Aboriginal Peoples in Canada

Aboriginal Peoples: Some Definitions Aboriginal peoples are the first peoples to live in any nation In Canada, the term Aboriginal peoples refers to: Inuit Métis (a person of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry who self-identifies as Métis) First Nations (legally defined Indian nations consisting of Status Indians) Non-status Indians

Status Indians Status Indians are those who have legal rights under the Indian Act They have rights under treaties, or, where no treaties have been signed, rights as Registered Indians

Non-status Indians Non-status Indians are those who have given up their legal status as Indians, while still retaining their cultural identity

Indian The term Indian is used only when referring to legislation (e.g., the Indian Act), when used in a historical sense (e.g., the National Indian Brotherhood), or when referring to legal status (e.g., Status Indian)

First Nation In the 1990s, First Nation came to be used in place of “Indian band” or “Indian nation”

History of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada Aboriginal peoples have been living in Canada for at least 11, 000 years Prior to European contact, 53 Aboriginal languages existed North America is home to many varied landscapes and often harsh climate. The Aboriginal peoples had to be resourceful to survive and thrive in different environments Geographical diversity contributed to a broad range of cultures

Aboriginal peoples shared a lot of valuable knowledge with the first Europeans who arrived in North America around 1500 Aboriginal peoples introduced Europeans to new plants – some were used for food and others for medicine Many of the medicines we use today come from traditional Aboriginal methods and remedies

Aboriginal people were an essential part of the fur trade Aboriginal guides contributed to the spread of the fur trade gradually westward across Canada

Aboriginal people made Europeans’ exploration of northern and western Canada possible – they acted as guides and Aboriginal women prepared food, repaired clothing and equipment, and acted as translators

Impact of European Contact on Aboriginal Peoples Europeans, searching for a faster route to the Orient, arrived in North America where they came into contact with the Aboriginal peoples Over hundreds of years, this contact with the Europeans would dramatically change the ways that Aboriginal peoples lived The Canadian government would force Aboriginal peoples from their land, put their children into residential schools, and make Aboriginal peoples live according to its laws

The Royal Proclamation, 1763 Very important document issued by King George III It recognized that Aboriginal peoples were organized nations on their own lands It recognized that the consent of Aboriginal peoples was required in any negotiations for their lands It prevented any further settlement across North America until treaties had been negotiated with Aboriginal peoples

In Practice As settlement increased, pressure for land pushed the Proclamation to the side The intent was lost – in some places treaties were negotiated, in others they were not Treaties did not always mean agreement had been reached been Aboriginal peoples and the Europeans Proclamation did form the basis of law on the issue

A Difference of Opinion From a European perspective, any land that was not under cultivation or development was open and free for the taking From an Aboriginal perspective, they were using the land; they were clear about the areas that were being used and by whom

Colonial Mindset Colonizers saw themselves as perfectly in their right to take over the land in those countries they ‘discovered’ They saw it as their duty to ‘civilize’ and bring Christianity to the peoples of these lands

Reserves By 1830, Aboriginal peoples were being pushed on to reserves to make way for white, European settlement The government took control over the management of the lands and property of the Aboriginal peoples The reserves were significantly smaller than the traditional lands occupied by the Aboriginal peoples

Aboriginal people had to give up traditional hunting for farming – farming was often hopeless because the quality of the land and soil was so poor Living on reserves made it difficult for people to make a living and acquire wealth Standards of living were lower on reserves compared to non-reserves

Treaties Treaties were written by non-Aboriginal peoples, but not always communicated fairly to First Nations – sometimes, they didn’t realize what they were signing Treaties were not always honoured – for example, during periods of starvation, some Aboriginal peoples signed treaties in order to get food – they didn’t always get the food or other things that had been promised to them

What did it mean to sign a treaty? From an Aboriginal perspective, treaties did not mean that they gave up their title to the land, nor did it mean that they gave power over their lives to the Europeans From a European perspective, their “discovery” of the land and colonization of it gave them dominion over the land and its peoples

The Numbered Treaties Between 1871 and 1921, treaties were signed throughout the west and parts of the Northwest and Yukon Territories These treaties were about the giving up of land/ surrendering by the Aboriginal peoples The federal treaty negotiators generally allocated each family 1 acre of land, annual treaty payments, education, healthcare and hunting or agricultural equipment

In BC 1850s – James Douglas began the treaty process and settled 14 of them on Vancouver Island 1860s – Joseph Trutch – there was no Aboriginal title, there was no need for treaties 1890s – Treaty 8 signed with Beaver, Cree and Slavey in North East BC

Indian Act, 1876 Indian Act was the federal government’s way of encouraging Aboriginal peoples to give up their own cultures and traditions – this is called assimilation Canadian government expected them to become part of the mainstream

Benefits of Indian Act Indian Act provided Aboriginal peoples with school, medical care, hunting and fishing rights, and yearly treaty payments It also exempted them from paying income and sales tax It also gave “Special Status” to Aboriginal peoples

Disadvantages of Indian Act Treated Aboriginal peoples as “children, wards of the state” They were denied the right to take up land and the right to vote If they wanted to vote, they had to trade their “Indian status” for voting rights Aboriginal peoples lost their status if they lived off reserves, joined the military, got a higher education, or married a non-Indian

Traditional ceremonies such as the potlatch were outlawed Aboriginal art was taken from First Nations people to be displayed in museums around North America Reserves made smaller and did not offer the same number of economic opportunities as the former territories did

Residential Schools Were part of the government’s policy of assimilation Federal government took over the responsibility for educating Aboriginal children in Canada Kids taken from homes, sent to residential schools, and forced to give up their own languages and cultures

Some children were abused – verbal, physical, and sexual abuse Crowded dormitories, poor food, unsanitary conditions, disease Children forced to live away from their families – by 1930, only 3% of Aboriginal children went beyond grade 6, and by 1950, only 33% of Aboriginal students progressed beyond grade 3

It wasn’t until 1951 that Aboriginal children were allowed to attend schools within the public school system