Aboriginals, Regionalism, Quebec and the Constitution

 1960: Natives won the right to vote  1969 White Paper: Attempt to treat native peoples like any other citizen, abolishing special rights on reserves. The paper was rejected by aboriginals  Self Government: control of their own affaires was demanded in response to the white paper  Residential schools: Stopped 1969  Land Claims: Specific Claims are where terms were not kept to signed agreements. Comprehensive Claims are for areas which were not surrendered by treaty (most common in B.C.)  Oka Confrontation: Famous land dispute in Quebec  1999: Nunavut created as a majority Inuit territory

 Official policy that was put in place by Pierre Trudeau in 1971 which encouraged different ethnic groups to express their cultures

 Western Alienation: The belief that Ottawa’s policies favour central Canada more than the west. Aggravated by the National Energy Program put in place by Trudeau to stabilize energy prices and encourage people to switch from oil to electricity  Newfoundland Alienation: Caused by the failure of the federal government to manage the cod fishery properly. Cod stocks disappeared, costing many jobs, especially in Newfoundland

 Throughout most of the the 1930s, 40’s, and 50’s, Quebec was ruled by quasi-fascist premier Maurice Duplessis  He promoted Catholic church interests in all areas of life  His party was called the Union Nationale  Jean Lesage and the liberals came to power in 1960  Quebec society was modernized during a process called the Quiet Revolution  The role of the church was reduced and major foreign companies were nationalized  Quebec separatism movement started

 In the early 1960’s, a Quebec separatist group called the FLQ (Front de Liberation du Quebec) formed.  They used terrorism in an attempt to separate Quebec from Canada  In October 1970, the FLQ abducted British diplomat James Cross and Quebec labour minister Pierre Laporte  In response, Trudeau enacted the War Measures Act to suspend civil rights and bring the army into Quebec  Trudeau did not give in to FLQ demands to free FLQ prisoners so the FLQ assassinated Laporte.  Cross was released two months later after the FLQ was mostly dismantled by arrests

 In 1976, Rene Levesque and the separatist Parti Quebecois won the provincial elections in Quebec  He limited the rights of English speakers in Quebec with Bill 101  In 1980, he PQ rand a Referendum in Quebec in an attempt to gain Sovereignty (political independence)  The vote lost 40%-60%  Another vote occurred in 1995 which lost 50.6%- 49.4%  In the 1990, a federal Quebec separatist party called the Bloc Quebecois formed

 In 1982, Canada created its own constitution. Quebec did not sign this constitution. Canada was now completely independent  The Meech Lake Accord: in 1987 PM Brian Mulroney wanted to change the new constitution to allow Quebec to be labeled as a distinct society. All provinces would be able to veto constitutional change also.  Man. And NFLD vetoed the accord, causing anger in Quebec and the formation of the Bloc Quebecois