Indian Assimilation In Canada

Essay Outline The human race that inhabited the lands earlier than anyone else, Aboriginals in Canada had conquered many obstacles which got them to what they are today. In the past, Canadian Aboriginals have dealt with many gruesome issues that primarily involved the Canadians opposing them or treating them like ‘‘wards.’’ The Indian Act is a written law which controls the Indian’s lives and it is often amended several times to make Indian lives either peaceful or cruel but especially, cruel. Aboriginals found the Indian Act a massive problem in their lives due to it completely controlling them and how they lived on their reserve.

The Indian Act is a part of Canadian legislation that is intended to elucidate how the federal government handles its responsibilities to the Aboriginal population of Canada. The Indian Act was created to civilize, protect and assimilate the Aboriginal people; however, in the past the Canadian government perceived Aboriginal people as wards, and thought that the Native communities and governments were unqualified of running their affairs (Coates, 2008). In the past the Indian Act was also utilized as an instrument to limit rights of the Aboriginal population. It banned Aboriginal people from practicing their cultural practices, denied them the right to vote, controlled who was permitted to travel from reserve settings, and decided where

Indigenous people were self-governing long before Europeans arrived in Canada but in 1876, the Indian Act came into effect, dismantling traditional governance systems and Indigenous peoples ' lives (Bc Treaty Commission). Today, the Federal government recognizes that Indigenous people have an inherent, constitutionally protected right to self-government, a right to manage their own affairs (Bc Treaty Commission). Self-government agreements are one means of building sound governance and institutional capacity that allow Aboriginal communities to contribute to, and participate in, the decisions that affect their lives and carry out effective relationships with other governments (Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada). Thus, this essay explains

Over the past few decades, there has been many distinct perspectives and conflicts surrounding the historical context between the Indigenous peoples in Canada and the Canadian Government. In source one, the author P.J Anderson is trying to convey that the absolute goal of the Indian Residential School system in Canada has been to assimilate the Indian nation and provide them with guidance to “ forget their Indian habits”, and become educated of the “ arts of civilized life”, in order to help them integrate into society and “become one” with their “White brethren”. It is clearly evident throughout the source that the author is supportive of the Indian residential school system and strongly believes that the Indian residential School System

Indians have been living in misery for centuries now, in reservations drowned in problems like alcoholism, drugs, and illiteracy. The white government has made inumerous attempts to try to assimilate them into the US mainstream population. The effects felt by the Indian reservations due to the negative consequences of white actions are unimaginably devastating. Native Americans have to rely on the government in order to survive, and sometimes that 's still not enough. Their lives have been shaped by the government so much that the effects of the past actions made by the whites have become substantially irreversible, forcing the Native American population to suffer and make sacrificing choices in order to live in the present world. Moreover,

Native Americans were assimilated into the American culture through strict reeducation, which they could neither avoid nor escape. This reeducation was brutal and unnecessary to achieve the desired effect. Unfortunately, the assimilation of Native Americans through reeducation was unfair and caused a lot of

Native Americans’ social structure was very different from the way Anglo-American’s believed was the correct way for men and women to live. This created a major conflict as the Anglo’s begin to press on the Natives’ land. Anglo-American’s believed that the best thing for the Natives’ was to be assimilated and transformed into their way of life. The Anglo’s intervened into the Natives’ life with a Civilization Program, removal and reservations, and boarding schools. The ramifications had lasting negative effects on the Natives’ gender roles.

The Cherokee were a tribe of Indians who were affected by the Indian removal acts of the early 1800’s. The Cherokee showed multiple signs of being “civilized” towards the Americans. For example, the Cherokee expressed claimed the “Federal government they were obligated to honor the treaties guaranteeing the sovereignty to the Cherokee”(6). This is important because it demonstrates the fact the Cherokee can claim their sovereignty over a section of land. The sovereign rights of the Cherokee could also suggest that they are ready to participate in a civilized life showing their assimilation to the Americans.

Additionally under the Indian act, first nations people do not own their own land. They don’t enjoy the same property rights as most Canadians do. First nations live on land that is “a tract of land, the legal title which is vested in Her Majesty.” Absence of property rights is a disaster for first nations communities because it’s hard to do business when people can’t earn equity on a house or use it as collateral to borrow money. It’s hard to create a thriving community when people can’t hand down wealth to their children.

The American government of the late 1800’s adopted the policy of assimilation because they were influenced by the desire to expand westward into territories occupied by these Native American tribes. All Native American tribes, lived to the west of the Mississippi River. These American Indians, some from the Northwestern and Southeastern territories, were confined to Indian Territory.

For decades in Canada, officially beginning in 1892, children were taken away from their families and put into schools that would change and take away their views and beliefs, initial knowledge, image, and identity. In the earlier stages, these schools were referred to as Industrial Schools for Indians. Today, we call them Residential Schools with Aboriginal survivors who are able to tell their stories. Aboriginal people suffered while there schools were running. This essay will compare the knowledge in a recent article to primary sources that were written while Industrial Schools were in action.

Introduction After the Red River Rebellion, the Metis received many of their demands in the Manitoba Act, but because of the scrip system, many didn’t receive the land they were promised causing them to move west into nowadays Saskatchewan. While living in the west, the Metis were losing patience with the Canadian government to gain title to their land. The government had surveyed the land out to pay for the Canadian Pacific Railway, which the Metis didn’t know, and wouldn’t give any away. The government was treating the Aboriginals cruelly; they let them starve and didn’t keep their promises to help them flourish in the western economy. The Metis had had enough with the government and decided to bring back Louis Riel from Montana.

Residential Schools was an enormous lengthening event in our history. Residential schools were to assimilate and integrate white people’s viewpoints and values to First Nations children. The schools were ran by white nuns and white priests to get rid of the “inner Indian” in the children. In residential schools, the children suffered immensely from physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse. Although the many tragedies, language was a huge loss by the First Nations children.

Imagine being ripped apart from family members, culture, tradition, and labelled a savage that needs to be educated. Imagine constantly facing punishment at school for being one’s self. Unfortunately, these events were faced head on for many First Nations people living in Canada in the late 20th century. These First Nations people were the victims of an extensive school system set up by the government to eradicate Aboriginal culture across Canada and to assimilate them into what was considered a mainstream society.

Critical Summary #3: First Nations Perspectives In Chapter eight of Byron Williston’s Environmental Ethics for Canadians First Nation’s perspectives are explored. The case study titled “Language, Land and the Residential Schools” begins by speaking of a public apology from former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He apologizes for the treatment of “Indians” in “Indian Residential Schools”. He highlights the initial agenda of these schools as he says that the “school system [was] to remove and isolate [Aboriginal] children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them[…]” (Williston 244).