Summary Of The Hidden Fence

How are First Nations peoples portrayed in the media? What is the overall sociological, ideological, and political implications/message?
-how are they portrayed :
First Nations are portrayed negatively in the media. In this article, the First Nations people are portrayed as just a lesson in history that everyone needs to be educated on. For instance, the article states, "100 per cent of Canadians understand the history, impact and legacy of residential schools"( “48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems”). From the same article, the Aboriginal People are referred to having “special treatment” ; “In fact, of the 10 percent of respondents who said their impressions of Aboriginal people had worsened in the past

few years, about half said the reason for that was that they got 'special treatment' from government”. The sociological aspect this article portrays is that in order for a functioning society, everyone needs to learn about the residential schools, as the article mentions,"If you want reconciliation, you need to make space in your mind, your heart and spirit to get rid of the misconceptions you have about Indigenous Peoples” (“48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems”). The ideological aspect of this article is that for Canada to look like a well rounded country, and to cover up their mistakes, they are implementing more education on residential schools. Moreover, the political and Ideological message of the article is that Indigenous people restrain Canada's economy as non Aboriginal citizens mention, “the biggest obstacle to economic and social equality is Indigenous people themselves” (“48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems”). In the article about the search for a missing Indigenous women, the First Nations are portrayed as inferior because if a white women went missing, the search would have not taken 24 years. The overall sociological and ideological issue the media is portraying is that the human society is wrong to pick one culture superior over another, and not care about the inferior cultures. Humans need to work as a community to solve an issue, not let issues that do not affect them go untreated. The political aspect of the article from the writer's perspective is that the Canadian police are attempting to find the women, but based on the family's testimony, the police are not trying because of her Indigenous heritage. In addition, the article about Ottawa announcing eight hundred million dollars being given to the Indigenous survivors of the sixties scoop, proves how the media portrays First Nations as people who just need money to solve their issues. The sociological message the article is implying is that Indigenous people can be silenced with money. The article also implies that money fixes everything. The ideological message the article portrays is that the Government system thinks they are solving the issue with giving the survivors money, as the John Tasker, the journalist, writes, the settlement is “putting an end to years of fractious legal action” (Tasker). The political message the article implies is that Canada buys peace for its country by paying people off. Overall, the Indigenous are sociologically , ideologically and politically viewed as inferior.

2. HOW ARE THEY BIASED
Perspectives change how society views certain topics. They are based on past experiences, and opinions. These opinions can become biased when wrong accusations are made toward a culture. However, finding biased media has become challenging because the reporters try to discreetly weave their opinion in the articles so no conflict occurs The media attempts to cover up what they have done to the Indigenous people, but the article’s have an underlining aspect that still portray the Indigenous as inferior. The article, “48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems” is biased because the article makes unfair accusations that the Aboriginals have special treatment, and don't have to pay for certain services others would have too. The developers intentions are clearly negative toward the Indigenous people because every time the author says a positive remark about them, he places a negative remark about them that is empowering. For instance, he writes, “according to the survey, 34 per cent of Atlantic Canadians said their impression of Indigenous people has improved in the past decade” (48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems). A few sentences later empounds the audience with this negative remark, “But 35 percent of non-Aboriginal Manitobans, 41 percent of non-Aboriginal people in Saskatchewan and 32 percent of non-Aboriginal Albertans said the biggest obstacle to economic and social equality is Indigenous people themselves” 48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems). The article, “Family testifies about pain of searching 24 years for missing Aboriginal woman”, is biased because the journalist mentions, “The family testified at the hearings at Membertou First Nation on Wednesday morning, repeating their account of how they suspect Virginia died violently, and talking of their hope state police will one day locate her remains and make arrests”. Notice how the writer says “repeating”, as if he does not believe that Indigenous women are treated the same as White women. This proves the writer is biased because he works for the Globe and Mail, under the Canadian Press so he doesn't want to agree that the family is right because that would put Canada to shame. Instead, the writer attempts to make it seem like the women are treated equally. In the article about Ottawa giving a large settlement, the author's motive is to show how the money will solve the issues the survivors face. However, the journalists avoids stating how the settlement in his perspective will solve the permanent damages. This is proven because Tasker gives several reasons what the money can be used for, like “ to fund some of the projects she has long called for, including the construction of a public memorial, the creation of a "healing foundation," which would be a safe space for survivors where they could engage with Indigenous culture, and the creation of a scholarship fund for post-secondary studies on reconciliation” (Tasker). Furthermore, the author himself does not include a quote from the government saying that the money will not fix everything, but instead includes quotes from Indigenous people saying money will not fix the situation. The lawyer the Indigenous use to represent them, mentions, "Is $750 million enough to redress this problem? Hard to say. How do you quantify something that has been never been tested in the law in the Western world? The whole idea is unknown” ( Tasker). Tasker did not include the Government admitting to agree with that statement. Therefore, the Canadian government still sees money solves the issue, and the Indigenous believe the issue is not solved, which is implied in the reporters word choice.

3, HOW IT RELATES TO POEM
The poem composed by Rita Joe, The Hidden Fence, the theme talks about how the Indigenous were once free and have their own identity.

Then, their identities slowly fade away not by choice, but by force. Indigenous people will like to explain the culture they lost, so the Canadian Government can understand what they took away. The tone the author uses is sad, depressing. From the material gathered, there are several connections that can be made. The word choice the Rita Joe uses consists of, “rainbow lane, fathers hanging limp”(Joe). That shows the contrast of how she used to live her perfect world with her culture, but now lives in a world where her culture is drained. The author uses imagery and word choice together, because the words she uses paints an image in ones brain. For instance, “I trod the lane of the rainbow road” paints an image that the life the author lived was colourful and fulfilled. Then the author says,”Now slowing to a trickle/ my stride becoming a shuffle”(Joe). One imagines someone's world crashing down, as the author depicts her life slowing down. The composer portrays the poem in a first person point of view. She is very figurative because she mentions, the rainbow road, the barricaded fences of rescue, and her stride slowing down which, all represent her life. From the material gathered, there are several connections that can be made. In the news article titled, “48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems”, the poem relates to the article in the sense of how residential schools stole the Indigenous identity. The poem says , “ I teach you my culture / I want to teach you about me” (Joe). The article relates to that section of the poem, because Indigenous issues have increased attention, which have allowed the White Culture to understand the struggles Indigenous people face. This is proven in the article as the reporter states, “According to the survey, 34 per cent of Atlantic Canadians said their impression of

Indigenous people has improved in the past decade. Increased media coverage of Indigenous stories, living near First Nation communities, and building personal and business relationships with Indigenous people have given Atlantic Canadians more positive views of their Indigenous neighbours” ( “48% Of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Residential Schools Blame for Problems”). In the article about the women going missing for 24 years relates to the poem because of past experiences that shape people's opinions today. For instance, because the Ingenious went to residential school, and some became alcoholics, most people most likely believe that all Indigenous are alcoholics and useless. Because of this, the police do not give much effort to find the women. Which relates to the poem because the composer states, “My identity my own” (Joe). Her identity is shaped based on the stereotypes that others label the Indigenous of. Therefore, because of the stereotypes, the police do not treat the search the same of a white women, which relates to the poems identity aspect. Moreover, in the article which portrays the government giving an eight hundred million dollar incentive to the survivors of the sixties scoop, relates to the poem as well. This is because the poem states, “Submission becoming my prison” (Joe). The survivors are given money for the paint the government causes, which in reality the Canadian Government is giving them money to silence them. Those are several reasons why the poem relates to the 3 Indigenous articles.