Aboriginal Fault Line Analysis
Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Fault Line
Aljun Lagria
11117601
5 Pages
Sept 19, 2014
The term aboriginal is used to classify the first inhabitants to occupy the landmass of what is called Canada today. The different indigenous groups classified as aboriginal of Canada lived a harmonious life, relying on the land and what it had to offer to suffice their daily need. Thousands of year later, Europeans of English and French descent began exploration and managed to touch base on land that was first inhabited by the aboriginals. Upon their arrival, the Europeans were much more civilized and advanced when it came to tools and weaponry, which they traded for fur with …show more content…
the aboriginals. With these trade relationship and the decreasing population of aboriginals due to European diseases, the aboriginals became dependent on the Europeans for supplies, which eventually lead to the sense of European superiority over the aboriginals. The permanent settlement of the Europeans in Canada disrupted the aboriginal way of life and has resulted in issues regarding assimilation and modern land claims. The following issues have resulted in a divide between aboriginals and non-aboriginals leading to a fault line between the two groups, which will be discussed in this paper. The following issues are complex because they still linger in today’s society.
The assimilation of aboriginals to Canadian society is a huge issue and still has its effects in modern society. It all started in 1867, where the British North America Act transferred the responsibility for the Indian tribes from Great Britain to Canada (Bone, 2011). As years passed by, Ottawa was handed the responsibility of all Aboriginal including Metis and Inuit’s. The latter events lead to a fault line that featured a divide between Ottawa versus Aboriginals. According to Robert Bone, “Ottawa acts like a core while, Aboriginal living on the edge of society serves as a periphery” (Bone, 2011). With Aboriginals residing in the majority of colonized land, leaders of Ottawa formulized a plan on what to do with the aboriginals. The primary solution was assimilation and the secondary solutions were to settle the land.
According to Robert Bone, Ottawa’s main plan with the aboriginal people was to turn them away from aboriginal ways and assimilate them into Canadian society. The federal government recognized that education was would be a primary tool to civilize the aboriginals in hopes of turning them into British subjects. An example of the first attempt of assimilations was the “Act of Gradual Civilization” which was passed by Fifth Parliament in 1857. The bill was an addition to the “Act of Protection of Indians in Upper Canada” and required “enfranchisement” of any male Indians over the age of 21. This meant that any male Indians over the age of 21 must be sufficient in written or oral communication in English or French. An enfranchised Indian would no longer be labeled as an Indian nor have the rights of an Indian, but rather be labeled as a British subject. These actions by the government were the first attempts to assimilate the Indians into the white culture (Ahki).
Another example of assimilation was the formation of residential schools for aboriginal children.
These schools lasted from the 1880 up to the end of the 20th century with its primary objective of educating aboriginal children and take the Indian out of the child. This strategy was very damaging as children were separated from their families for extended periods and were prohibited from all cultural aspects of their aboriginal heritage. Children were severely punished for wrong doings and were subjected physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Residential schools damaged aboriginal culture and disrupted families all across Canada. The damaging effect has carried on for several generations and still exists in modern Canadian society. Since the young aboriginals were taken away at a young age, they did not have the nurturing from their families and lacked knowledge and skill on how to raise their own families. The environment of not knowing how to raise a family is very cyclical and continues to have devastating effects in today’s aboriginal communities. The implementation of residential schools was very devastating and was a form of cultural genocide (Hanson, 2011).The Canadian Government has tried resolving the issue by paying a 1.9 billion compensation package to the thousand of aboriginals affect by the Residential School system. Although the compensation budget and a formal apology by the prime minister is a kind gesture for Canada’s realization for the harm its …show more content…
done, it has done little to break the cycle and many first nations still grieve about the effect that residential schools has done to their culture and communities and that’s why it is still a complex situation till this day.
Another issue that has contributed to the fault line between the aboriginals and Non aboriginals is regarding treaties and land claims.
According to Robert Bone, The term treaty generally included cash gratuities, and presents during the signing. Treaties between the two groups promised education, agricultural assistance, Rights to hunt and fish on crown land until such land was required for other purposes and land reserves to be held by the crown and entrusted to the Indian (Bone, 2011).Conflicts between the two signing parties of the treaties has arose during Canada in the 20th century as each group had different perceptions of the treaty agreements . This issue has caused a divide and has contributed tot the fault line between the two groups. The Crowns understanding of the treaties were that they would diminish aboriginal rights and their title to lands in hopes of having available land for agricultural advancements. As for the aboriginals, they understood it as an agreement to share the land and resources. With the two different perceptions of the treaties between the groups, conflict was bound to happen. An example of where conflict would occur was when government would sell crown land to corporations for extraction resources with out compensating the aboriginals. Many aboriginals lived on Crown land and the large corporations would destroy their natural way of life as they would interfere with hunting, trapping, fishing, and any many other resources needed to
sustain the Indian way of life. As of 1960 several aboriginal groups still have not signed treaties and territories such as Quebec an British Columbia were with out treaty agreements. As a result Aboriginal people had no control over the land and development occurred without the approval of the aboriginals. Land was basically stolen from the aboriginal and left a bitter taste of non-aboriginals due to their superior presence. What makes this a complex issue for Canada is land claims still exist in today’s society, and aboriginals are seeking back land that was rightfully theirs.
The fault line between aboriginals and non-aboriginals have been a complex situations, whether it was assimilations to white culture or land claims. Both situations have put a burden on aboriginal society and its effects still dawn in the communities. Modern governments are consistently trying to resolve the issues providing compensation packages and consistently changing the law regarding aboriginal land claims. I feel that what was done to the aboriginals hundreds of years ago cannot be replaced with money as I believe a compensation for the destruction of culture cannot be bought. With that being said, Canadian government is striving to mend the fault line with a goal of aboriginal economic development and self-government. In my opinion I believe their will always be the fault line because what the non aboriginals did to the aboriginals cannot be undone.
Works Cited
Ahki. (n.d.). Gradual Civilization Act. Retrieved 9 18, 2014, from Ahki: http://www.ahki.ca/the-gradual-civilization-act.php
Bone, R. (2011). The Regional Geography of Canada (5th edition ed.). Ontario, Canada: Oxford Univeristy Press.
Hanson, E. (2011). Indigenous Foundations. (U. o. Columbia, Producer) Retrieved 9 18, 2014, from Indigenous Foundations: IndigenousFoundations.arts.ubc.ca
Aljun Lagria
11117601
5 Pages
Sept 19, 2014
The term aboriginal is used to classify the first inhabitants to occupy the landmass of what is called Canada today. The different indigenous groups classified as aboriginal of Canada lived a harmonious life, relying on the land and what it had to offer to suffice their daily need. Thousands of year later, Europeans of English and French descent began exploration and managed to touch base on land that was first inhabited by the aboriginals. Upon their arrival, the Europeans were much more civilized and advanced when it came to tools and weaponry, which they traded for fur with …show more content…
the aboriginals. With these trade relationship and the decreasing population of aboriginals due to European diseases, the aboriginals became dependent on the Europeans for supplies, which eventually lead to the sense of European superiority over the aboriginals. The permanent settlement of the Europeans in Canada disrupted the aboriginal way of life and has resulted in issues regarding assimilation and modern land claims. The following issues have resulted in a divide between aboriginals and non-aboriginals leading to a fault line between the two groups, which will be discussed in this paper. The following issues are complex because they still linger in today’s society.
The assimilation of aboriginals to Canadian society is a huge issue and still has its effects in modern society. It all started in 1867, where the British North America Act transferred the responsibility for the Indian tribes from Great Britain to Canada (Bone, 2011). As years passed by, Ottawa was handed the responsibility of all Aboriginal including Metis and Inuit’s. The latter events lead to a fault line that featured a divide between Ottawa versus Aboriginals. According to Robert Bone, “Ottawa acts like a core while, Aboriginal living on the edge of society serves as a periphery” (Bone, 2011). With Aboriginals residing in the majority of colonized land, leaders of Ottawa formulized a plan on what to do with the aboriginals. The primary solution was assimilation and the secondary solutions were to settle the land.
According to Robert Bone, Ottawa’s main plan with the aboriginal people was to turn them away from aboriginal ways and assimilate them into Canadian society. The federal government recognized that education was would be a primary tool to civilize the aboriginals in hopes of turning them into British subjects. An example of the first attempt of assimilations was the “Act of Gradual Civilization” which was passed by Fifth Parliament in 1857. The bill was an addition to the “Act of Protection of Indians in Upper Canada” and required “enfranchisement” of any male Indians over the age of 21. This meant that any male Indians over the age of 21 must be sufficient in written or oral communication in English or French. An enfranchised Indian would no longer be labeled as an Indian nor have the rights of an Indian, but rather be labeled as a British subject. These actions by the government were the first attempts to assimilate the Indians into the white culture (Ahki).
Another example of assimilation was the formation of residential schools for aboriginal children.
These schools lasted from the 1880 up to the end of the 20th century with its primary objective of educating aboriginal children and take the Indian out of the child. This strategy was very damaging as children were separated from their families for extended periods and were prohibited from all cultural aspects of their aboriginal heritage. Children were severely punished for wrong doings and were subjected physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Residential schools damaged aboriginal culture and disrupted families all across Canada. The damaging effect has carried on for several generations and still exists in modern Canadian society. Since the young aboriginals were taken away at a young age, they did not have the nurturing from their families and lacked knowledge and skill on how to raise their own families. The environment of not knowing how to raise a family is very cyclical and continues to have devastating effects in today’s aboriginal communities. The implementation of residential schools was very devastating and was a form of cultural genocide (Hanson, 2011).The Canadian Government has tried resolving the issue by paying a 1.9 billion compensation package to the thousand of aboriginals affect by the Residential School system. Although the compensation budget and a formal apology by the prime minister is a kind gesture for Canada’s realization for the harm its …show more content…
done, it has done little to break the cycle and many first nations still grieve about the effect that residential schools has done to their culture and communities and that’s why it is still a complex situation till this day.
Another issue that has contributed to the fault line between the aboriginals and Non aboriginals is regarding treaties and land claims.
According to Robert Bone, The term treaty generally included cash gratuities, and presents during the signing. Treaties between the two groups promised education, agricultural assistance, Rights to hunt and fish on crown land until such land was required for other purposes and land reserves to be held by the crown and entrusted to the Indian (Bone, 2011).Conflicts between the two signing parties of the treaties has arose during Canada in the 20th century as each group had different perceptions of the treaty agreements . This issue has caused a divide and has contributed tot the fault line between the two groups. The Crowns understanding of the treaties were that they would diminish aboriginal rights and their title to lands in hopes of having available land for agricultural advancements. As for the aboriginals, they understood it as an agreement to share the land and resources. With the two different perceptions of the treaties between the groups, conflict was bound to happen. An example of where conflict would occur was when government would sell crown land to corporations for extraction resources with out compensating the aboriginals. Many aboriginals lived on Crown land and the large corporations would destroy their natural way of life as they would interfere with hunting, trapping, fishing, and any many other resources needed to
sustain the Indian way of life. As of 1960 several aboriginal groups still have not signed treaties and territories such as Quebec an British Columbia were with out treaty agreements. As a result Aboriginal people had no control over the land and development occurred without the approval of the aboriginals. Land was basically stolen from the aboriginal and left a bitter taste of non-aboriginals due to their superior presence. What makes this a complex issue for Canada is land claims still exist in today’s society, and aboriginals are seeking back land that was rightfully theirs.
The fault line between aboriginals and non-aboriginals have been a complex situations, whether it was assimilations to white culture or land claims. Both situations have put a burden on aboriginal society and its effects still dawn in the communities. Modern governments are consistently trying to resolve the issues providing compensation packages and consistently changing the law regarding aboriginal land claims. I feel that what was done to the aboriginals hundreds of years ago cannot be replaced with money as I believe a compensation for the destruction of culture cannot be bought. With that being said, Canadian government is striving to mend the fault line with a goal of aboriginal economic development and self-government. In my opinion I believe their will always be the fault line because what the non aboriginals did to the aboriginals cannot be undone.
Works Cited
Ahki. (n.d.). Gradual Civilization Act. Retrieved 9 18, 2014, from Ahki: http://www.ahki.ca/the-gradual-civilization-act.php
Bone, R. (2011). The Regional Geography of Canada (5th edition ed.). Ontario, Canada: Oxford Univeristy Press.
Hanson, E. (2011). Indigenous Foundations. (U. o. Columbia, Producer) Retrieved 9 18, 2014, from Indigenous Foundations: IndigenousFoundations.arts.ubc.ca