Aboriginals and Canada

Assimilation and its impact in the 20th Century

Potential Essay Questions

•Explain how intolerance has been an issue in Canada since 1914.

•To what extent has intolerance been an issue in Canada throughout the 20th century?

Text Pages about Aboriginal Affairs: 178-179, 212-214, 241, 250-256

Canada’s Policy of Assimilation

• Indian Act gave authority over Aboriginals– Made people wards of the

state• Goal of Canadian

Government to assimilate Aboriginal Peoples– Banned cultural traditions

• Potlaches– Used Residential Schools

• Kill the Indian in the child

Reserve System

• Aboriginal Bands placed on reserves through treaties or (in BC) forced– Reserves were on less

favourable land– Aboriginals had to seek

approval of Indian Agent for any decisions on the territory

•Govt took cut-off lands at will

Aboriginals gain respect during wars but…

• Percentage of volunteers from Aboriginals during both World Wars extremely high– Gained reputation for

courage at the front• When returning from the

front did not get same treatment as other soldiers– No pensions in WW1

Post WW2 Progress• Aboriginals begin to get

the right to vote (suffrage)– BC in 1949– Canada in 1960– Quebec not until 1969

• Some Cultural Traditions allowed again– Potlaches can reoccur

(1950s)

Artic Relocation •1953 – Canadian gov moved First

Nations ppl. to Northern Quebec and NWT

• families volunteered to move, but they were not warned about the conditions of the Artic or how difficult it would be to return to Quebec if they wished to do so.

•Families dropped off with o supplies.

•1980 – lawsuit against Canadian gov. suggested they moved Natives to artic to help Canadian sovereignty during cold war.

–gov gave compensation to survivors.

The White Paper - 1969• Aboriginals complain of Issues of

poverty, unemployment and addiction on reserves

• Federal Government recommends ending the Indian Act as a way to deal with the issue

– Goal was to create equality through assimilation ( as it basically suggested treating aboriginals the same as everyone else.)

– White Paper eventually abandoned– Aboriginals were furious – saw it as an attack on their right to maintain their unique identity.

– cultural genocide

The Red Paper - 1970• Aboriginals responded with the

Red Paper– Argued that the White Paper

would lead to the destruction of First Nations cultures

– To get rid of Aboriginal rights after years of Residential Schools and assimilation would see the end of language etc

– They proposed self-government for aboriginal people and control over own affairs.

Oka Crisis - 1990• Land claim crisis in Oka

Quebec– The town of Oka attempted

to increase the size of a golf course on disputed land

– Police officer shot in ensuing stand off

– Canadian military brought in• Canadian Government

resolved the conflict by giving the land to the Mohawk Nation and paying Oka Quebec for the land

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oka+standoff

Specific vs Comprehensive Land Claims

• Specific Land Claims occur where there is already a treaty in place and it is used by the courts

• Comprehensive Land Claims occur where there is no treaty– Most claims in BC fall

under this category– All factors must be

considered in court

Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples

• 1 in 4 children in poverty as opposed to 1 in 6 Canadian Children

• Live expectancy 7 years lower for First Nations Men and 5 years for First Nations Women

• Unemployment over 50%

• Canada one of only two countries NOT to initally sign the UN Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal People

• Canada signed the Declaration in June 2012

Rejection of Meech Lake Accord• Meech Lake Accord was

an attempt to amend the Constitution of Canada to please Quebec

• Elijah Harper – First Nations MLA from Manitoba refused– No Aboriginals in

negotiations even though Quebec to be considered a distinct society

– Manitoba Assembly needed unanimous consent to move forward

Self-Government• In negotiations with both

the Federal and Provincial Governments Aboriginals are seeking to resolve land claims and the level of power their government will have– Aboriginal bands will have

the power of Provinces or less/more?

• Control over resources?• Control over policing?• Control over education?

Nisga’a Agreement - 1999

• The Nisga’a have reached an agreement on Self-Government and territory– This took more than 100

years to achieve

Nunavut - 1999

• New territory in Canada the result of negotiations– Territory has self-

government after negotiations with Inuit

– Includes control over education and resources

Apologies and Compensation

• Governments in Canada apologize for Residential Schools– After a court case

involving those who suffered in Residential Schools Governments apologized

– Paid 1.9 billion dollars in compensation to victims

Still: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-ranked-low-in-un-native-report-1.555869