Factors that Shape Nationalism First Nations and Metis Nationalism In 1968, Pierre Trudeau wanted to create a fair and equal Canada, so he proposed “The White Paper” policy to help create a “Just Society” The White Paper Proposal would essentially mark the end of all treaty rights, reserves, and resource rights from Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people would have the same rights and status as the rest of Canadians. The Aboriginal community was outraged at the proposal, many First Nations leaders viewed the White Paper Proposal as a method for the government to get out of treaty obligations and to force assimilation on the Aboriginal people
Factors that Shape Nationalism First Nations and Metis Nationalism The book “The Unjust Society” by Harold Cardinal became a bestseller and inspired heated debates and the “Red Paper Proposal” Cardinal argues that taking away First Nations rights would be taking away from their National Identity It reflected on the growing political strengths and desires for self-determination and self-governance of all Aboriginal people The Book inspired a new determination to promote FNMI national identities
Factors that Shape Nationalism Inuit Perspectives on Nationalism The political experience of the Inuit people of Canada is different from the rest of the First Nations people. The Inuit never signed Federal Treaties and were free to follow their traditional ways of life well into the 20th century However, by the 1930’s the animal populations in the North were diminishing and the Federal Government was forced to relocate many Inuit people to central communities This created many social problems for the Inuit as they attempted to adapt their traditional ways of life to a modern situation The desire for self-government was one way the Inuit thought they could fix many of their social problems. 1999, The Nunavut Land Claim was settled and the new Canadian territory of Nunavut was established for the Inuit as a form of self-governance.
Factors that Shape Nationalism Quebecois Nationalism 1759 – The French lose the Battle of the Plains of Abraham 1763 – Britain assumes control over France’s North American colonies Since then, the Francophone community has struggled to maintain its’ language and culture with the increasing arrival of English settlers. The French, even today, struggle with their national identity in an English dominant society.