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Impact of colonization on native people
Impact of colonization on native people
Impact of colonization on native people
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Discrimination against Aboriginal Women 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... ... middle of paper ... ... be low educated, likely to experience previous marriage or common-law union, and also more likely to be unemployed or have unemployed partner (Brownridge, 2008). Those aboriginal men who live on reserve are highly engaged in substance abuse such as alcohol. Most of the domestic violence tends to occur due to the consequence of high intake of alcohol. In aboriginal family violence offences, “69% were committed while the accused was under the influence of drugs or alcohol …just over half (54%) of the victims of a family violence assault were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the assault” (Paletta, 2008). There are various reasons why aboriginal people are highly involved with substance abuse and are more likely to commit suicide than non-aboriginal people (i.e. socioeconomic conditions, unemployment, traumatic history, residential school, etc.).
Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall. The Justice System and Aboriginal People: Child Welfare. n.d. - n.d. - n.d. The Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission. Retrieved December 12, 2013, from http://www.ajic.mb.ca/volumel/chapter14.html.
Canada has been constantly acknowledged as a nation of different people from different part of the world (MacDonald 66). Our great nation is recognized as a very diverse country filled with unity, which continues to encourage people from other part of the world to come and live in Canada. Although its been constantly considered as one of the top countries in the UN Human Development Index, Aboriginal peoples classified together with residents of Panama, Belarus, and Malaysia in terms of their economic and social possibilities (qtd. in MacDonald 66). In a special report by James Anaya, claimed that Canada has issues in regards to the circumstances surrounding indigenous people of the nation, and Aboriginal petitions continues to be unsettled, and therefore resulted to an excessive amount of lack of confidence among Aboriginal peoples towards the government (qtd in MacDonald 66).
Residential schools undoubtedly created detrimental inter-generational consequences. The dark legacy of residential schools has had enduring impact, reaching into each new generation, and has led to countless problems within Aboriginal families including: chemical dependence, a cycle of abuse in families, dysfunctional families, crime and incarceration, depression, grief, suicide, and cultural identity issues (McFarlan, 2000, p. 13). Therefore, the inter-generational consequence...
Until the 16th century, Aboriginal people were the only inhabitants of what is now Canada, hence, they were an independent and self-governing people till the Europeans had the capacity to dominate Canada's original inhabitants and possessors (Elias 1). The European Invasion brought about The 1876 Indian Act, which was developed over time through separate pieces of colonial legislation regarding Aboriginal peoples across Canada such as the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 and the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869. In 1876, these acts were consolidated as the Indian Act (Hanson). This essay aims to explain how the Indian Act tried to destroy the Aboriginal culture through residential schools and unequal recognition of women, successive acts,
LaPrairie, C. (1995). Community justice or just communities? Aboriginal communities in search of justice. Canadian Journal of Criminology. 37 (4), 521-535.
In this proposal our team seeks to explore the injustices within the Indian Act. To achieve this our proposed research will examine the target population being the aboriginal woman. The paper will further explore the oppressions faced by the aboriginal women within the Indian Act. In conclusion, this proposal will sum up the negative impact that the Indian Act had on aboriginal women and how it continues to oppress this population within the Canadian National discourse.
First I will define the definition of terms used in this paper. When I use the word Aboriginal, I understand this as a label given from the colonizers/ Europeans to identify Indigenous peoples. Canadian legislation defines Indigenous peoples as Aboriginal, I understand this as indifferent from the dominant ideology, therefore, the colonizers named Indigenous peoples as Aboriginal. According to teachings I have been exposed to it’s a legal term and it’s associated with discrimination and oppression. However, audiences I have written for prefer the use of Aboriginal. More premise to this reference is Aboriginal, Indigenous, First Nations, Indian and Native are used interchangeable, but it should be noted these names do represent distinct differences. Furthermore, I will use Indigenous to represent an empowering way to reference a unique general culture in Canada. Under the title of Indigenous peoples in Canada, for me represents: First Nations people, Metis people and Inuit peoples. These are the two titles I will use when I reference Indigenous people from an empowering perspective and Aboriginal from a colonizer perspective.
In the article by Erica Neeganagwedgin she examines aboriginal education from pre contact, through the Residential Schools and concludes with contemporary issues in education, focusing on women in multiple sections. Neegangagwedgin argues how colonial education curriculum in Canadian schools are marginalizing and oppressing aboriginal students by rarely including their history, heritages and cultural antecedents therefore creating a ‘denial of the selfhood of aboriginal students” (p.28). She starts by comparing the pedagogy differences between Aboriginals and Eurocentric students the stem of differing worldviews which have created this problem as Canada denies to recognize the Aboriginal worldview as legitimate. Bringing light to the idea that
Aboriginal women account for 24.9% of the general population and 32.5% of the incarcerated female population (Amey Bell, Shelly Trevethan & Nicole Allegri, 2004). Aboriginal female offenders are also responsible for violent crimes (Bell et al., 2004). Aboriginal female offenders have an adverse childhood; the childhood for Aboriginal women are centred around family violence, instability and substance abuse (Colleen Dell & Jennifer Kitty, 2012). The Canadian government is attempting to solve the over representation by implementing bills such as 718.2(e) (Gillian Balflour, 2012). This becomes a challenge to the correctional system since Aboriginal female inmates account for a great number of the prison population despite the bill 718.2(e).
trial of two men for the 1971 murder of Helen Betty Osborne in The Pas Manitoba.
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
Her book focuses on the myriads of issues and struggles that Indigenous men and women have faced and will continue to face because of colonialism. During her speech, Palmater addressed the grave effects of the cultural assimilation that permeated in Indigenous communities, particularly the Indian Residential School System and the Indian Act, which has been extensively discussed in both lectures and readings. Such policies were created by European settlers to institutionalize colonialism and maintain the social and cultural hierarchy that established Aboriginals as the inferior group. Palmater also discussed that according to news reports, an Aboriginal baby from Manitoba is taken away every single day by the government and is put in social care (CTVNews.ca Staff, 2015). This echoes Andrea Smith’s argument in “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy: Rethinking Women of Color Organizing” that colonialism continues to affect Aboriginals through genocide (2006, p. 68). Although such actions by the government are not physical acts of genocide, where 90% of Aboriginal population was annihilated, it is this modern day cultural assimilation that succeeded the Indigenous Residential School System and the Indian Act embodies colonialism and genocide (Larkin, November 4,
In conclusion, it will be beneficial to eradicate all forms of racism and discrimination. People should not be judged by their ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion and their cultural background. Each person is unique in his or her way and that makes Canada an amazing and diverse country. The ability to learn from different cultures at a workplace or while socializing can open up people's minds to new morals, beliefs and practices. People with different ethnicity, culture and religion could bring a lot of positive ideas for the companies they work in. Individuals who interact with people from different cultures become more aware and knowledgeable about their surroundings and can become more open minded.
Firstly, gender disparity plays a significant role in aboriginal health, especially in the administration of health care. In Aboriginal culture, there are certain health practices that can only be done by either men or women, but not all (Bonvillain, 2001). In most cases, women are treated by their female counterparts whereas male doctors handle male patients. This means that a male doctor cannot undertake a vaginal inspection and a female nurse cannot teach an aboriginal man about self-catheterization. As a result, a breach of this traditional gender division, for instance a male doctor helping a woman in emergencies, is likely to cause shame, distress, depression, and fear of breaking a particular taboo (Freud, 2000).
Canada is a big country and has a population of about 36 million people, about 4% of that population is aboriginal people. In canada aboriginal people are 17% of the murder victims. 29% of the aboriginal people murdered are women and 92% of aboriginal women are murdered by family or acquaintances.