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History of metis people in canada essay
Essay on the metis people of canada
Indigenous people in canada history
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For many centuries, The Métis have fought for sovereignty for their culture and what they thought the federal government should’ve given to them. They fought for the right to their land, including property rights. These rights almost disappeared when the European Settlers came to Canada. Though their rights were very much lost, they were never forgotten by the Metis. Throughout history the Metis has had success and failure, but they have always continued to fight for their sovereignty. Though after the North West Rebellion, little was accomplished by the Metis for their sovereignty. Future generations have recently come forward in the last decade or so, standing up for what their ancestors 140 years ago strongly fought for. The Canadian government …show more content…
But when Louis Riel took actions into his own hands by arresting John Shultz and 48 other Canadian party members, who eventually he escaped prison. In which he then, executed Thomas Scott, one of the prisoners. People in Ottawa were furious about the Metis executing Thomas Scott and demanded that Prime Minister Macdonald take action immediately. Macdonald sent out 1200 troops to Red River to take control of Manitoba. This resulted in the members of the provisional government going into hiding and Riel fleeing to America. Though this ended unsuccessfully with Riel fleeing, the Metis had successfully established the province of Manitoba and bring it into Confederation. They defended their sovereign rights, and they became legal in Manitoba. The North West Resistance was a very violent uprising against the Canadian Government, which mainly the Metis militants and other Aboriginal people fought. “It was caused by the insecurity among the Metis and Aboriginal people as well as the white settlers coming in drastically changing the west”.It began with the return of
To answer this, one must address the severity of the crisis, as well as the degree to which the War Measures Act would alleviate the situation. This proves to be an unexpectedly difficult task, as it is impossible to accurately capture the zeitgeist of such a turbulent time period without being subject to bias. However from a purely objective standpoint, the evidence clearly identifies that there was no insurrection, nor was one likely to take place. Trudeau relied heavily on galvanizing the risk that the FLQ posed to the Canadian public. However, this came to be a detriment to his case when the supposed danger was discredited. According to most authorities, the FLQ “was a collection of scattered, radical grouplets who communicated amongst themselves with great difficulty and apprehension”(Conrad et al). It is of course, rather difficult to carry out widespread insurrection without a cohesive unit to do so. Trudeau’s speech relied heavily on the notion that the FLQ posed a greater threat than they realistically did, and by the end of the crisis it was clear that his claims were null. However, Trudeau did not operate alone in his endeavors. The crisis was rapidly escalated in scale by local and national media alike. The media “Fed the notion of a hydra head conspiracy, unknown, unknowable, but of course infinitely dangerous”, an error that almost did more to aid in the FLQ’s influence over the country, than it did to call in any sort of justifiable action (Bothwell, 447-50). This combined with rumors of Quebec dissolving their government due to the “severity” of the situation, a rumor that was initially reported to be started by Trudeau (although it was enforced by numerous parties”) in order to gain the support of the public for the actions he was preparing to take (Clement). It is generally agreed upon that War
Louis Riel had taken up residence in the United States after the Red River Rebellion. A delegation traveled to Montana to enlist Riel's help once again to stop the Canadian government from encroaching on Métis land. Riel returned to Canada with the delegation and drew up a petition of grievances that had the support of both English and French speaking Métis as well as the immigrant settlers of the area. The petition was sent to the federal government calling for improved political representation, modification of the homesteading laws, and a land grant for the Métis among the seventeen items called for. Riel and his followers believed themselves to not being taken seriously by the Canadian government so he set up the first provisional government in the Northwest. Riel's earlier religious training was affecting his way of looking at his situation and he began fighting against the church and calling for war against the Canadian government. He proclaimed himself, "Prophet of the New World" and claimed his authority came directly from God (Stanley 302). Riel's provisional government was beginning to lose its original support and even the French-speaking Métis began to question his intentions. He hurriedly restored the unity with the treason trial of Charles Nolin and ...
Life for the Métis was adventurous with all of the hunting and trading they did. Métis were the result of Aboriginal people and Europeans. Many would work at fur trading companies or just be hunters. When they would travel to different places they would often use Ox Carts to haul all of their belongings. Their culture was very important including what music they played and the language. When they traded they would sell a lot of things because they were so talented at making things. The Métis grew up an having unique and adventurous life including who they were, the culture, what they made, Red River Trails, the Fur Trade, where they've live and how they live today.
Throughout the history of Canada the indigenous population of the country have been voiceless. They have been both suppressed and oppressed by the Federal and various Provincial governments within Canada. Many organizations tried to provide a voice for the native population but failed in their attempt. These organizations eventually merged together to become what is now known as The Assembly of First Nations. The Assembly of First Nations gives voice to the issues and problems facing the different components of the aboriginal community in Canada.
when the first moved to the red river area. Some historians believe that if it was not for the Metis that the settlement would not have survived. Eventually the Metis allied with the North West Company who were highly opposed to the Hudson Bay Company moving in. The Nor’westers were worried that they could lose their fur supply and pemmican.
... is that the deeply valued cultural identities by the French has been overlooked by the federal government. Secondly, Quebecers proved themselves capable to form a successful economy, although they would have to overcome certain hardships. Thirdly, the local government of Quebec was trying to get into agreements with the federal government of Canada. The steps they took were mostly reasonable and friendly, but few regulations must be taken in order to avoid oppression of English-Canadian. Although the ethnic tension in Canada has drooped away in the year of 2010, but minor issues still trouble the Canadian government. The possibility of the Quebec Independence turning into a riot is very unlikely, but the possibility still exists. Giving the sovereignty to Quebec could be a considerable choice for the federal government, if Canada wants to end the issue all at once.
Few Canadians acknowledge the Aboriginals and their land rights, and even fewer Canadians study them. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 is considered one of the most important treaties in history to be made with the Native People; yet very few have even a vague idea when they hear the words “Royal Proclamation, 1763”. Even with the grounds that the Royal Proclamation of 1763 provided, Canada has repeatedly shown ill treatment towards Aboriginals in an repugnant manner. The Royal Proclamation should be respected as an official treaty, signified as a milestone, as well as to be a lesson to teach Canadians equality toward Aboriginals.
It can be said without a doubt that the indigenous peoples of Canada have had to undergo much turmoil in order to reach the point that they are at today. When one looks at the timeline of events and the laws implemented since the arrival of the Europeans in North America it can be considered a miracle that so many aspects of the rich culture and tradition of these people have survived to see today. It is a blessing that these people have been able to pass down the languages, cultural and societal beliefs, as well as their stories from generation to generation so that the people of North America and the world today may be able to know and study these civilized and multifaceted cultures. The First Nations people of Canada have had to go through many types of oppression since the arrival of the settlers. And even though society has slowly made strides in the right direction in respect to eliminating the oppression on aboriginal peoples there still remains a vast inequality between the aboriginals of Canada and that of their counterparts of European descent in the forms of their educational differences which lead to difficulties in employment as well as an increased crime rate.
The journey for the Aboriginals to receive the right to keep and negotiate land claims with the Canadian government was long but prosperous. Before the 1970's the federal government chose not to preform their responsibilities involving Aboriginal issues, this created an extremely inefficient way for the Aboriginals to deal with their land right problems. The land claims created by the Canadian government benefited the aboriginals as shown through the Calder Case, the creation of the Office of Native Claims and the policy of Outstanding Business.
During the late 1860s the Red River Settlement was rapidly changing and along with these changes came multiple causes and conflicts that would subsequently to a resistance called the Red River Rebellion. Many profound changes occurred in the Red River Settlement that had caused problems and hostility among the inhabitants to emerge such as:the arrival of Canadians to the settlement, the economic problems and the decline of the Hudson Bay Company. However, the Red River Rebellion was sparked by the Hudson Bay Company selling Rupert’s Land to the new Dominion of Canada without consulting with the inhabitants nor paying any regards to their interests.The colonists of the Red River Settlement, many of whom were Metis, feared for their culture and land rights under the dominion’s control. In order to ascertain that their rights would be protected, the Metis set up a provisional government under the leadership of Louis Riel to negotiate an agreement with the new Dominion of Canada that the Red River Settlement and the lands surrounding it, could enter Confederation as the province of Manitoba under their own terms.
Louis Riel was a hero and a representative for the Metis people. His ultimate goals was to protect his people and try to obtain the same rights for his Metis people, which were given to the White English in Canada. He represented those who could not represent themselves. . Louis Riel and the Metis people demanded equal rights for each person, but time after time, the government refused to provide them with these rights. After the Rebellion Louis Riel was elected by Manitoba in the House of Commons. Riel went to Ottawa in an attempt to take his seat, but was not allowed because he was threatened that if he was near the house of commons he would be shot by many, I believe that this was the governments fault. The government had the ability to stop the threats, but chose
The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) represents the Métis community in Manitoba in political, cultural, social and economic matters (Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), 2013). Manitoba Métis Federation, representing Métis in Manitoba, filed a claim asking for a declaration that the federal and provincial statutes, which affected the implementation of Manitoba Act provisions, were "constitutionally invalid” (Chartrand, p. 477, 1991). In Section 31 of Manitoba Act, 1870, it provided lands to the Métis people. Section 32 assured the settlers, Aboriginal or not, that their occupied lands in 1869 would not be “jeopardized” by the wave of newcomers (Sprague...
The issues surrounding Aboriginal land claims have posed both challenges and opportunities for Canadian unity. Establishing agreements between Aboriginal people and the federal government is quite complex, as the claims are often linked to social issues, governance, and other matters. Many Aboriginals see self-government as having been given to them by the Creator, and view it as a part of their spiritual connection to the land. Regardless, the federal government and Canadian Aboriginal people have been successful in negotiating several important settlements. This dispute however, has also lead to opportunities for Canadian unity. The long history and rich culture of Aboriginal people in Canada not only help define our national identity, but also shape our economic and social well-being. Collaborating with agreement partners help strengthen to approach to treaty implementation. Furthermore, land and resources under the control of these Aboriginal governments are more attractive to investors, and this facilitates partnerships between Aboriginal governments, other governments, and the private sector. As a result, greater prosperity for Aboriginal people and a more promising future for all Canadians may be achieved. The Aboriginal self-determination clearly proves the challenges and opportunities it can bring when dealing with Canadian identity and
Both First Nations and Quebec had their own pressuring groups (Quebec: FLQ & FN: National Indian Brotherhood) to pressure the govenment to their demands. In 1970, the FLQ (Front de Liberatioin du Quebec) was formed to pressure the government to seperate Quebec from Canada. During the weeks, the FLQ captured and assassinated provincial cabinet minister Pierre LaPorte. Trudeau was asked on how far he was going to go against the FLQ, his response was "Just watch me." Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act in order to stop the FLQ. Eventually the War Measures Act prevailed and the kidnappers of LaPorte and other politicians were arrested. The First Nations shared a similar crisis in 1990. The town wanted to build and expand a golf course on land used by the Mohawk tribe. The Mohawks disputed and filed a land claim, however that claim was denied by the government which lead into a 78-day standoff between the police and the Mohawks. The Mohawks set up blockades on bridges in which people can not leave nor enter the area. This ongoing dispute lead to the death of Colonel Marcel Lemay. Both sides felt sypathetic to his tragic death. As a result, the government gave the Mohawks their land as rightfully so. Both results of The Oka and October crisis leads to the government victorious and both having significant conflicts in
Carole Blackburn writes the first article, titled, Differentiating Indigenous Citizenship, Seeking Multiplicity in Rights, Identity, and Sovereignty in Canada. Her ethnographic research brought her to British Columbia where she examined the delicate society of the Nisga’a people; an aboriginal tribe who has fought for differentiated indigenous citizenship for over a cent...