Conflict between Canada and the First Nations

1149 Words3 Pages

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 between the years 1945 and 2010 there have been many changes involving interactions with the First Nations people. Some changes were good, but most of them were bad. Canada does not deserve to be known as a nation that demonstrates equality because it has not given the First Nations people equal rights to their land, it was discriminatory to their culture and way of life, and it has denied them of a safe and legitimate education. From 1945 to 2010 Canada treated the First Nations people unfairly when it came to their rights to the land and use of its bountiful resources. In order to make things fair, the Canadian government issues treaties, which were meant to initiate the regulations of the land and its resources whatever they may be, and to verify the rights, obligations, and ownership of the land; But sometimes these treaties are broken. A well-known example of aboriginal injustice happened in the year 1990 from July 11th – September 26th. The Oka Crisis, as it was called, was a 78 day confrontati... ... middle of paper ... ...istorica Canada, 2013. Web. 12 Jul 2013. Mcnab, Miriam. "Aboriginal Women's Issues". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Toronto: Historica Canada, 2006. Web. 8 Feb 2006 Miller, J.R.. "Residential Schools". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Toronto: Historica Canada, 2012. Web. 11 Oct 2012. O'Hara, Jane and Patricia Treble. "Residential Church School Scandal". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Toronto: Historica Canada, 2003. Web. 18 Mar 2003. Reed, Kevin, Natasha Beeds, and Barbara Filion. Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Toronto: Pearson Canada, 2011. Print. Renneboog, Richard. "Point: Discrimination Still Exists Against Aboriginal People." Canadian Points Of View: Discrimination Against Aboriginal People (2014): 2. Canadian Points of View Reference Centre. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. "The Impact of Stereotyping on Young People." MediaSmarts. National Film Board of Canada, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • The Impacts of the Sixties Scoop on First Nations People

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the 1950s and 1960s, the government began abolishing the compulsory residential school education among Aboriginal people. The government believed that Aboriginal children could receive a better education if they were integrated into the public school system (Hanson). However, residential schools were later deemed inappropriate because not only were the children taken away from their culture, their families and their people, but the majority of students were abus...

    Read More

  • Residential Schools in Canada

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Living in Canada, there is a long past with the Indigenous people. The relationship between the white and First Nations community is one that is damaged because of our shameful actions in the 1800’s. Unnecessary measures were taken when the Canadian government planned to assimilate the Aboriginal people. Through the Indian Act and Residential schools the government attempted to take away their culture and “kill the Indian in the child.” The Indian Act allowed the government to take control over the people, the residential schools took away their culture and tore apart their families, and now we are left with not only a broken relationship between the First Nations people but they are trying to put back together their lives while still living with a harsh reality of their past.

    Read More

  • Aboriginal Self Government and the Canadian Justice System

    2238 Words  | 5 Pages

    Systems: The canadian Future in light of the American Past.” Ontario native Council on Justice. Toronto, Ontario.

    Read More

  • Discrimination against Aboriginal Women in Canada

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite the decreasing inequalities between men and women in both private and public spheres, aboriginal women continue to be oppressed and discriminated against in both. Aboriginal people in Canada are the indigenous group of people that were residing in Canada prior to the European colonization. The term First Nations, Indian and indigenous are used interchangeably when referring to aboriginal people. Prior to the colonization, aboriginal communities used to be matrilineal and the power between men and women were equally balanced. When the European came in contact with the aboriginal, there came a shift in gender role and power control leading towards discrimination against the women. As a consequence of the colonization, the aboriginal women are a dominant group that are constantly subordinated and ignored by the government system of Canada. Thus today, aboriginal women experiences double jeopardy as they belong to more than one disadvantaged group i.e. being women and belonging to aboriginal group. In contemporary world, there are not much of a difference between Aboriginal people and the other minority groups as they face the similar challenges such as gender discrimination, victimization, and experiences injustice towards them. Although aboriginal people are not considered as visible minorities, this population continues to struggle for their existence like any other visible minorities group. Although both aboriginal men and women are being discriminated in our society, the women tends to experience more discrimination in public and private sphere and are constantly the targeted for violence, abuse and are victimized. In addition, many of the problems and violence faced by aborigin...

    Read More

  • Erasing a Nation: The Conservative View of First Nations Reservations

    2134 Words  | 5 Pages

    Conservative ideologies, at best, are convoluted and conflicting where First Nations peoples are involved. Since the introduction of the Indian Act of 1876, which gave rise to the Canadian federal government enacting the first treaty to ‘…protect, guide and ensure the traditions of the Indian’s.’, the federal government has been actively seeking new opportunities to dissolve the First Nations reservations or the identity of First Nations people. The one-sided and cultivated beliefs of assimilation stems not only from paternalistic colonizers with a dominating attitude, but as well from the belief that ‘Indians’ were considered to be sub-human because of their affiliation with nature and their surroundings. This Conservative form of assimilation [now referred to as integration] has been the focal point in many of the discrepancies that First Nations people have faced since the introduction of this Indian Act.

    Read More

  • 8th Fire: Indigenous in the City Analysis: One Step Forward, One Step Back

    1576 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fleras, Augie. “Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: Repairing the Relationship.” Chapter 7 of Unequal Relations: An Introduction to Race, Ethnic and Aboriginal Dynamics in Canada. 6th ed. Toronto: Pearson, 2010. 162-210. Print.

    Read More

  • Residential Schools In Canada

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    The creation of the Residential Schools is now looked upon to be a regretful part of Canada’s past. The objective: to assimilate and to isolate First Nations and Aboriginal children so that they could be educated and integrated into Canadian society. However, under the image of morality, present day society views this assimilation as a deliberate form of cultural genocide. From the first school built in 1830 to the last one closed in 1996, Residential Schools were mandatory for First Nations or Aboriginal children and it was illegal for such children to attend any other educational institution. If there was any disobedience on the part of the parents, there would be monetary fines or in the worst case scenario, trouble with Indian Affairs.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Pierre Trudeau's The Unjust Society

    1614 Words  | 4 Pages

    Canada likes to paint an image of peace, justice and equality for all, when, in reality, the treatment of Aboriginal peoples in our country has been anything but. Laden with incomprehensible assimilation and destruction, the history of Canada is a shameful story of dismantlement of Indian rights, of blatant lies and mistrust, and of complete lack of interest in the well-being of First Nations peoples. Though some breakthroughs were made over the years, the overall arching story fits into Cardinal’s description exactly. “Clearly something must be done,” states Murray Sinclair (p. 184, 1994). And that ‘something’ he refers to is drastic change. It is evident, therefore, that Harold Cardinal’s statement is an accurate summarization of the Indigenous/non-Indigenous relationship in

    Read More

  • We Were Children Film Analysis

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Justice has began to commence for many of Canada’s Indigenous people now that considerably one of our Nation’s darkest secrets has been spilled. The Residential School system was a collection of 132 church-run, government-funded boarding schools that was legally required for all Indigenous Canadian children. Canadian Residential Schools ran up until 1996 and, for decades, the secrets from within the walls of the institutions have been hidden. But now, the truth has finally come to light.

    Read More

  • Argument Against Native Sovereignty in Canda

    2281 Words  | 5 Pages

    This paper supports Thomas Flanagan's argument against Native sovereignty in Canada; through an evaluation of the meanings of sovereignty it is clear that Native sovereignty can not coexist with Canadian sovereignty. Flanagan outlines two main interpretations of sovereignty. Through an analysis of these ideas it is clear that Native Sovereignty in Canada can not coexist with Canadian sovereignty.

    Read More

  • The Indian Act In Canada

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Indian Act no longer remains an undisputable aspect of the Aboriginal landscape in Canada. For years, this federal legislation (that was both controversial and invasive) governed practically all of the aspects of Aboriginal life, starting with the nature of band governance and land tenure. Most importantly, the Indian act defines qualifications of being a “status Indian,” and has been the source of Aboriginal hatred, due to the government attempting to control Aboriginals’ identities and status. This historical importance of this legislation is now being steadily forgotten. Politically speaking, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal critics of the Indian act often have insufferable opinions of the limits of the Indian Act’s governance, and often argue to have this administrative device completely exterminated. Simultaneously, recent modern land claim settlements bypass the authority of the Indian Act over specific groups.

    Read More

  • Why We Should Not Be Proud Of Canada

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    Do you know that despite Canada being called multicultural and accepting, Canada’s history reveals many secrets that contradicts this statement? Such an example are Canadian aboriginals, who have faced many struggles by Canadian society; losing their rights, freedoms and almost, their culture. However, Native people still made many contributions to Canadian society. Despite the efforts being made to recognize aboriginals in the present day; the attitudes of European Canadians, acts of discrimination from the government, and the effects caused by the past still seen today have proven that Canadians should not be proud of Canada’s history with respect to human rights since 1914. First, is because of the attitudes of European Canadians towards aboriginals, which were mostly cruel and inhumane.

    Read More

  • Treaty-Making in Canada

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    Introduction “We are all treaty people” Campaign. The year 1907 marked the beginning of treaty making in Canada. The British Crown claims to negotiate treaties in pursuance of peaceful relations between Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginals (Canada, p. 3, 2011). Treaties started as agreements for peace and military purposes but later transformed into land entitlements (Egan, 2012, p. 400).

    Read More

  • Women In the Fur Trade

    2974 Words  | 6 Pages

    Kelm, Mary, and Lorna Townsend. In the days of our grandmothers: a reader in Aboriginal women's history in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006.

    Read More

  • How Are First Nations Treated Today

    432 Words  | 1 Pages

    First Nations and the way they are treated today differs from the way they were treated before. Today Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities and living together in harmony and are working together to fix any mistakes we made before.For example, our old Prime Minister Steven Harper apologized to the First Nations about the residential schools and the government puts no taxes on First Nation purchases and also gives them grants. First Nations are being accepted for who they and aren’t facing any type of racism or assimilation. Today there are many famous First Nations, Chief Dan George is an actor, poet, and activist. He was the first Aboriginal to be seen on T.V and in Movies, he was also nominated for the Acadamy Award for “Little Big Man.”

    Read More

More about Conflict between Canada and the First Nations

Open Document