Genocide, assimilation, and segregation-- these are all forms of cultural and ethnic cleansing that we as Canadians do not necessarily associate with what it means to be a Canadian, rather they are terms that we associate with occurrences in distant, dangerous and abysmal places (Fleras, 2012; p. 10). However, these terms are evidently applicable to the treatment of Aboriginals during the time of European colonization of Canada. Genocide is considered to “be the most serious of punishable crimes under international law…” (Fleras, 2010; p. 11); unfortunately, genocide has been inflicted upon Aboriginals in numerous forms as they suffered a loss of cultural identity through European-colonization. Assimilation has also affected Aboriginals as through the use of residential schools, Aboriginal children were taken from their families and forced to learn the dominant white way of life and abandon their culture (Fleras, 2010; p.13). Segregation of Aboriginals has also occurred, as reserves are restricted purely for individuals with Indian citizenship, hence keeping Aboriginals separate from the dominant culture (Fleras, 2010; p. 15). There is a lack of awareness on the horrendous and disgusting treatment of the original Canadian settlers, Aboriginals, which can be partially attributed to a narrative that has helped create the image of what it means to be a Canadian, a narrative that has provided the belief that white Europeans were the first to settle on Canadian land and has painted a picture of white settlers struggling to survive on their discovered Canadian land. This narrative has been termed the ‘frontier narrative’, and it truly has shaped Aboriginals lives in Canada. This paper will provide first and foremost a clear definition o... ... middle of paper ... ...in attempting to alter the policies and practices that keep them in their marginalized position, however one obstacle being that “conventions that refer to the rules may change, but rules that inform the conventions rarely do” (Fleras, 2010; p. 185). The frontier narrative has inadvertently placed a veil over Canadians that keep feelings of guilt and responsibility for the cruelty towards Aboriginals invisible, and simultaneously keeps visible the belief that it is because of the white-settlers that Canada has become what it has today. Some may argue that the frontier narrative is no longer relevant to Canada’s multicultural society, however as demonstrated, it is clear that the narrative has manifested itself and has played and continues to play a crucial role in the structuring of Canadian society and treatment of Aboriginals; the true first-settlers of Canada.
Eden Robinson’s short story “Terminal Avenue” presents readers with the dystopian near-future of Canada where Indigenous people are subjugated and placed under heavy surveillance. The story’s narrator, Wil, is a young Aboriginal man who struggles with his own inner-turmoil after the suicide of his father and his brother’s subsequent decision to join the ranks of the Peace Officers responsible for “adjusting” the First Nations people. Though “Terminal Avenue” takes place in Vancouver there are clear parallels drawn between the Peace Officers of Robinson’s imagination and the Canadian military sent to enforce the peace during the stand-off at Oka, Quebec in 1990. In writing “Terminal Avenue” Robinson addresses the armed conflict and proposes
David Garneau’s article on “Imaginary Spaces of Conciliation and Reconciliation” offers a refreshing outlook on the term and implantation of reconciliation in post-colonial culture. He argues that conciliation would evoke an individual transformation of the settler if Aboriginal history was accepted as independent yet in union with the history of Canada. Garneau’s vison of conciliation is centered on this idea of an imaginary space between the settlers and Aboriginals and, within this space, settlers are separated from Aboriginals to naturally reflect on the Aboriginal’s experiences of colonialism. However, the implications of this space also created a void in society because the residential schools are the imaginary spaces in which settlers are reconciling. The direction of Garneau’s article is insightful to understanding how reconciliation has failed in countries and how it’s practice, in accordance with religious connotations, has created an underlying tone of “charity” and “pardon” opposed to restorative justice (35).
Despite the decreasing inequalities between men and women in both private and public spheres, aboriginal women continue to be oppressed and discriminated against in both. Aboriginal people in Canada are the indigenous group of people that were residing in Canada prior to the European colonization. The term First Nations, Indian and indigenous are used interchangeably when referring to aboriginal people. Prior to the colonization, aboriginal communities used to be matrilineal and the power between men and women were equally balanced. When the European came in contact with the aboriginal, there came a shift in gender role and power control leading towards discrimination against the women. As a consequence of the colonization, the aboriginal women are a dominant group that are constantly subordinated and ignored by the government system of Canada. Thus today, aboriginal women experiences double jeopardy as they belong to more than one disadvantaged group i.e. being women and belonging to aboriginal group. In contemporary world, there are not much of a difference between Aboriginal people and the other minority groups as they face the similar challenges such as gender discrimination, victimization, and experiences injustice towards them. Although aboriginal people are not considered as visible minorities, this population continues to struggle for their existence like any other visible minorities group. Although both aboriginal men and women are being discriminated in our society, the women tends to experience more discrimination in public and private sphere and are constantly the targeted for violence, abuse and are victimized. In addition, many of the problems and violence faced by aborigin...
As we have observed throughout the centuries, colonialism has immensely shaped the majority of countries of modern society. In the essay “The Impact of Colonization and Western Assimilation on Health and Wellbeing of Canadian Aboriginal People”, Cathy MacDonald & Audrey Steenbeek developed significant points that reflect as connections to the essay “Virgin Soils Revisited” emphasizing the devastating impact colonialism has had on the wellbeing and health initiatives imposed on the Native Americans and the Aboriginal people of Canada to this day. Both indigenous populations have endured the hardships of poor health, racial issues such as oppression, and cultural assimilations due to the long-lasting effects of colonialism.
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
In the books, Contract and Conflict: Indian European Relations in British Columbia, 1774-1890, by Robin Fisher (1977) and First Nations Identity and Reserve Life The Mikmaq of Nova Scotia, by Simone Pollandri (2011) explains the struggles of Indigenous Peoples suffered through in Canada. To the settlers, they were considered a problem in society, an obstacle that requires immediate attention to change their cultures and views. Since the time of Confederation for Canada, much of Indigenous Peoples were forcefully pushed to live in reserves and their rights stripped from them. Both texts expresses the great struggles Indigenous Peoples still have towards living in such an environment. In Sean Carleton’s article, Colonizing Minds: Public Education,
In her essay “An Indian without a Country,” Carrie Dawson explores the ways that political Indigenous literature is downplayed, and specifically how Thomas King’s “Borders” advocates social justice by discussing how Canadian citizenship restricts Indigenous communities. One way Dawson develops this argument is by referencing multiple times to direct quotes from the short story to suggest that King is denouncing the validity of colonial borders and demanding sovereignty for the Blackfoot peoples. Additionally, Dawson argues that the story-telling by King’s mother and by the television-news crew represents how citizenship is not merely a legal figment, but a community that you actively participate in. Moreover, Dawson emphasizes that while politically
The ongoing targeting of Aboriginal Children and Women is a significant impediment to Indigenous development in Canada and the wider world. In this essay I will critically interpret government-led development initiatives in Canada with a comparative analysis of New Zealand. I will address development interventions throughout Canada’s history with a focus on Indigenous women and children with specific reference to Indigenous womens maternities. First I will look at the progression of development interventions by the Canadian state throughout history. Then, I will observe how these systems of oppression have manifested throughout history looking at violence against Aboriginal women and over representation of Indigenous children in foster care in Canada. I will situate the struggles of both gendered and ethnic bodies away from dominant discourses in the international context by drawing on state led development initiatives in New Zealand, looking at Mana Wahine (Womens Power) to deconstruct the effect of colonialism on Maori women’s maternities. Then, I suggest that in order to achieve the goals of Indigenous development, we must decolonize development initiatives. I argue, that this is acheiveable by centreing Indigenous development initiaives in Indigenous knowledge and viewpoints. Following this, I will analyse the legitimacy of current development policy through a postcolonial lens. Then, I will suggest the need of a grassroots, participatory approach to development to government led development initiatives to gain the best possible outcome of equality for gendered and ethnic bodies in settler colonial states of Canada and New Zealand. To achieve this successfully, I argue the overarching principles of development policy must be...
The history of Canada’s Aboriginal people is a rich but tumultuous one, rife with conflict, but also full of valuable information we can emulate in our lives. Aboriginal people is the name for the original inhabitants of North America and their descendants. Though it’s unfortunate that Aboriginals, mostly those living on reservations, are seen as drunkards. Able to satisfy all of their material and spiritual needs through resources of the natural world around them. White privilege has negatively impacted Aboriginal peoples living on reservations through oppression, marginalization, and degradation.
Thomas King uses an oral story-telling style of writing mingled with western narrative in his article “You’re Not the Indian I Had in Mind” to explain that Indians are not on the brink of extinction. Through this article in the Racism, Colonialism, and Indigeneity in Canada textbook, King also brings some focus to the topic of what it means to be “Indian” through the eyes of an actual Aboriginal versus how Aboriginals are viewed by other races of people. With his unique style of writing, King is able to bring the reader into the situations he describes because he writes about it like a story he is telling.
The holocaust in Germany was an ethnic genocide the wiped out millions of Jews in Europe during World War II. They were rounded up and excluded from the general public, because they were an inferior race and therefore not human beings. They were put into ghettos that were exclusive to Jews and were later sent to concentration camps where they were exterminated or worked to death. This happened because Hitler, along with some of Germany displayed prejudices towards the Jewish people. Similarly, Canada from the late 1800's believed that the aboriginal people of Canada were savages and needed to be assimilated into the better way of life. The government felt that they were no good and needed to be erased of their traditional culture and taught differently. By doing so, it also gave added benefits to Canada economy by providing a new workforce of aboriginal people and diminishing treaties that were in place between Canada and the aboriginals. This assimilation would turn violent due to the abuses of the churches that were running daily operations of schools. These experiences would cause many after affects long after the residential school era ends. The residential schools turned into a failed ethnic genocide of aboriginal peoples in Canada that is comparable and no better to the genocide of the Jews in Germany during World War II. This paper will examine the factors leading to the creating of residential schools and will also look at the type of abuses upon the aboriginal children and the after affects.
Thesis: Given the struggles aboriginals have had to face in Canada, the Canadian government should take action to
The narrator, an indigenous woman, embodies the impact and legacy of colonization in Canada. She declares herself to be “damaged” and says that “I make it a policy not to talk to people unless absolutely necessary,” indicating she has experienced past trauma. What caused this trauma is not specified by the narrator, however it would be safe to assume that the trauma could be related to colonization. Trauma has found to be transgenerational, particularly in indigenous communities and for those affected by residential schools and the sixties scoop. Those who survived abuses at residential schools often inadvertently passed on trauma to their children. Due to unresolved issues, survivors fell into habits of destructive behaviour, such as drug
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples have created many recommendations that the Commissioners believe would help address the hardships of the Aboriginal community in Canada (Smith, 2015). In the past two decades, there have been issues around giving justice to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, many individuals of the Aboriginal community feel frustrated and betrayed. In this paper, we will discuss the recommendations that the recent Royal Commission has offered and select the ones that will serve justice if implemented. In doing so, we will look at historical and current events as evidence to strengthen our arguments.
Suzanne Fournier and Ernie Crey together wrote the article “’Killing the Indian in the Child’: Four Centuries of Church-Run Schools”. This article focuses on the powerful cultural and spiritual traditions of Aboriginal families which enabled Aboriginal Nations to stand against European colonists and against residential schools. Through this article in the Racism, Colonialism, and Indigeneity in Canada textbook, the reader is educated on the treatment of Aboriginal people in residential school as well as the ways that Europeans and Aboriginals were different and why residential schools were created as a result of that difference. Along with the emergence of residential schools, the Native populations were forced to send their children away in order to avoid conflict with colonizers.