The History of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada Chapter 7

The first people to live in any nation. Aboriginal People The first people to live in any nation.

Inuit Replaces Eskimo.

Metis A person of mixed Native and European ancestry who self-identifies as Metis.

Status Indians Those who have legal Rights under the Indian Act.

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

Indian Used only when referring to legislation, wen used in a historical sense, or when referring to legal statue.

First Nation Replaces “indian band” or “indian nation”

The Royal Proclamation The first document to recognize that Aboriginal peoples lived as nations on their own lands (1763). Prevented any further settlement across North America until treaties had been negotiated. Forms the basis for many modern aboriginal land claims.

Reserves The Canadian government wanted all Aboriginal peoples to live on reservations because they were seen as blocking the settlement of the British North America Act. By pushing Aboriginal people onto reservations, the government also limited the land set aside for these communities.

Reserves in Vancouver http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/land-rights/mapping-tool-kitsilano-reserve.html

Negative Impact of Reserves Living on reserves limits the ability of Aboriginal peoples to fully participate in the Canadian economy, thereby limiting their ability to acquire wealth. Some band councils, which have control of all federal money, abuse their power and leave the rest of the population in conditions of poverty.

Assimilation of Aboriginals The Canadian government wanted aboriginal peoples to adopt the same culture as European cultures. The government decided this route was the easiest, and the government still saw the Aboriginal way of life inferior to the Euro-Canadian one.

Purpose of Indian Act of 1876 The purpose of the Indian Act was to encourage Aboriginal peoples to give up their own culture and traditions.

Benefits and Disadvantages of the Indian Act Providds1 ed schools, medical care, hunting and fishing rights, and annual treaty payments Exempted Aboriginal peoples from paying income and sales taxes Gave “Special Status” to Aboriginal peoples Denied Aboriginal peoples the right to take up land as others could Denied Aboriginal peoples the right to vote in provincial elections Made being aboriginal incompatible with being a Canadian citizen

Negative Aspects of Residential Schools Under the residential school system children were taken from their homes and forced to abandon their own language and culture, and some children were criminally abused. Many aboriginal children did not progress beyond basic primary education. Graduates did not feel at home on their reservation, nor in the new white culture for which they had been trained.