It is illogical to attempt to ‘reap’ what you do not ‘sow.’ However, from 1870 to 1885, many Canadians thought this was a legitimate frame of mind in handling affairs with groups in the North-West. Their selfishness, to them, was sanctified. Sanctified because a push for the formation of Canada overshadowed and overruled each stage in a long, unfriendly struggle. In his article, “Causes of the 1885 Struggle,” Howard clarifies that giving the label, “Riel rebellion,” to these struggles, is a misleading and inappropriate title. He states that Riel was not alone in the unravelling of the events that took place in 1885. From this, Howard identifies the 1885 “hostilities” as a class manifested turning-point in Canada’s movement politically and socially: towards capitalism, modern agriculture and industrialism. In the 1870s, aside from Manitoba, the remainder of the North-West was wholly without any form of government. This meant that nominal control was in the hands of Manitoba’s lieutenant-governor until 1873: after-which he was given an appointed council to help out. One of the most notable actions made by the lieutenant-governor, and his council in 1873 was the creation of the NWMP (North-West Mounted Police). It was not until after the North-West Territories act of 1875 that the North-West Territories received their own, exclusive, lieutenant-governor. Still, without their own judicial and police force, primary power laid in the hands of Ottawa: who had the ability to disallow any locally driven ordinances. The Metis people remained relatively independent and politically involved, organizing their own local government by 1875, despite the pseudo-federal administration imposed on the North-West. However, it was all grou... ... middle of paper ... ...atens others and encourages them to engage in similar tactics. Overall Howard deserves to be commended for his political approach to the struggles of 1885. His opinion of the class structure present and its importance in the developmental process of Canada’s political framework lends much insight to any reader willing to give it more than a moments thought. This article fits extremely well with class as it puts emphasis on the united quality among North-West groups, as well as the necessity to shed light on the Metis as a whole, not exclusively Riel. Personally I really enjoyed this article. I did not necessarily agree with the lens Howard was attempting to capture everything in, but the element of political theory that Howard brought to the table, for me, is always worthy of analysis: especially if you connect to a different theory that you can compare it to.
Steckley, J., & Cummins, B. D. (2008). Full circle: Canada's First Nations (2nd ed.). Toronto:
In the year 1957, Canada elected its first Prime minister without English or French root, John Diefenbaker. While growing up in the city of Toronto, because of his German name, he was often teased. [1] He grew up as an outcast, and so he was able to relate to the discrimination and inequality many of the minorities in Canada felt. This essay will attempt to answer the question: To what extent did Prime Minister John Diefenbaker help promote equality to the minority communities. . The minorities in this time period were the women, aboriginals, and immigrants. During his time as the Prime Minister, he was able to help protect the rights of this group because many of their rights were being abused by the society. Diefenbaker also helped the minorities to stand up for themselves and other groups. Diefenbaker was able to bring positive change to the minority communities by making an official Bill of Rights and appointing people of discriminated groups to the parliament while other members did not.
The Pullman Strike of 1894 was the first national strike in American history and it came about during a period of unrest with labor unions and controversy regarding the role of government in business.5 The strike officially started when employees organized and went to their supervisors to ask for a lowered rent and were refused.5 The strike had many different causes. For example, workers wanted higher wages and fewer working hours, but the companies would not give it to them; and the workers wanted better, more affordable living quarters, but the companies would not offer that to them either. These different causes created an interesting and controversial end to the Pullman strike. Because of this, questions were raised about the strike that are still important today. Was striking a proper means of getting what the workers wanted? Were there better means of petitioning their grievances? Was government intervention constitutional? All these questions were raised by the Pullman Strike.
This analysis of Andrea Smith’s “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy” define the important aspects of revolving sense of oppression from slavery/capitalism, genocide/colonialism, and orientalism/war in Canadian history. The institution of slavery and the capitalist system tended to structure power around the ability of Canadian male officials to enslave women as a type of servant workforce in the black community For example, Canadian women’s history will define the effects of the Treaty of Paris as an example of slavery capitalism, since it created a monetary system that was based around exploiting labor in the female population: “One effect of this transfer in power is the legal strengthening of slavery in Canada. At this time, 1500 Black slaves have landed in Canada
Harold Cardinal made a bold statement in his book, The Unjust Society, in 1969 about the history of Canada’s relationship with Aboriginal peoples. His entire book is, in fact, a jab at Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s idea of ‘the just society’. Pierre Elliott Trudeau made great assumptions about First Nations people by declaring that Aboriginal people should be happy about no longer being described as Indian. His goal was to rid Canada of Indians by assimilating them into the Canadian framework. Considered by many as a progressive policy, Trudeau’s white paper demonstrates just how accurate the following statement made by Harold Cardinal at the beginning of his book is : “The history of Canada’s Indians is a shameful chronicle of the white man’s disinterest,
Canada is a vast country made up of regions that have very different landscapes and characteristics. This diversity is what makes Canada unique as a federation, however, it also leads to regional tensions. Geographic differences are only one of many potential points of contention between provincial governments or regions and the federal government. Canadians are all aware of the tensions between Quebec and the federal government, as the separatist movement received a lot of attention. However, there is another regional group that also has many tensions with the Canadian government: the Western provinces. Separatism has been discussed by these provinces as well, and there are many factors that contribute to their discontent.
Louis Riel was one of the most controversial figures in Canadian history, and even to this day – more than a century after his execution – he continues to be remembered. Many believed him to be a villain; others saw him as a hero. So who was he really? Born in St. Boniface at the Red River Settlement of Canada (present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba) on October 22, 1844, Louis Riel hoped one day to follow his father’s footsteps and become a great Métis leader just like him. Eventually, Riel was seen as a hero to the French-speaking Métis. In the Canadian West, however, most people regarded him as a villain due to his execution in 1885. Nevertheless, Louis Riel was not really a villain by heart; only a flawed man who made many mistakes in his life. Today many more people are seeing him as a visionary, and recognizing the numerous contributions that he made to building Canada up as a nation. He was indubitably a Canadian hero, mainly due to his involvement with the Métis, confederating Manitoba with Canada, and approaching problems peacefully.
Consequently, Quebecers often refer to the events of that evening as the “night of the long knives.” Ultimately, with the exception of Quebec, the provinces all agreed to a package of constitutional reforms, consisting of the patriation of the Constitution with an amending formula and a charter of rights, a commitment to equalization, the strengthening of provincial controls over natural resources, and the recognition and affirmation of the existing rights of Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples.
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
Canada’s Smallest Province: A History of Prince Edward Island was published in 1973 and edited by Francis W.P. Bolger who writes both articles that will be focused on. Firstly, “Land and Politics, 1787-1824,” second, “The Demise of Quit Rent and Escheat, 1824-1842”. Interestingly, the book was published by the PEI 1973 Centennial Commission to commemorate the 100th university of their entrance into Confederation. It creates the perspective of the province being painted in an overly positive light, given its financial backing. It reflects the land tenure question and its effects on the political, economic and social triangle of the Islands development. Bolger “hopes that this volume will afford its readers an appreciation of some of the important themes and issues in the history of Canada’s smallest province” (Prologue). Bo...
To them, the excitement and the adventure of the buffalo hunt held more appeal than farming. Hundreds of Metis were content to earn a living by hunting buffalo, making pemmican or finding employment as freight drivers. After a while Canada bought Rupertsland from Hudson Bay Company. When the Metis heard this they were alarmed. They feared their religion,their language, their lands and their old, free way of* life.
The Confederation act of 1867 without question has had a major influence on the status of contemporary Canada. It has helped shape Canada into one of the worlds most politically and economically powerful countries; a country that is strong, independent, and united. There was a series of events which led to the confederation of Canada, some which are more significant than others. However, I believe that despite the significance of events such as the British encouragement of uniting its North American colonies, the central and key reason for confederation was the fear of potential American (Yankee) inhabitance (whether by persuasion or invasion) of the divided and vast British North American colonies, and the way that the “Fathers of Confederation” were able to take advantage of this situation and persuade reluctant colonies to join Confederation. A strong and united nation could not be easily invaded or bought. These essential factors will be discussed in the paragraphs to come.
Aboriginal communities have practiced self-government long before the first Europeans explored, settled, and colonized the region known as Canada. The Canadian Federal Government has upheld these practices by acknowledging the inherent right of self-government through treaties and documents over the course of history. There are various forms of self-government such as municipal, territorial, and treaty models. In this paper, I will argue that aboriginal self-government is an important right that must be upheld and respected in Canadian law and society. However, self-governance, in the context of the treaty model, has become problematic as it has created more problems than it has solved. Aboriginal self- government has led to a lack of accountability,
In conclusion Canada gained independence because of a series of events that took place during the twentieth century. If it hadn’t been for these events, Canada to this day might have been a part of the British Empire. Through discussion on the Chanak affair we signalled that we wanted autonomy. Through our hard work and lives, the world knew we had the ability to stand alone as a strong nation. While, our international reputation of being a “peacekeeping” country the right to stand as an independent self-governing nation. But finally through the Canada Act, we stood solely independent from our Empire. It is obvious that the twentieth century provided us with great chances to become an independent strong nation.
MacDougall, Brenda. One of the Family: Metis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2010.