CHALLENGES TO LIBERALISM Other Ways of Thinking

ABORIGINAL WAYS OF THINKING

 Belief that collective interest is more important than the individual  This challenged some European-led government policies  This changed with the Constitution Act of 1982  Aboriginal collective rights were specifically included in Sections 25 and 35

 This shift in thinking and government policy has led to legal grounds to challenge the denial of their rights by government  Aboriginal peoples have gone to the Supreme Court to rule over disputes in land, fishing, hunting, and logging  A number of land claims have been settled by Aboriginal groups and the Canadian government

 Settled land claims show a new respect towards the Aboriginals from the Canadian government  Métis have been working on having their collective rights recognized  Proving more difficult because Métis don’t have the same historic treaties as First Nations  Métis have had success in Alberta with the Métis Settlements Accord Transfer of land to Métis people and provisions for self- governance

Aboriginal Self- Government  Means having some independence in decision making  Wouldn’t be the same in every community  Decisions regarding: their economy, education, culture, use of natural resources, and other areas of well - being  Aboriginal groups and the governments in Canada (fed. and prov.) have not come to an agreement on what self-government means

Self-Government  The Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement (2005)  Recognizes the collective rights and identities of the Labrador Inuit by confirming their rights to land ownership in northern Labrador, self-government, and resource sharing  Includes: recognized Inuit people’s rights related to traditional land use (land, ocean, coastal communities), self-government, National Park Reserve, transfer of $140 million to the Inuit people for implementation of the agreement

RELIGIOUS WAYS OF THINKING

The Doukhobors  Russian language speaking dissenters who rejected the authority of Church and state  Came to Canada and US to escape persecution in the early 1900s  Believed that individual rights needed to be balanced with the rights of the community as a whole  Doukhobors owned and worked land as a community rather than owning private property

 A smaller group of Doukhobors, the Sons of Freedom had more radical ideas  Accused by government of engaging in arson to protest compulsory education, taxation, and land seizures by government  Sons of Freedom believed in living the simplest life possible – rejected materialistic ways of thinking  Leader was killed in an explosion that many felt was a murder  Protested this action by not allowing their children to go to school  Government responded by taking away their belongings

Use of Religious Law  Recent challenges to liberalism in Canada has been the request by religious groups to use religious laws to settle legal disputes  2005 – Ontario decided against the use of religious arbitration, regardless of the denomination (Muslim, Jewish, Christian)

ENVIRONMENTALIST WAYS OF THINKING

 Concern over environment versus the desire for consumption (key component of liberalism – economic freedom)  Environmentalists are concerned about the rate of consumption / growth in the economy  Want governments to get involved and increase taxes on manufacturers, require manufacturers to collect their products from consumers when they are no longer useful, encourage individuals to use less