga People in British Columbia who is no longer under the protection of the

The impact of colonization on First Nations peoples in Canada is unsurpassable, regarding every aspect of Aboriginal life and well-being. Throughout Canadian history, the government has been aiming to assimilate and annihilate Aboriginal people by way of racist policies, ethnocentric institutions, discriminatory laws and destructive capitalist behaviours. Because of this, Aboriginal people have suffered many losses, both physically and culturally. One of the main perpetrators of enacting this loss is the education system. The education system in Canada has and continues to threaten the relationship First Nations peoples have with the land. The connection First Nations peoples have with the land is crucial to their cultures, traditions, ceremonies and beliefs. Colonization and colonialism jeopardize this relationship and that is what this essay will address.

Over the past decades, Aboriginal people (the original people or indigenous occupants of a particular country), have been oppressed by the Canadian society and continue to live under racism resulting in gender/ class oppression. The history of Colonialism, and Capitalism has played a significant role in the construction and impact of how Aborignal people are treated and viewed presently in the Canadian society. The struggles, injustices, prejudice, and discrimination that have plagued Aboriginal peoples for more than three centuries are still grim realities today. The failures of Canada's racist policies toward Aboriginal peoples are reflected in the high levels of unemployment and poor education.

Aboriginal persons in Canada have been facing oppression ever since colonization began. Even when Canada gained independence from the British Empire, the oppression continued and still goes on today. One major contributing factor to the oppression of Aboriginal people in Canada is the actions taken by the Government. The Government of Canada has in fact mistreated and found to be partaking in wrongdoing when dealing with the Aboriginal population in this country. With this ugly truth being revealed, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had to be tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government in the hope of resolving conflict left over from the past. (cite)

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).

Secondly, the Act granted the Superintendent General of the Indian Affairs control over the Indians (Hanson, n.p.). This basically allows the Superintendent General to arbitrarily decide who deserves extra benefits and who doesn't, thus intruding with the lives of the aboriginals. The third effect of the Gradual Enfranchisement Act was the restriction of power of the band councils, such as “regulat[ed] alcohol consumption and determin[ing] who would be eligible for band and treaty benefits” (Hanson, n.p.). These two Acts defined relationship between the Canadian government and the aboriginals that hinted a sense of superior control, in which the Canadian government's power over the aboriginals only extended with the Indian Act of 1867. This is due the fact that the Indian Act not only added a few more regulations that controlled the aboriginals, but it also solidified more power to the two Gradual Civilization Act and the Gradual Enfranchisement Act by forcing the enfranchisement of the aboriginals who, for example, served in the Canadian army or gained an University education (Crey, n.p.)

Services were also addressed extensively by the White Paper, and rather than being provided by the federal government, the provincial government would now be the sphere where social remedies were structured and applied for First Nations groups. The provincial and municipal governments would also increasingly be responsible to provide ‘enriched services’ which would close the economic gap between Euro-Canadian and First Nations societies. In regards to the numbered treaties, it was claimed lawful obligations must be recognized, and the disparity between relevant and irrelevant provisions would inform a re-negotiation of the treaties with the ultimate goal of having the treaties phased out until they can equitably be ended. Finally, the White Paper argued that the control of Indian lands should be transferred to the Indian people, and it was proposed that reserve lands would no longer be held in trust by the Canadian government, but rather would held in full ownership by its own inhabitants as they saw fit to divide. Despite its positive language and (seemingly) good intent to help First Nations peoples, the White Paper possessed a clear disparity between what was stated and what was actually intended by the government. Essentially the Canadian government claimed to be attempting to provide equality, but this attempt really only served to disguise the underlying attempt at the assimilation of the First Nations population into Euro-Canadian society. This

Oppression also occurred on a political level when the Canadian government imposed systems for the Aboriginal peoples to govern them- selves. Aboriginal people were no longer allowed to follow their traditional forms of governance and the Indian Act Chief and Council System.

Economic imperialism is a central part of the ongoing contemporary colonization of indigenous peoples in Canada. Since the colonial era marked the beginning of imperialism in North America, an intricate web of power and domination have formed leaving Indigenous communities in the grip of its economic philosophy. This has led to the ongoing contribution to the disposition of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Economic imperialism can be defined as the need for countries to expand their territories in order to collect resources from their colonies. This illustrates the inherent unsustainability of colonial settler society. In this essay I will look at how the impacts of economic imperialism has had an effect on the development of the indigenous

The history of Canada is the era of where colonization all began towards aboriginal peoples. Over the past decades, aboriginal peoples have been mistreated and misused by the white-Europeans. They have been oppressed by Canadian society that we are known still by today and continue to live under racism resulting in gender and class oppression. The history of colonialism has been playing a big part in the way of how aboriginal people have been constructed and impacted on how aboriginal people are treated and viewed in Canadian Society. They have been dealing with the struggles, inequality, and discrimination that we have been putting them through for over three centuries, we’ve been also failing them with Canada’s racist policies

First Nation Peoples within Canada have been facing many injustices in their homeland since the dawn of colonization. The most unraveling point to First Nation assimilation was the formation of the consequential Indian Act and residential schools resulting in a stir of adversity. As racist ideologies within Canada developed, upheaval against such treatment was undertaken as First Nation communities fought back against government land claims and eradication of treaty rights. In attempt to make amends, proper compensations from the injustices within residential schools have been released and the key for the future is allowing First Nation self-government. Ideals with the intent of ultimate assimilation have been standardized unto First Nation

Conflict between Canada and the First Nations has been going on since the Europeans first arrived. After their arrival the First Nations way of life was hindered severely; The Europeans brought many diseases that the Aboriginal people were unfamiliar with and had no resistance to, or cure for. “By the 16th century about 80% of Canada's Native population had died from the various diseases (Renneboog, 5).” The Europeans also came to Canada with the intentions of taking all of the land for themselves, disregarding the people who occupied the land before them. Over time the Europeans had manipulated the First Nations to their will and the Aboriginals were discriminated for their different complexion, culture, customs, and way of life. But

The Canadian government wanted to attract settlers to Western Canada while maintaining peace with First Nations

Treaties signed between the British crown and First Nations people of Canada has resulted in companies using traditional First Nations' land without permission or consultation. Canada's historic relationship with Indigenous peoples is one of discrimination and unfair treatment. One clear example of this is treaties that largely left indigenous people with little land and living on government-run reservations. Often these settlements did not compensate First Nations people fairly for their land. While First Nations people interpret treaties as the creation of a mutually beneficial relationship with the government, companies have used these agreements as a basis to extract resources and use land without Aboriginal people's permission. One example