Aboriginal Spirituality

By: Rafi, Richard, Karolyn

Native Adherents

• New data from the 2001 census shows the aboriginals share in Canada’s rising population.

• Census count of people registered under the Indian Act was about 558,000

Aboriginal InfluencesLate 20th century

• The Oka Crisis was a land dispute between the Mohawk nation and the town of Oka, Quebec which began on March 11, 1990, and lasted until September 26, 1990. It resulted in three deaths, and would be the first of a number of well-publicized violent conflicts between Indigenous people and the Canadian Government in the late 20th century.

• The Ipperwash Crisis was an Indigenous land dispute that occurred in Ipperwash Provincial Park, Ontario in 1995. Several members of the Stoney Point Ojibway band occupied the park in order to assert their claim to the land. This led to a violent confrontation between protestors and the Ontario Provincial Police, who killed protestor Dudley George. The ensuing controversy was a major event in Canadian politics, and a provincial inquiry investigating the events continues today.

Aboriginal Influences CNTD.

Early 21st century • Many First Nations, along with their peers the Métis and the

Inuit, claim to receive inadequate funding for education, and allege that their rights have been overlooked in many instances. Recently James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, listed the encouragement of indigenous young people as one of his key priorities, and during his term (which began in 2002) has launched several initiatives to promote literacy and bridge building.

Interaction with European-Canadians • As far back as the late 18th century, First Nations believe

they have been targeted for assimilation into what they call European/Canadian culture.

Important Facts/TimeframeQuotations

• "The culture, values and traditions of native people amount to more than crafts and carvings. Their respect for the wisdom of their elders, their concept of family responsibilities extending beyond the nuclear family to embrace a whole village, their respect for the environment, their willingness to share - all of these values persist within their own culture even though they have been under unremitting pressure to abandon them." Mr. Justice Thomas Berger, Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry, (aka the Berger Inquiry).

Timeframe The Aboriginals were in Canada approximately 35,000 years ago.

Interesting FactsThe aboriginal peoples of Canada came into contact with Europeans around 900 years ago for the Inuit and over 400 years ago for the peoples of the north Atlantic coast. Some did not meet Europeans until the early 20th century. Earliest contact with the Europeans were with the Norse in Newfoundland around 1000 AD.

Place Of Origin

Important Facts• The origins of Canada's Aboriginal peoples are

largely shrouded in mystery, others think that they came by crossing an ice bridge in The Bearing Strait from east (Asia) to the west (North, and South America). The Aboriginals had twelve major language families and over fifty languages evolved many different types of ecological environments.Archaeologists have found native artefacts dating back beyond 10,000 years

Beliefs

• Animism: all human and non-human withhold a soul and after death, live on.

• Aboriginal is more polytheistic (believing in more than one god) rather than monotheistic (believing in one god).

• They believe in reincarnation, or rebirth.

Practices, Rituals, Ceremonies…

• The Sweat Lodge: It is a ceremony common among the Great Plains nations and cleanses both the physical and spiritual body.

• The Morning Dance: Occurs every spring, the Ojibwa of southern Ontario perform this dance. It pays homage to “the tree of the universe”

• The Shaking Tent: It’s a ritual where one communicates with its spirits.

• The Sun Dance: A summer festival that takes place over a period of eight to sixteen days. This festival was so powerful that the government banned it in the late 1880s.

• The Potlatch Ceremony: Feasting, distributing wealth, and sharing songs and dances are all part of a Potlatch. This was another ceremony that the government made illegal in 1884.

Other interesting facts…

• The definition of Aboriginal is: of native ancestry inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times and before colonists.

• The leader of the group is called a Sachem.• Aboriginals have many interesting stories about

genesis/origins.• These stories hold a great deal of spiritual powers.• Not only are they located in North and South America, but

they are also located around the world.• All over Canada, there are specific pieces for natives only.

One is located in Orillia.• Aboriginals have many traditions and rituals, some are: the

morning dance, and the sun dance.