Poverty is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as a lack of something or when the quality of something is extremely low. All over the world, poverty is present. Charles Darwin once said in the Voyage of the Beagle: “if the misery of our poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions” (Charles). First Nations across Canada are being put into a position of poverty and the Canadian Government are to blame. The Canadian government is only worsening the problem, rather than helping our First Peoples. The First Nations are disconnecting them from their traditional way of living, not funding their given lifestyle and not raising any awareness of the issue of Aboriginal poverty. But why should Canadian’s help the Aboriginals? …show more content…
After reading this essay, Canadian citizens will be able to fully understand how and why the cycle of poverty had started and continues today, understand who is to blame, and how Canadian’s are able to help out First Peoples out of their poverty. The way to solve this cycle of poverty is: governmental funding, raising awareness of the situation and allowing them to go back to their traditional values and lifestyles. The solution to the cycle of poverty in Aboriginal societies is a combination of both traditional values and government intervention. The first way to help Aboriginals in Canada is for them to receive more funding from the Canadian Government.
With the increase in funding, Canadian poverty within Aboriginal society would greatly decrease. The Government should be “proactive in giving aboriginal people in remote communities the support they need to move to areas where they can find jobs and education” (End First). That way, adults would be able to increase their income in order to have a much more fulfilling lifestyle. It is not only adults who need the financial aid, but also the community and children. In order to help, the Canadian Government should make sure more money is being made available for the First Nation education, social interactions such as community centres, and way of living including: housing, roads and availability of healthy food items. “...The poverty rate of status First Nations children living on reserves was triple that of non-indigenous children” (Hildebrandt). Aboriginal children across Canada need the help of Canadian Government in order to lose this poverty and be able to move ahead. “Persistent disadvantages faced by Canada’s aboriginal peoples in regard to education, employment, health and housing are well-documented/the staggering poverty faced by indigenous children is preventable” (Hildebrandt). With enough Government funding, Native children would be able to get better education, social skills and understanding of their traditions and culture. Schools, community centres …show more content…
and medical care centres can be built on First Nation land to help both socialize and educate the children. “Lifting all the indigenous children up to the poverty line would cost $1 billion, while $580 million of that would suffice for 120,000 status First Nations alone…” (Hildebrandt). Canada could put aside this money and would release these children and families out of poverty. “Land claims based on unsurrendered Aboriginal title continue to be of central concern…” (McMillan, 229) If the Government of Canada raised or funded more for Aboriginal land, they would be able to use that land for their use, whereas where they stand now, the soil is incompetent for farming. There should also be awareness on the subject of Aboriginal poverty. If our public do not understand the problem going on in our First Nations’ lives, they are not able to help. “Under normal conditions, Canadians hear little about politics on Indian reserves” (Flanagan, 89). With the help of the Government, there could be posters, informational commercials, and articles raising awareness to the public, to educate them so they will be aware of the situation and would then be able to help. “Ending Indigenous child poverty requires a fundamental shift in public understanding and engagement” (Indigenous), which is why it is so important for the Canadian Government to put forth funds for publicities and advertisements on the topic of First Nation poverty. “Changes to school curriculum, coupled with the educational work of Indigenous communities, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, church groups, social justice organizations and others, has led to increased knowledge about Canada’s colonial history and the systemic disadvantages faced by Indigenous children and communities” (Indigenous) If the Government would advertise what is wrong tell the public websites to visit for further information, Canada could be able to prevent any further decline in money within Aboriginal society and would be able to help raise money for the cause. Aboriginals rights over resource development should also be restored to them. By allowing Natives to govern their reserves in traditional ways, they will be able to restore the traditional way of living.
“In about half of the Dominion, the aboriginal rights of Indians have arguably been extinguished by treaty” (Sanders, 13). The traditions and culture of Aboriginals are vanishing at a quick pace, and along it is their wealth. If the Canadian Government restore Native rights over resource development once again, Aboriginals would be able to gain back wealth and help with the poverty in their societies. “An influential lobby group with close ties to the federal Conservatives is recommending that Ottawa ditch the Indian Act and give First Nations more control over their land in order to end aboriginal poverty once and for all” (End First). This recommendation would increase the income within Native communities, helping them jump out of
poverty. “The federation also says band members should be able to own their homes, and develop, lease or sell their reserve land without Ottawa's permission/...support is needed to enable First Nations to take a greater equity stake in the natural resource developments that are often in their traditional backyards…” (End First). The solution to the cycle of poverty in Aboriginal societies is a combination of both traditional values and government intervention. The way to do this is with governmental funding, raising awareness of the situation and allowing our First Nations to go back to their traditional values and lifestyles. Knowing the reasons why there is such poverty within the Aboriginal societies, can help Canadians not only understand why it is happening, but also how to help. WIth the appropriate knowledge, Canadian First Nations can escape poverty once and for all and begin to live the life they have longed for, rather than the life they were forced into living.
Fleras, Augie. “Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: Repairing the Relationship.” Chapter 7 of Unequal Relations: An Introduction to Race, Ethnic and Aboriginal Dynamics in Canada. 6th ed. Toronto: Pearson, 2010. 162-210. Print.
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
Living in Canada, there is a long past with the Indigenous people. The relationship between the white and First Nations community is one that is damaged because of our shameful actions in the 1800’s. Unnecessary measures were taken when the Canadian government planned to assimilate the Aboriginal people. Through the Indian Act and Residential schools the government attempted to take away their culture and “kill the Indian in the child.” The Indian Act allowed the government to take control over the people, the residential schools took away their culture and tore apart their families, and now we are left with not only a broken relationship between the First Nations people but they are trying to put back together their lives while still living with a harsh reality of their past.
Why am I Poor? First Nations Child Poverty in Ontario. Canada: Best Start Resource Center,
The Indian Act no longer remains an undisputable aspect of the Aboriginal landscape in Canada. For years, this federal legislation (that was both controversial and invasive) governed practically all of the aspects of Aboriginal life, starting with the nature of band governance and land tenure. Most importantly, the Indian act defines qualifications of being a “status Indian,” and has been the source of Aboriginal hatred, due to the government attempting to control Aboriginals’ identities and status. This historical importance of this legislation is now being steadily forgotten. Politically speaking, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal critics of the Indian act often have insufferable opinions of the limits of the Indian Act’s governance, and often argue to have this administrative device completely exterminated. Simultaneously, recent modern land claim settlements bypass the authority of the Indian Act over specific groups.
In Canada, access to health care is ‘universal’ to its citizens under the Canadian Health Care Act and this system is considered to the one of the best in the world (Laurel & Richard, 2002). Access to health care is assumed on the strong social value of equality and is defined as the distribution of services to all those in need and for the common good and health of all residents (Fierlbeck, 2011). Equitable access to health care does not mean that all citizens are subjected to receive the same number of services but rather that wherever the service is provided it is based on need. Therefore, not all Canadians have equal access to health services. The Aboriginal peoples in Canada in particular are a population that is overlooked and underserved
The Indian Residential schools and the assimilating of First Nations people are more than a dark spot in Canada’s history. It was a time of racist leaders, bigoted white men who saw no point in working towards a lasting relationship with ingenious people. Recognition of these past mistakes, denunciation, and prevention steps must be taking intensively. They must be held to the same standard that we hold our current government to today. Without that standard, there is no moving forward. There is no bright future for Canada if we allow these injustices to be swept aside, leaving room for similar mistakes to be made again. We must apply our standards whatever century it was, is, or will be to rebuild trust between peoples, to never allow the abuse to be repeated, and to become the great nation we dream ourselves to be,
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...
Poverty is a serious issue in Canada needs to be addressed promptly. Poverty is not simply about the lack of money an individual has; it is much more than that. The World Bank Organization defines poverty by stating that, “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time”. In Canada, 14.9 percent of Canada’s population has low income as Statistics Canada reports, which is roughly about two million of Canadians in poverty or on the verge of poverty. In addition, according to an UNICEF survey, 13.3 percent of Canadian children live in poverty. If the government had started to provide efficient support to help decrease the rates of poverty, this would not have been such a significant issue in Canada. Even though the issue of poverty has always been affecting countries regardless of the efforts being made to fight against it, the government of Canada still needs to take charge and try to bring the percentage of poverty down to ensure that Canada is a suitable place to live. Therefore, due to the lack of support and social assistance from the government, poverty has drastically increased in Canada.
Poverty is the state for the majority of people in this world. In Canada there are over 4.5 million people living in poverty. Poverty is not only an issue in canada but an issue that needs to be focused on all over the world. About 14% of canada is living under the yearly income threshold which means they are living in poverty.
Poverty causes children to be involved in illegal things such as drugs and crime and the people that are involved in these risky behaviours are children. If parents don’t have enough money to support their child, they will be forced to steal- this is linked back to education- if you are unable to earn a decent wage because of lack of education you will be forced to commit a crime. The recent video file by Bergsma touches on this issue with in depth. Bergsma has attempted to show and explain the unawareness of child poverty through a story. The story was about a guy who named Bobby and lives in poverty. Generally, the entire story was criticized from his perspective that how he experienced living in poverty and abandoned his life. In the video, Bergsma (2014) articulates that Bobby has faced hard time in his school life because he doesn’t eat proper and lead to inadequate of nutritious requirements. These all makes his school life worse resembling lack of concentrations and being bullied at school.
Poverty is a significant threat to women’s equality. In Canada, more women live in poverty than men, and women’s experience of poverty can be harsher, and more prolonged. Women are often left to bear more burden of poverty, leading to ‘Feminization of poverty’. Through government policy women inequality has resulted in more women and children being left in poverty with no means of escaping. This paper will identify some key aspects of poverty for Canadian women. First, by identifying what poverty entails for Canadian women, and who is more likely to feel the brunt of it. Secondly the discussion of why women become more susceptible to poverty through government policy and programs. Followed by the effects that poverty on women plays in society. Lastly, how we can reduce these effects through social development and policy.
Poverty in Canada is rising and it needs to stop now! According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development or the OECD the poverty rate in Canada has been on a steady rise in the mid 1900’s until the late 2000’s. The two most affected types of people are children at 38 percent and aboriginal or First Nations people at 11 percent. The rest of the population stands at 4.3 percent on the scale of poverty in Canada said Food Banks Canada. There are tons of reasons why poverty is rising and why people are living in poverty, like drug or alcohol addiction. There are many more reasons why the poverty rates are so high, a recent poll indicated that 51 percent of people living in poverty are not in control of the reason why they are poverty, 11 percent of people do not know why or unsure of why people live in poverty and 37 percent of people say that people living in poverty aren’t doing enough to help themselves. There are also a lot of ways to help stop poverty or help the people who are living in poverty, for example make a video about it and help make people aware that poverty in constantly around them. Another way to help people living in poverty is by volunteering at a food bank like the Salvation Army. Poverty is all over the world but as Canadians we are concerned and should help make a change and stop the rise of poverty in Canada. (Tapscott & Officer)
This paper will examine and analyze the underlying causes of poverty and homelessness, the difficulties that the new immigrants experience in Canada, and what can we do in order to prevent and overcome those problems. According to the dictionary, poverty can be defined as the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. It has been an important issue for hundredths of years because it can leave people homeless and hungry. Both, Canadians and the new immigrants to Canada are experiencing many financial difficulties, and there are people who are struggling to live, to find a shelter and to provide the most basic needs to themselves and their families.
The Indian Act is a combination of multiple legislations regarding the Aboriginal people who reside across Canada, such as the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 and the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869 (Hanson, n.p.). The Gradual Civilization Act was the Canadian government's attempt to assimilate the aboriginals into the Canadian society in a passive manner, through a method they encouraged called Enfranchisement. Enfranchisement is basically a legal process that allows aboriginals to give up their aboriginal status and accept a Canadian status (Crey, n.p.). This process, while under the Gradual Civilization Act, was still voluntary, but became a forced process when the Indian Act was consolidated in 1876 (Hanson, n.p.). The Gradual Enfranchisement Act introduced in 1869 was a major legislation that intruded with the private lives of the aboriginals. First, it established the “elective band council system” (Hanson, n.p.) that grants th...