...the Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991. The issue of Reconciliation is of great importance to common good because it helps avoid feelings of revenge, anger and hatred and a commitment to social justice as well as a way to ensure lasting peace and stability and to improve the relationship for the common good. Reconciliation aims to address the inequity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that was introduced with the colonisation of Australia in 1788. Some relevant points around Reconciliation for the Common Good are, the referendum laws for Aboriginal people on May 27 1967, the report of the Royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody in 1991, as well as the Formal apology for the members of the stolen generations in 2008. Reconciliation for the common good was the referendum laws for Aboriginal people on May 27, 1967. It enabled Indigenous people to be included in the census, and it enabled federal parliament the power to make laws in relation to Indigenous people. This meant that Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people were all required to follow the same laws set out by the government, and that Indigenous people would be recognised and counted (in elections and the census) in all states and territories of Australia. The decision of the Australian population was a milestone for Indigenous people as they were finally being recognised as part of the population and the social, economic and political injustices to the...
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...Aboriginal Issues Essay As I read the articles about the aboriginal people what stood out to me and impressed me the most was the over representation of Aboriginal people in our Canadian prison system. A shocking statistic that I read was that 2.8% of the Canadian population is Aboriginal but they account for 18% of our federal prison inmates. Aboriginal people have been faced with so many historic inequities such as being forced to move to reserves with almost none of the basic infrastructures needed to run a functioning society. Having their children taken from their families and put in abusive residential schools, being forced to learn and live by a foreign culture and beliefs as well as being faced with racial discrimination and having their rights ignored. Due to the history of injustice and discrimination aboriginal people have experienced higher unemployment rates and lower incomes leading to lives of poverty, substance abuse, and family violence. I think that the residential schools play a big role in the problems some of the Aboriginal people faced because when they took young children who had learned only a small amount of their families cultures and tried to teach them western cultures and beliefs. As well some of the children were sexually traumatized and beaten, which likely caused a lot of confusion and difficulties growing up. In my opinion because of all the injustice in the past there is a huge lack of trust that the aboriginal people have with the Canadian...
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...Indigenous people in the criminal justice system is well established. Although the extent of the over-representation is the subject of some disagreement and varies between communities and data (Ghys 1994: 132-137). the issue of Indigenous over-representation is not always at the forefront of public debate. It often takes high profile inquires, or tragic incidents to put the issue on the front pages of newspapers One document that highlights the high rates of over-representation is The Royal commission into Aboriginal death in custody, which was established in October 1987. This inquiry was mainly established to investigate the death of ninety-nine Indigenous people who died in custody over a period of nearly ten years. Despite the fact that, the issue of Indigenous over-representation is not an issue that occupies the minds of most people in Australia on a regular basis, it is a phenomenon which continues to have devastating effects on Indigenous people nation-wide, especially those who resided in rural areas. Reference: National report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Death in custody vol.2 (p.3): History and Legislation Indigenous communities in Australia had and continue to have very different cultural notions in relation to childhood and young Aboriginal people in the past. Generally there is no the same separation or exclusion of children being treated differently from the adult world. Responsibility of children and young Aboriginal people tend to be allocated through...
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...Criminal Justice System (CJS) is no way perfect and often argued to criminalize certain groups within society. Specifically, Aboriginal women as offenders in corrections have faced many difficulties. They often are sentenced younger, more often and for longer sentences than non-Aboriginal offenders. The over incarceration, over representation and criminalization of Aboriginal women within the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is attributable to a legacy of colonialism and sexism which placed them at a vulnerable place within society. Canada’s public policy post WWII regarding, social welfare, education and the labour market, exhibit how colonialism and sexism have created unfavorable cultural and socio-economic conditions for Aboriginal women, which make them more susceptible to be victims/survivors of violence, poverty and behaviours or circumstances in conflict with the law. As a result of these conditions, Aboriginal women are more likely to meet deplorable conditions while in prison, and the laws do not seem to accommodate Aboriginal methods of rehabilitation, restitution and justice. In order to understand the plight of Aboriginal women within the CJS, the issue will be approached from a feminist perspective. Further, the evidence will be sourced from secondary sources, mainly text and government reports. First a landscape of Canada’s colonial past’s impact on Aboriginal women; starting post WWII will be advanced. This will demonstrate the links between Aboriginal women’s...
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...Poverty increasing rates during the last 10 years have been an issue in Canada in general, and a huge one for aboriginal communities on the reservations and in their territories. This is brought to mind because of a recent surge in suicide attempts in the Cree community which has drown a national attention to the effects of poor living conditions on First Nation's children. The reality is that these children live in poverty, and the situation is getting worse. The most recent available data from the national household survey was last updated back in 2011, and it shows that child poverty rates in aboriginal communities living on the reserves rose to staggering 60% in 2010 (MacDonald, Wilson. 4) The indigenous child poverty at the reservations is structural and systematic: it reveals a history of racism that goes back to the time of colonization. Canada's long history of residential schools and the under-funding of basic services on reserves have left aboriginal communities experiencing living conditions many would expect to see only in developing countries, not in a rich nation such as Canada. Too many aboriginal children live in abject poverty, and in many cases, without hope of improved prospects in the future....
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...A Retreat in the CJS 1 A Retreat in the Criminal Justice System Stephanie Karam ENG1100BB Karenza Sutton-Bennett November 25, 2014 A Retreat in the CJS 2 Abstract In contemporary culture, an emphasis on a “tough on crime” criminal justice system has been a topic of debate amongst all citizens. In this paper, a comparison of statistical evidence and treatment rates will be discussed. The purpose is to stipulate evidence of declining crime rates, and alternative sanctions to the crime bill c-10. In addition, a consultation of rehabilitation methods and apprehension of why there is a disproportionality of Aboriginal people in the Criminal Justice System will be explored. The data discovered suggests that the legislation was enacted for political reasoning, without the consideration of underlying causes of criminal activity. Furthermore, rehabilitation treatments have shown to lower recidivism, and are used to stress the importance on investigating the root cause of criminal behaviour. Finally, the restorative justice model is adopted to promote the sense of moral wrong in the individual’s crime. A Retreat in the CJS 3 In recent years, the Canadian government has been working on implementing a stricter justice system. The omnibus crime bill C-10, was enacted in order to achieve this measure. The act consists of a concept in which includes harsher sentencing, mandatory minimums and a zero tolerance policy. This legislation attempts to put victims first, instead of defending the...
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...life; certain social groups are better positioned than others to take advantage of the opportunities, wealth and power of a society. When Australian society is examined it becomes obvious that indigenous people as a social group are faced with a decided disadvantage when it comes to opportunities, wealth and power. This essay intends to focus on the over-representation of indigenous people in the criminal justice system from a sociological viewpoint. This over-representation becomes sociologically significant when it is seen as an expression of inequality meaning that wider social issues are at play that effect indigenous people specifically. The two major reasons or drivers of this over-representation stem from this inequality; the first is an element of institutional discrimination found in both the courts and the police services in Australia which tend to target indigenous people disproportionately with the facilitation of legislation and practices which indigenous people have little to no involvement in formulating. The second is a set of cultural and social norms that exist amongst indigenous people which clash with the norms of the dominant white culture who are responsible for the laws and regulations that all groups in society are meant to abide by. Furthermore social conflict theories on crime such as those formulated by Turk and Sellin provide a rich theoretical support for the reasons behind the over-representation of indigenous people in the criminal justice system. The...
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...For many young Australians, little knowledge is known about Aboriginal issues. The Stolen Generations is a historical series of events well known to many young Australians. It was important as many Australian Government bodies, alongside with other establishments, were removing children from Aboriginal families and putting them into foster homes. It was expected to cause a disconnection of the culture and structure of Aboriginal clans. From tutorials and lectures, I think that Indigenous issues are often misunderstood. I understood lecture material as providing insight into surviving problems due to the Stolen Generations. This was seen with a disconnection from land and country, and a loss of identity for Indigenous Australian. This had led...
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...has been growing concern and controversy about the over-representation of Aboriginals within the Criminal Justice System, a considerable problem that has been found to be more even extreme with Aboriginals female offenders. For Aboriginal women the rates of incarceration are particularly disturbing. Aboriginal women are over-represented in the federal prison system. They represent only 4% of the women in Canada yet account for 32% of the women in federal prisons. The number of Aboriginal women federally incarcerated has increased by 151% between 1997 and 2006 (Elizabeth Fry Society, 4). Aboriginal women are not only disproportionately over-represented but also the fastest growing population sentenced to federal prisons. The over-representation is even more pronounced in terms of Aboriginal women incarceration rates: As of April 2010, Aboriginal women accounted for 32.6% of the total female offender population (SOURCE 5). This means that one out of every three women federally incarcerated is of Aboriginal descent (Correctional Service Canada, 2009/2010, at 18). Furthermore they are over-represented in the maximum security prison population, making up 45% of the maximum security federally sentenced women, 44% of the medium security population and 18% of minimum security women in 2006 (Elizabeth Fry Society, 4). The justice system has played a major role in the creation of poor social conditions in Aboriginal communities today. It has failed to provide them with protection against...
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...According to INAC, the term for Aboriginal peoples is defined as: “a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. The Canadian constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal people: Indians (commonly referred to as First Nations), Métis and Inuit. These are three distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs. More than one million people in Canada identify themselves as an Aboriginal person, according to the 2006 Census.” (Indigenous Nationhood) Although many Aboriginal peoples in Canada identify as being Aboriginal, many Aboriginal peoples struggle to maintain or gain a sense of cultural identity due to the Canadian Governments assimilation policies. Throughout this paper I will discuss how the Indian Act, the Canadian Residential School System, and the Sixties Scoop assimilated Aboriginal peoples into a European way of life, by attempting to integrate them into society by abolishing their Aboriginal identities. This assimilation process impacted Aboriginal peoples in negative ways throughout the generations socially, culturally, and economically. The negative impacts within child welfare system, educational institutions, and the socio-economic status of Aboriginal peoples today, prove assimilation and the total integration of Aboriginal peoples within mainstream society is unacceptable. Decolonization techniques should be applied within those areas in order combat the long lasting effects of...
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...and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative gave a ted talk titled “We Need to Talk About an Injustice”. In that talk, he discussed the current condition of the American criminal justice system and the issue of mass incarceration. He stated that “we have a system of justice in this country that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.” I found this to be a profound quote on the criminal justice system as it seems contrary to everything the rule of law is about. So I considered if this was similar in a Canadian context, if there are any inequalities in the way we administer justice, and criminal law. I found...
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...been many studies conducted throughout Canada and all have found that Aboriginal people are clearly over-represented in Canada’s criminal justice system. Each study has provided many reasons for the high incarceration rates. A justice system that is not responsive to the experiences and needs of Aboriginal people contributes to the high Aboriginal incarceration levels. Many Aboriginal people have other social factors that contribute to their overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. “Aboriginal peoples experience disproportionately high rates of crime and victimization, are over-represented in the court and the correctional system, and further, feel a deep alienation from a justice system that is to them foreign and inaccessible, and reflects both overt and systemic racism.” (“Aboriginal People,” n.d) The overrepresentation of Aboriginals is a long-standing problem. Reports over the years have pointed to institutional bias within the criminal justice system as a cause for this problem. Courts were more inclined to deny bail and to impose more and longer prison sentences on Aboriginal people than on non-Aboriginals. (“Combating aboriginal”, 2012) Aboriginal accused are more likely to be denied bail and spend more time in pre-trial custody than non-Aboriginal people. One of the reasons for Aboriginal over-representation is related to interpretive problems. The Canadian Criminal Justice System is based on a system of offender punishment and deterrence....
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...Indigenous Australians marginalized in today’s society Introduction Archaeologists believe that aboriginals first came to Australia about 45, 000 years ago and were the only population of humans in Australia until the British invasion. There are about 500 different aboriginal groups each with their own language and territory and usually made up of several separate clans. The aboriginals of Australia are marginalised in today society. This marginalisation began right back during the British invasion where they were evicted from their own country, the stolen generation occurred and their health care, education, employment and housing was severely limited. Aboriginals generally live in poor conditions and choose unhealthy lifestyle choices they also make up a disproportionate section in the prison population; this continues the negative attitudes that society has towards aboriginals today. History Aboriginals trace their creation back to the dreamtime, an era long past when they believe the earth was first formed by creatures. The dreamtime theory was that these creatures started human society and made all natural things and put them in special places. An aboriginal man once said “Aboriginals have a special connection with everything that is natural. Aboriginals see themselves as part of nature … All things on earth we see as part human. It is true that people who belong to a particular area are really part of that area and if that area is destroyed they are also destroyed...
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...I attended the event “Justice for Children: A Landmark human Rights Case with Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Thursday January 15 2015 from 7 to 9 pm at the Central Library. The event focused on how education and services remain seriously underfunded for children on reserves. The event was important to me as it brought awareness of the issues that are faced daily by Aboriginal families and their communities. I had previously read about how there was a discrimination complaint filed against Canada that was in violation of the Canadian Human Rights Act, that Canada provides significantly less funding for family and child services on reserves than that provided off reserves, but never knew much about the case so I was glad to be able to attend the event and gain more knowledge on the issue. In 2007, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) filed a human rights complaint alleging that the inequitable funding of child welfare services on First Nations reserves amounts to discrimination on the basis of race and national or ethnic origin, contrary to Section 5 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, RCS 1985, c. H-6 (the Act). Some of the current inequities in Canada are that almost half of all children in care under the age of 14 are Aboriginal. The placement of Aboriginal children in informal care with relatives is 11.4 times the rate for non-Aboriginal children, and 12.4 times the rate of non-Aboriginal children for formal placement in the child...
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...ABORIGINAL ISSUES IN CANADA Teacher Name: Bob Gregory Student Name: Juan Carlos Bernal Student Number: 057638082 Date: Monday October 15th, 2012 References: Canada (1891). Indian treaties and surrenders, from 1680 to 1890 Volume I. Ottawa: Brown Chamberlin (Queen's Printer). URL: http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/ItemRecord/91942 Centre for Social Justice URL:http://www.socialjustice.org/index.php?page=aboriginal-issues Canadian Council on Social Development URL: http://www.ccsd.ca/cpsd/ccsd/c_ab.htm Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada URL: http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/ Assembly of First Nations URL: http://www.afn.ca/index.php/en The Indian Residential School Settlement URL:https://my.senecacollege.ca/bbcswebdav/courses/CAN275BA.GENH.20123/summary%20of%20court%20settlement.pdf Aboriginal Issues in Canada Many problems exists in aboriginal communities which include their living conditions, crime rates, suicide rates, lack of education and skill training, unemployment and other issues. The living conditions or quality of life for Aboriginals rank 63rd, or amongst Third World conditions. Health Canada states that as of May 2003, 12% of Aboriginal communities had to boil their drinking water and approximately 1/4 of water treatment systems on-reserve pose a high risk to human health. Almost 25% of Aboriginal water infrastructure are a high risk of contamination. House density is twice that of the general population. Nearly 1 in 4...
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