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Impact of colonization on the native indians
Impact of colonization on the native indians
Impact of colonization on the native indians
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In times of rapid change and development, Canada as a democratic nation has failed to represent its population as an entirety, specifically, it has failed to represent its Indigenous peoples; its First Nations. Seen as a utopia for people of all ideologies, the Canadian government has done nothing for the Indigenous communities in their fight against alcoholism and in providing the necessary treatment. They have refused to acknowledge their poor standard of living and quality of life on reserves that are cut off from the rest of the Canadian population, where they face issues on a daily basis that defy basic human rights. The Indigenous peoples have a gap in their faith, culture, heritage, and traditions compared to the rest of Canada due to …show more content…
Tony Abbott once said “The problem with politicians getting to know the issues in Indigenous townships is that we tend to suffer from what the Aboriginal people call ‘seagull syndrome’- we fly in, scratch around, and fly out.” The Indigenous peoples of Canada have been victims of the seagull syndrome for nearly 150 years, with the Canadian government acknowledging the issues that Indigenous communities face in regards to alcoholism, then abandoning them. “ Most Indigenous peoples are born without the the enzyme lactase; which is necessary to break down alcohol and gluten. Without it, the body is unable to convert alcohol to sugars and it continues to permanently live in the bloodstream.” (Trammel) The Indigenous peoples are poisoning themselves from the inside. Acknowledged in 2005, the Canadian government has yet to establish a system of treatment or provide therapy for the Indigenous communities on the reserves that they currently occupy. According to a Government of Canada website that lists all publicly funded alcohol treatment centres across …show more content…
Shut off from the rest of the Canadian population, they have been forced to live in areas where their basic human rights are not addressed, and Canadians have refused to acknowledge it. In remote areas of Canada where tribes like the Neskantaga peoples live, Drinking Water Advisories (DWA’s) have been in action since 1996. (Joseph) This means that two generations of Indigenous peoples have grown up without access to clean tap water. “In response to ongoing problems with the provision of clean drinking water on reserves throughout Canada, the government prepared this law, which sets out a process for developing regulations. Hence, [the SDWFNA] does not specify water quality parameters, standards, or actions to improve water quality. Rather, it enables Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) and Health Canada to develop regulations dealing with drinking water and wastewater.” [4] [emphasis added] (Joseph) The Canadian government has not only done nothing about the situation but instead has legalized their lack of effort and therefore allowed themselves to avoid dealing with the situation. The Canadian government has also avoided dealing with issues that Aboriginal peoples face in Grassy Narrows; where the people have been drinking mercury-poisoned water for the last half-century.
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.
Generations of native people in Canada have faced suffering and cultural loss as a result of European colonization of their land. Government legislation has impacted the lives of five generations of First Nations people and as a result the fifth generation (from 1980 to present) is working to recover from their crippled cultural identity (Deiter-McArthur 379-380). This current generation is living with the fallout of previous government policies and societal prejudices that linger from four generations previous. Unrepentant, Canada’s ‘Genocide’, and Saskatchewan’s Indian People – Five Generations highlight issues that negatively influence First Nations people. The fifth generation of native people struggle against tremendous adversity in regard to assimilation, integration, separation, and recovering their cultural identity with inadequate assistance from our great nation.
Presently, access to programs and health care services is fragmented given the nature of the health care system for Aboriginal peoples (Wilson et al., 2012). The federal government is responsible for providing limited health services among Inuit living within traditional territories and status/registered Indians living on reserves (Chen et al., 2004). This responsibility is vested in the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch organizations to carry out protection activities and health promotion, and provide funding for community health programs in Inuit communities and reserves (Chen et al., 2004). Firstly, the complexity of the health care system for Aboriginal peoples has resulted in an unequal access to health services due to the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch program (FNIHB), which only applies to Inuit and Indians. Therefore, Metis and other Aboriginal peoples who do not qualify for registration under the Indian Act do not receive health services provided by FNIHB (Chen et al., 2004). Secondly, the transfer of responsibility to health boards, communities and other authorities has resulted in unequal supply of health services between territories and provinces, uneven distribution among communities, and leaves limited opportunity for increased funding (Loppie et al., 2009). It has also lead to controversy between various levels of government over the responsibility to pay for particular health services. Jurisdictional limitations, which have failed to recognize Metis identity and rights, have resulted in health disparities among the Metis population (Wilson et al., 2012). While the federal government recently decided to include Metis status in Aboriginal initiatives, the funding has not been equitable when compared to those of Inuit and First Nations or to the non-Aboriginal populations in Canada (Loppie et al., 2009). The Aboriginal health
However, Canada is working towards incremental equality when regarding this concept, which in turn, impacts reconciliation. The most universal outcomes of the physical environments of reserves are to do with substantial housing shortages and poor quality of existing homes. With the lack of affordable housing off reserves, there is overcrowding in First Nation communities, as well as homelessness for Aboriginals living in urban areas, (Reading & Wien, 2009, p.8). Homes that exist on reserves lack appropriate ventilation, which results in mold, which in turn can lead to severe asthma as well as allergies. Families on reserves do not have access to a fresh supermarket that carries nutritious foods because they live in a remote community. With this being said, health conditions may develop in Aboriginal peoples because of the lack of healthy, nutritious food. Canada is working towards equality within the physical environments as William F. Morneau (2016) describes, “Budget 2016 proposes to invest $8.4 billion over five years, beginning in 2016-17, to improve the socio-economic conditions of Indigenous peoples and their communities and bring about transformational change,” (“A Better Future for Indigenous Peoples,” 2016). All of these aspects play a key role in reaching reconciliation throughout
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
For teens, the weekend is a fun time for them to let loose and enjoy a short break from the demands of school. While some partake in harmless activities during this free time, many will indulge in the harms of binge drinking. Middlesex-London Health Unit states that "Researchers have defined binge drinking as 4 or more standard drinks of alcohol for women and 5 or more standard drinks of alcohol for men." This is the universal definition of binge drinking backed up by scientific proof. Drinking relates to the 3 main reasons why young people die which are unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide (Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors Among High School
The Indian act, since being passed by Parliament in 1876, has been quite the validity test for Aboriginal affairs occurring in Canada. Only a minority of documents in Canadian history have bred as much dismay, anger and debate compared to the Indian Act—but the legislation continues as a central element in the management of Aboriginal affairs in Canada. Aboriginal hatred against current and historic terms of the Indian Act is powerful, but Indigenous governments and politicians stand on different sides of the fence pertaining to value and/or purpose of the legislation. This is not shocking, considering the political cultures and structures of Aboriginal communities have been distorted and created by the imposition of the Indian Act.
Alcoholism has been a fixture in our society since the first introduction of alcohol. Despite it being an equal opportunity disease, a large majority of not only the treatment, but also the research, has been about men. This lack of consideration of the different needs for men and women has led to many women going through recovery systems that do not address their experiences, and therefore do not allow them to take full advantage of that recovery system. This paper will attempt to look at the different experiences that men and women have in their journey through a substance addiction (particularly alcohol), from addiction through recovery. The main recovery method that will be discussed here is Alcoholics Anonymous. As an observation addition to this assignment, I sat in on an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Kerrville, TX. The meeting was on Thanksgiving Day at noon. I took detailed notes of the meeting, while keeping a watchful eye for any gendered interactions during the flow of the meeting.
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
Imagine being taken from your family at the age of six. Being referred to as a number rather than a name. Receiving brutal and cruel punishments for speaking the only language you were taught. How would it impact your life? Unfortunately, this is the reality for millions of Canada's Indigenous population. The nation of Canada is known to the world for being a country of peace, love and equality. Individuals originating from different nationalities immigrate to Canada, in hopes to improve their standard of living and escape the horrors of their country. Moreover, Canadians have not always been as supportive and welcoming of new ethnicities populating Canadian territory as they portray themselves to be today. Indian Horse is known to be an insightful
The Harper government had policies that marginalized Canada’s most harassed people, the First Nations. Of course, Harper did apologize for the injustice of the residential schools, but there was little action to prove he wanted better relations with the thousands of people who were so willing to put their maltreatment behind them.1 In 2005, the Paul Martin government worked with provincial and territorial governments to develop the Kelowna Accord. The idea was to close the gap between the standards of living of Aboriginals and non Aboriginals. The agreement was a major step forward for partnership between the First Nations and the government. Even so, when the Harper government replaced them and outlined their 2006 budget as a minority government, there was significantly less funding towards the Accord.2 The Harper
Wealth is the many fortunes that billions of people have never gotten a glimpse of. In contrast, poverty has drenched the lives of over three billion people; 270 million of these people are Indigenous. The 15 percent of the world’s indigenous poverty resides in Canada. Issues such as land usage, lack of employment, internal conflicts, poor education, and racism are well known factors of poverty. The Indigenous peoples of Canada are predominantly controlled by the issues derived from poverty.
The dictionary describes alcoholism as continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks. However, this disease is much more complex. Alcohol abuse is a growing problem in the United States today, causing more and more deaths each year. It affects nearly everyone in the U.S. today, either directly or indirectly. Over half of Americans have at least one close relative that has a drinking problem. About 20 million people in the United States abuse alcohol. It is the third leading cause of preventable deaths, and about 100,000 people die each year from alcohol related incidents (Peacock 11).
Having read specific articles on current social issues pertaining to; emotional and economical realities, of the Aboriginal Peoples, women’s rights, homelessness/poverty, and mental health persons, I realize there are greater underlings, that emphases the linking of these social groups. This includes, multiple sub-categories on marginalized populations in Canada today; hate crimes that are still prevalent, substance abuse at an upsurge, and suicide that is an invisible crisis among populations from the Aboriginal Peoples, mental health, to the homeless society groups. These play an environmental negative effect on theses stereotyped populations among the media. The media are playing a considerable role in how society (we) views these groups,
A major factor was the introduction of fortified and distilled alcohol, first by the Europeans and later the Americans, to an indigenous population whose physiology (metabolism and neural compensation) was not accustomed to this concentration of ethanol. Another factor was the introduction of alcohol outside of traditional customs and folkways. While there is evidence of substance use during aboriginal times, notably of fermented corn or cactus juices and psychoactive agents such as peyote and cocoa leaves, these substances were confined to prescribed rituals and were not known to be abused” (French, Laurence 2000). The general public is not aware of the current problems that face Native Americans. They can have alcohol and substance abuse problems, just like any other culture group. Native Americans are also subject to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression as they can only live on reservations for those of the same