ipl-logo

Aboriginal People In The 19th Century Essay

1471 Words6 Pages

The impact of western expansion and federal government policies on Aboriginal peoples in the 19th century.
- Military allies of British and a vital part of the fur trade
- Many starved after losing land and access to traditional food sources · Disease (often brought by Europeans) often completely wiped out First Nations communities
- Often forced to give up their land to make way for European immigrants
- Those who grew crops lost their farmlands, and others lost traditional fishing and hunting areas.
- Europeans thought First Nations didn’t “own” land (in the European sense), because First Nations believed they belonged to the land, not that the land belonged to them.
- Europeans took advantage of this; …show more content…

o Canadian government sent NWMP to control American whisky traders
- Cypress Hills Massacre o 1873: a group of Nakoda was attached by American “wolfers” o Canada sent NWMP to the Prairies to take control o Many First Nations thought the presence of NWMP would put an end to the lawlessness that had plagued the region.
- Treaty Process o Canadian government wanted to open Prairie land to Canadian and European settlers. o This was not possible because First Nations owned all land in Manitoba and North-West Territories (except Selkirk Settlement) o First nations believed they were exchanging their land for protection and support from Canada. o Many of the treaties included much less land than the First Nations used to have, and a lot of this land was taken away later.
- First Nations were promised assistance in farming with the treaties o Tools were inadequate; plows didn’t work, oxen weren’t strong, seeds were sent too late in the year, etc. o They weren’t allowed to use the steam-powered threshing machine. o Many felt as though the government was trying to fail them on

Open Document