“To be Indian is to lack power – the power to act as owners of your lands, the power to spend your own money and, too often, the power to change your own condition.” Jean Chretien, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, 1969 “White Papers” “I think it’s not humane when we don’t ask the Indigenous peoples themselves what they want to do; I mean part of the problem, for the last 150 - 200 years is that First Nations people are not in control of their own destiny. It’s this crushing Paternalism from the federal government telling First Nations peoples what to do.” Hayden King, Political Science Lecturer, McMaster University. Source: CBC news: Sunday, debate with Jonathan Kay of the National Post 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. Such discrepancies include formation of the residential school system, the loss of status in various forms [such... ... middle of paper ... ...(Queen’s Printer Cat. No. R32-2469). Ottawa, ON. N.A. (2008, June 11). ‘We’re Sorry’ Harper Says. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/441556 Six Nations Geo Systems (1999). National Aboriginal Document Database. Retrieved February 23, 2009 from http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/aboriginaldocs/m-treaty.htm Tolvanen, A. (1992). The rise of Native Self-determination and the crisis of the Canadian Political Regime. Culture, Volume XII (No. 1), 63-77. United Nations General Assembly. (2007). Declaration of Indigenous Peoples. (1st edition, Sixty-first session). United Nations, United States of America. UN News Centre (April 2008). UN experts welcome Canada’s backing for indigenous rights declaration. Retrieved February 21, 2009 from http://www.un.org/ga/61/news/news.asp?NewsID=26376&Cr=indigenous&Cr1=rights
A year after the meeting in London, many First Nations Chiefs met in Ottawa where they collectively wrote the Declaration of First Nations. At the 1982 National Assembly of the Indian Brotherhood the Assembly of First Nations was founded. Secondly, in simple terms, the Assembly of First Nations basically provides voice for the First Nations community in both the Federal and Provincial sectors of the Canadian government. In the charter of The Assembly of First Nations it is stated that the organization is determined to do many things. One example is to protect the reducing population
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.
“The recognition of the inherent right of self-government is based on the view that the Aboriginal peoples of Canada have the right to govern themselves in relation to matters that are internal to their communities, integral to their unique cultures, identities, traditions, languages and institutions, and with respect to their special relationship to their land and resources." (Wherrett
The efforts toward Reconciliation from the Canadian Government have been historically inadequate due to the conservative party led by stephen harper prioritizing other financial and social issues before important Aboriginal issues, which has ultimately affected their decision to follow through with proposed initiatives, such as the Kelowna Accord. The Kelowna Accord was a list of conditions and policies agreed upon between the Canadian Government, the leaders of every province and territory with the leaders of the First Nations People. Unfortunately when the conservative party took over, they decided that they did not have the funds necessary to implement the previously agreed upon accord, and insisted that it “did not exist” This decision unquestionably wounded the opportunity for reconciliation between the Government and First Nations People, which was a shame due to the benefits which are outlined in reconciliation.
In a 1994 U.N. orchestrated commission on the rights of the world’s indigenous populations, it was concluded that an increase in international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous peoples was necessary for improvement of their condition across such areas as environment and natural resources, health, education, and human rights. As a result, the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights declared the years 1995-2004 to be the Decade of the World’s Indigenous Populations. The theme of the decade was to be “partnership in action”, and the main objectives were to strengthen the role of the international community in enforcing international human rights treaties, to promote the discovery of viable solutions to Indigenous-State conflicts through
For Status Indians various activities have expanded nearby control under the Indian Act and permitted the arrangement of new administrative structures to supplant that act. On the other hand, numerous First Nations keep up that any type of assigned power is conflicting with an intrinsic right of self-government. Inuit have sought after self-government through open government courses of action in the north in conjunction with area claims, while the Métis have progressed different cases for area and self-government. Native people groups have additionally drawn on the privilege of self-determination and worldwide law to bolster their cases. The creating assemblage of global law on human rights has concentrated much consideration, as of late, on the privilege to self-determination as it applies to Aboriginal people groups. Native associations have contended that the characteristic right of self-government is a part of the privilege of self-determination perceived in the United Nations Charter and in the Draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous
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.
Reed, Kevin, Natasha Beeds, and Barbara Filion. Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. Toronto: Pearson Canada, 2011. Print.
Shah, Anup. "Rights of Indigenous People." Global Issues. N.p., 16 Oct. 2010. Web. 3 May 2014. .
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.
The first interpretation of sovereignty that is examined by Flanagan views sovereignty in an international sense. Sovereignty for these leaders means gaining more international power and acceptance. Flanagan argues that major international bodies such as the United Nations will be accepting such an attempt at sovereignty (71). As the second largest country in the world the geographical constraints on uniting Aboriginal people living across the country plays a significant factor. Flanagan also points to the diversity within this group; there are over six hundred bands across the ten provinces in Canada in more than 2,200 reserves. Compounding the geographical constraints facing their unity, Aboriginal bands in Canada often differ from each other significantly in their culture including language religion/customs (Flanagan 71). Many Aboriginal people now choose to live off reserve which further complicates their unity (Flanagan 73). Flanagan highlights that as many small bodies they would not be able to survive in the competition of the international community. Current international governance is extremely complex and Flanagan argues it is unlikely for poor isolated people to succeed (73). One united aboriginal voice is also highly unlikely according to Flanagan; having been freed of one power most bands would not choose to become conne...
While efforts are made to recognize aboriginals in the present day such as National Aboriginal Day (June 21) and gaining the right to vote, it can never erase the permanent scars Canadian society has caused to aboriginals. Most of the First Nations people today are living in poverty and are suffering from bad health. "Why do you allow the first people of this land to endure and live in Third World conditions?" a indigenous, female student from Saskatoon asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Mr. Trudeau answered, "Quite frankly ... this is a stain and a scar upon, not just our sense of who we are and our morality as Canadians, but on the kind of country we need to be building," (Justin
In 2005, an intergovernmental agreement between the Liberal government of Canada and the leaders of the national Aboriginal organizations was initiated. The treaty was known to be the Kelowna Accord. The ob...
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans in Canada in the mid- to late 1600s, Aboriginal people were the original inhabitants of the Canadian land. In Canadian history, we forced our Aboriginal people to adapt to the European-Canadian culture and values. Prior to overthrowing their land and culture, the Aboriginal peoples were thriving off the natural land materialistically and financially. In years to come in response to the mistreatment of them, the Canadian government would implement what is known as the Indigenous and Northern Affairs act [1966] this act would aim to establish financial rights and benefits for the aboriginal demographic. Today in the 21st century Canada is comprised of over 1.4 million indigenous peoples (Aylsworth
"Fundamental Principles of Tribal Sovereignty." Americanindianpolicycenter.org. American Indian Policy Center, 1 Nov. 2005. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. .