The video by Tasha Hubbard titled “Canadians have been breaking their promises to Indigenous people” displays the multitude of ways in which Canada and its government have failed to fulfill the promises it made to the Indigenous people. These promises that were made almost a century ago before 1945 are yet to be satisfied. In this video, the speaker, Tasha Hubbard details the historical and currently ongoing impact of settler colonialism and the Indian Act on the Indigenous peoples of Canada. In this essay, I will be deconstructing the Indian Act and its role in perpetuating the wrongful treatment of Canada’s original inhibitors.
In 1876, the Canadian government enacted The Indian Act as a mean to colonize, control, and assimilate the Indigenous people. The Indian act created a system of reserves where Indigenous peoples were forced to live. It also created a new role for an Indian agent. These Indian agents had significant control over the lives of all the Indigenous people living on the reserves. These agents were tasked with ensuring Indigenous peoples were "civilized" and assimilated into Canadian society, often resulting in the suppression of cultural practices and loss of land and resources. The act also created the concept of "status Indians," which further divided Indigenous
…show more content…
Although the treaties were supposed to be bilateral accords, they have frequently been disregarded by the Canadian government. The speaker emphasizes that the treaties encompassed more than just land arrangements and included promises to treat and respect Indigenous peoples. The failure to keep these promises has led to catastrophic outcomes, such as loss of land and resources and the ongoing marginalization of Indigenous peoples. The breach of these treaties has sustained the systemic oppression and disempowerment of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
In his essay “To be Indian in Canada today”, Richard Wagamese relies on logos to explain the struggles and obstacles that come with the Federal Court’s decision to recognize Metis and non-status Indians in Canada as “Indians” under the Constitution Act. He then begs the question, “what does it mean to be Indian in Canada today?”(Wagameses). Being First Nations himself, Richard Wagamese knows firsthand all barriers that come with being Indigenous in Canada today. While using logos Richard Wagamese implements many different statistics and percentages in his essay to show the hurdles that Indigenous people face: “To be Indian in Canada today is to see youth languish in chronic unemployment and malaise, endure high rates of alcohol, drug and solvent
Simpson’s book tells the story of the Mohawks and their story of survivance amid the radical transformation brought about by settler colonialism. Her book discusses their struggle, fighting to keep their right to sovereignty as a Nation, separate from the US and Canada. Simpson illustrates the lives of the Mohawks in their reservation, and shows that they are more than the ironworkers that have come to be the stereotype for the Mohawk people. She argues that the Mohawks’ ongoing struggle proves that Settler Colonialism continues to exist, and continues to fail to eliminate and assimilate Indigenous people. Simpson begins by addressing the “question of membership,” that is, the criteria for political membership and formal recognition within
It removed clauses from the Indian Act that restrained a woman's ability to be registered and based their heritage on who they married but it was not a perfect remedy. Many women were forced to live new lives or lost their sense of identity. These women who are suffering have been heard and continue to suffer until Canada finds a better solution. A main goal of the Act to Amend the Indian Act was to give bands more self-governance and although they do have more power than they did from the Indian Act, they are still largely controlled by the government. Bands have also been strained on resources with the flux of Status Indians and they have been given no federal help.
It also took away the tribal ownership of most tribes. The act moved Indian families onto their own land, and took away Indian children away from their families and sent them to boarding
The Gradual Citizen Act has been viewed as the true predecessor and primary cause of the Indian Act of 1876 and as the start many similar racist laws. These laws were built around the idea of enfranchisement of the
The author of this report discusses Canada's efforts to reconcile with indigenous nations and the challenges that came with it. Due to the many laws Canada has made that protect wrongdoers and abusers and hide the fact that the church had harmed generations of indigenous tribes in these residential schools. Indigenous and Aboriginal people do not trust the legal system of Canada. The author mentions that..." Failure to recognize such truths hinders reconciliation.
This is the exact tactic Canada used on Indigenous people” (Elliott 105). This quote illuminates how the structural genocide by the Canadian government caused Indigenous people to become reliant on them. Under those circumstances, their freedom, autonomy, and agency are stripped away. In her essay “Not your noble savage”, Elliott discusses how Trudeau pretends to be pro-Indigenous but his government is not doing enough for reconciliation: “True reconciliation with Native peoples requires Canada to stop its paternalistic, discriminatory policies and, most important, stop interfering with our sovereignty over our identities, communities, and lands. These are by no means easy or comfortable actions for Canadians to undertake, but they must be undertaken regardless” (Elliott 163).
Furthermore, the promised reserves were often located in remote and unpleasant areas, far from any sources of water or food. In addition, the promised rights of education, health care, and other services were often not provided, or were provided at a much lower level than promised. “From Confederation to the present day, Indigenous people still fight for the treaties to be honored and have always maintained that the land was never surrendered. The government continues to fight Indigenous communities who claim title to lands that were never surrendered through treaty-making.” This quote by Chief Perry Bellegarde demonstrates how the indigenous people have been targeted for defending their lands and how they continue to fight throughout this struggle.
The Trail of Broken Treaties protest, a historic protest in 1972 led by the American Indian Movement (AIM), sheds light on the long-standing injustices endured by Indigenous peoples in the United States. The Trail of Broken Treaties unveiled a complex history marked by broken promises and strained relations between the U.S. government and Indigenous tribes. It also served as a catalyst for increased awareness and public discourse surrounding Native American rights and the necessity of reform. The protest allows for an examination of the transformation in government-Indigenous relations, the unification of different tribes and strength demonstrated by AIM, and the resulting impact on policies affecting Indigenous communities. Analyzing these
The Indians wanted peaceful interaction and respect for their lands. The American’s choices and treatment of the Indians led to the birth of racism and discrimination for our nation. Laws would eventually be put in place for protection of all citizens for this very reason. This is why I believe that the Indian Removal Act was a step in the wrong direction for
Linnea Brodin Mr.Harrison May,31, 2023 2000 words The Detrimental Impact of the Indian Act on Indigenous Women in Canada The Indian Act, a piece of legislation with a complex and controversial history, has had a detrimental impact on Indigenous women in Canada. The Indian Act is a colonial relic of 1876, however, it has a lasting impact on modern-day Indigenous peoples in Canada. The consequences of the Indian act for Indigenous women in Canada have been extensive, causing the loss of Indian status, triggering high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women, and inflicting intergenerational trauma throughout communities.
He believed it was his land and they should get off it, which is very harsh considering the Native were there first. Unlike the Native Americans, the Native Canadians do not get as much attention for the racism and discrimination they had faced over the many years. The indigenous of Canada faced many of the same challenges the Americans had faced. An example of this is the Indian Act and many others that have been passed in Canada. In particular when Academic Britannica Stated “ Canada’s 1868 Act Providing for the Organisation of the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada and for the Management of Indian and Ordnance Lands (sometimes referred to as the first Indian Act, although an
The indigenous people are literally crashing into the buildings produced by the colonizing culture, “Look out! Bob shouts. There are Indians flying into the skyscrapers and falling on the sidewalk.” (King 63) and it adequately represents the lack of adaptability of the Native Canadians. Thomas King taps again into the effects of colonialism and notions the indigenous people as uneducated and an untamed species.
Critical Summary #3: First Nations Perspectives In Chapter eight of Byron Williston’s Environmental Ethics for Canadians First Nation’s perspectives are explored. The case study titled “Language, Land and the Residential Schools” begins by speaking of a public apology from former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He apologizes for the treatment of “Indians” in “Indian Residential Schools”. He highlights the initial agenda of these schools as he says that the “school system [was] to remove and isolate [Aboriginal] children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them[…]” (Williston 244).
Mikaal Khalifa Ms. Sobiera NBE3U1-02 30 January 2023 How Indigenous People Have Been Oppressed and it Negatively Affected Them Picture This. People come into your house forcefully, take your thing, eat the food in your house, and then section off part of your house where you have to stay. This is what happened to Indigenous people when the Europeans came to their land. In the text “The Inconvenient Indian” by Thomas King, Thomas King talks about how Indigenous people have been oppressed throughout time by the Europeans or Colonizers. These events show how being oppressed can lead to a worsening quality of life for the Indigenous people.