2. Lament for Confederation
“Oh Canada, how can I celebrate with you this Centenary, this hundred years? Shall I thank you for the reserves that are left to me of my beautiful forests? For the canned fish of my rivers? For the loss of my pride and authority, even among my own people? For the lack of my will to fight back? No! I must forget what’s past and gone.” – Chief Dan George

3. Continuinity & Change
Progress or Decline are how we evaluate change over time. Depending on the impact of that change, what’s progress for one group may be decline for another

4. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Different historical actors have diverse perspectives on events that they are involved in.
Worldviews (beliefs, values and motivations) vary by culture and time period.
Understanding of historical actors are best understood by considering their historical context

5. Ethical judgement
Ethical judgements are made by taking in the historical context of the actors in question.
When making ethical judgements it is important to be cautious about imposing current standards of right and wrong on the past.
Assessment of ethical implications of history can inform us of our responsibilities to remember and respond to contributions, sacrifices and injustices.
Our understanding of history can help us make informed judgements about contemporary issues.

6. MINI-Unit Essential Questions
To what extent was Canada a culturally inclusive nation in the 19th and early 20th Century?
What was the impact of Confederation on Aboriginal Peoples?
How is our understanding of events impacted by worldviews, attitudes and beliefs.?

7. Aboriginal People & Confederation: SETTLING THE WEST – Part I

8. What’s in a Name? Indian – Historical term, not politically correct.
Native – a person who was born in a particular place.
First Nations – refers only to certain groups not including Metis or Inuit.
Aboriginal People – All encompassing – Includes Inuit & Metis

9. Three Aboriginal Groups
Indians (First Nations)
Status Indians
(Registered Indians) Persons eligible to be registered under the Indian Act
Non-Status Indians
Persons who self-identify as Indian but are not eligible to be registered under the Indian Act
Métis
Persons who, in addition to their mixed ancestry, developed their own customs, and recognizable group identity separate from their Indian or Inuit and European forebears. (Powley decision)
Inuit
Persons whose ancestry traces back to the original inhabitants of Arctic Canada

11. Regional variations in the proportion of the population
24, %
Aboriginal Population 2006 Census = 1,172,790
Aboriginal percentage of Provincial/Territorial population
Non-Aboriginal population
20, %
7, %
23, %
196, %
(11.50%)
1, %
(88.50%)
188, %
141, %
175, %
242, %
24, %
108, %
17, %
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population, AANDC tabulations.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Canada, INAC tabulations.

12. Changing Views on Aboriginal Peoples
From First Contact and Colonization, Aboriginal peoples had been seen as allies and trading partners to the Europeans in the Fur Trade and the Exploration of Canada
This view changed with the Victorian Age
Viewed as uncivilized and childlike (unsophisticated “wild children”)
Faced pressure (both government and societal) to assimilate into European (British)culture
Abandon their own culture and traditions

14. Settling the West
In 1867, four British mainland colonies joined to form the Dominion of Canada
Lands to the west and northwest of Ontario (Rupert’s Land) were not part of the new country.
First Nations populations in the North West provided a challenge to nation building in the North West.
Macdonald was determined to extend the ownership, control, and authority of the new Government of Canada in Ottawa over the western territories.

15. Nations Living in the North West
Area originally inhabited predominantly by four major groups:
the Cree (Nehiyaw)
the Anihshinabe (Ojibway)
the Nakoda (Stoney)
the Dene (Chipewyan)
By 1800, Aboriginal peoples of the North West were deeply involved in the fur trade
Acted as trappers, traders, and guides

17. The Fur Trade – Hudson Bay Company
Formed in 1670.
Owned trading rights of all the lands drained by rivers flowing into Hudson’s Bay.
Area became known as Rupert’s Land (1/3 of Modern Canada)
Trading posts at the mouth of the rivers on shore of Hudson Bay.
“Stay by the Bay” Policy- First Nations trappers and traders travelled long distances to bring furs to the trading posts and exchanged for trade goods.

18. The Fur Trade - North West Company
Largely French fur trading company formed in 1783
Fur traders would travel inland using forts and trading posts along the rivers in the North West.
First Nations often preferred dealing with the French since they didn’t have to travel to Hudson Bay to conduct business.

19. Impact of Fur Trade on Aboriginal People
Disrupted way of life
Created wars between different Nations
Introduction of guns, horses, and new trade patterns
Increase in demand for furs = increased time hunting and trapping
Abandoned activities of hunting, fishing, and preserving food

20. Problems
Furs used to gain supplies (flour, sugar, guns etc) began to near extinction. No furs = no money = no supplies
Facing starvation – families forced to move to new areas
First Nations people had no immunity against European diseases
Smallpox and measles were worst
Destroyed entire communities

21. Birth of the Metis
Aboriginal women became wives of European fur traders and lived at the trading posts.
Built important connections, loyalties, and economic ties.
Encouraged by the North West Company and Native peoples
NWC: helped ensure trading loyalty
Native elders: advantageous to have daughters marry fur traders
Wives of fur traders enjoyed an improved standard of living
HBC opposed to the unions (tried to enforce celibacy)
Feared financial drain
Policy was unenforceable - most married anyway

23. New Nations Resulting children belonged to neither parents culture
New culture emerged
By 1810, children of French-Canadian and First Nations called themselves Métis
Spoke language called Michif (mix of French nouns and Cree verbs, also including words from other Native languages)
English- or Anglo-Métis (Scottish or English and First Nations ancestry) originally called “country-born”
Spoke language called Bungee (combined English and Gaelic with other First Nations languages)

24. Métis Culture & Settlement
The Métis wore a combination of Native and European clothing.
They developed communities and a lifestyle that combined both Native and European customs.

25. Métis Culture & Settlement
Most Métis followed the Christian religion of their fathers (Roman Catholic), but also respected the Native religion of their mothers.
Métis people tended to speak both of their parents’ languages, which made them very important as interpreters during the fur trade.
By 1810, there were a large number of Métis living near Red River Valley, where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet.
They had farms laid out in the seigneurial pattern (French System of Farming)

26. Métis Culture & Settlement
The Métis usually stayed in their cabins on their farms during the winter, while in the summer they went on bison hunts and prepared pemmican.
Hunt’s Purpose: fresh meat, bison hides, meat and fat required to make pemmican (sold to fur traders)
created a strong sense of community, pride, and discipline.

27. Fur Trade: Merge of Two Companies.
By 1820, the HBC and NWC were on the verge of bankruptcy.
Two companies merged in under the name “Hudson’s Bay Company”
All the western lands from Ontario to the Rocky Mountains were now under the control of the Hudson's Bay Company.

28. SETTLING THE WEST
In 1869, two years after Confederation, the Hudson's Bay Company agreed to sell its territory of Rupert's Land, from Manitoba to the Rockies, to the new Government of Canada in Ottawa. This would open the way for settlement of the west.
First Nations people amazed and alarmed, since they believed, and insisted, that the land belonged to them, not to the Hudson's Bay Company.
Conflict often resulted between the Government, who were trying to settle the west, and the Aboriginal Peoples who were already living there.

29. Red River Rebellion
Plans were made to send immigrants and eastern Canadians to settle in the west.
Surveyors appeared in the Red River settlement area (Manitoba) and began to divide up the land into square lots, ignoring the fact that Métis people already lived on that land.
The Métis, led by Louis Riel, protested, and refused to allow the surveyors onto their land.

31. Red River Rebellion
Riel and his Métis followers drew up a list of demands to present to the government. Ottawa set troops west to put down the rebellion. Riel was forced to flee.
Negotiations eventually resulted in the Manitoba Act that created the new Province of Manitoba in 1870.
Remaining land became known as the North West Territories