...issues Canadian Aboriginals face in Canada? (Issues may be health, access, education, social class, violence, gender issues, etc.) There are several issues surrounding the first nations people of Canada. For a very long time there has been discrepancies between the Indigenous People and the rest of the inhabitants living in Canada. Although Canada seems to be country that promotes equality, there are still issues regarding the Indigenous People being overlooked. The most prevalent ones we see are those involving the land of the Indigenous People being taken over by mining companies, unequal access to Canada’s health system, high rates of violence towards First Nation’s women, and lower levels of education and income. The most known controversy that is really recent is the Northern Gateway Pipeline controversy. The Project involved building a pipeline that ran through Alberta to British Columbia and would go across roughly 1000 rivers and streams and land that belonged to the 50 First Nation’s groups. There are many residents that live on these territories that depend on these sources of water and land. Canada has a healthcare system for Aboriginals called Non-Insured Health Benefits for First Nations and Inuit (NIHB). Since it only applies to the First Nations and Inuit, the Métis and others Indigenous people that are not qualified under the Indian act do not receive the same benefits. It is a complex health system that has resulted in Indigenous People not getting equitable means...
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...Assimilation of native canadians Submission to the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: the role of languages and culture in the promotion and protection of the rights and identity of Indigenous peoples. The State of Indigenous Peoples’ Languages and Cultures in Canada Submission by Kontinónhstats - The Mohawk Language Custodians Submitted by: Kontinónhstats – The Mohawk Language Custodians 14A Sóse Onahsakenrat (Joseph Swan Road) Kanehsatà:ke, Quebec Canada J0N 1E0 Phone: 450-479-1651 Email: Ellen Gabriel kontinonhstats2@hotmail.com Hilda Nicholas kononkwe@inbox.com Table of Contents Page Executive Summary ………………………………………………………. 3 - 6 Introduction ……………………………………………………………….. 6 – 7 Current Situation ………………………………………………………..... 7 – 9 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………. 9 - 11 Recommendations ……………………………………………………….... 12 End Notes …………………………………………………………………...13 - 14 Annex 1………………………………………………………………………15 -16 Annex 2………………………………………………………………………17 Suggested Questions ………………………………………………………..18 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This submission on Indigenous languages, culture and identity demonstrates the manner in which Canada continues to practice institutionalized racial discrimination and assimilation against Indigenous peoples’ human rights and fundamental freedoms through the imposition of their policies and...
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...about the missing indigenous and murdered women and girls by the RCMP, I have growing concerns the Indigenous people’s safety. I am especially concerned by the 2009 statistic, where it was found that Aboriginal women were nearly three times more likely than non-Aboriginal women to report being victim of a violent crime. As the newly elected prime minister, I hope to see a change for Indigenous people in the duration that you are appointed. From any viewpoint in the world, I believe that Canada is often conceived as a “safe” and even a “welcoming” country. However, with the newfound knowledge of the murders and abductions of Aboriginal women, I strongly believe that Canada cannot boast to have the security that it has had in the past. The released statistics make evident how not only the government, but all Canadians must support a movement in order to stop the violence against Indigenous women. For 62% of these cases, the violence occurs domestically – right in the...
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...Region of Kakisa in the Northwest Territories moving towards the east. In the article, Leishman speaks about the additional response the cases involving the Aboriginal women are receiving compared to those of the absent Aboriginal men. RCMP has recently released the numbers of individuals that have disappeared in the N.W.T. since 1960 and out of the 43 cases eight are concerning Aboriginal females, while 35 are regarding Aboriginal males. Leishman knows that it is important that everyone be found safely and brought back home and she has faith that the attention on the disappearances of Aboriginal women will further increase the responsiveness on the cases of the missing men. As stated in the article, there is more action taken when it is about the case of missing women. From the compiled statistics it illustrates that there is a greater number of indigenous men missing and murdered relative to that of even Aboriginal females. Given the figures, people believe that the attention has been misplaced on the gender of the individuals. Even though this is true, there has been more focus on the disappearances and homicides of indigenous females by nationwide establishments. RCMP, one of the many organizations mentioned, has created the National Operational Overview on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women, having no future...
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...“Quiet” by Mary Black is a piece of spoken word poetry that touches on the subjects of racism and abuse against Indigenous people in Canada. Throughout this poem Black touches on many points focusing on the disadvantages Indigenous people having been living with, but the first place that she touches on a subject that relates to my thesis is the title, “Quiet”. This is due to the fact that that despite the number of missing and murdered indigenous women being estimated at roughly 4,000 between 1980 and 2010 (Tasker) the problem continues to persist. The word “quiet” represents the fact that despite this growing issue it sometimes seems as though no one is willing to talk about or speak up about it. This relates to my topic as it is based around the unspoken issue of missing and murdered indigenous women within Canada....
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...The Indigenous (Aboriginal) People are the first inhabitants to what we now call Canada. Their contribution to our country is what helped shaped Canada into what it is today. Aboriginal People have had to overcome many acts of such controlled, inhumane ways, enforced by the Canadian Government. The history between Indigenous People and European settlers has always been rocky however, three main examples of this governmental neglect and control are: returning Aboriginal veterans, Residential schools and missing, murdered Indigenous women. It is an estimated 7000 Aboriginal People served in both world wars. They were not encouraged or enlisted during the early parts of the first world war however, once the lives of soldiers started to drop...
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...Canada is a great country and we have many good things here. There is also a huge void and as grade 9’s we need to get the message across to others - meaning no more racism, bullying, and gender equality. We need to have love, tolerance and respect for each other. We can make the choice to end these issues and make Canada even better! Racism has been going on forever! We need to stop hurting people just because of their color, heritage or beliefs. Immigrants are in constant fear of being the target of a hate crime. Global News reported that “The number of police-reported hate crimes targeting Muslim-Canadians more than doubled over a three-year period.” The hate crime rate across Canada is 3.7 per 100,000 people. Ontario has the highest...
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...the previous issues connected to women's equity and justice. Women living in Canada, especially indigenous and Asian women, struggled for basic human rights, including suffrage. Women's suffrage (or franchise) refers to the right for women to vote in political elections. Women & voting In the early 19th century, evidence shows that women had the right to vote. For example, at least 27 women voted in the 1825 election in Kahnawake. However, by the mid-19th century, full citizenship was limited to white men, and most colonies in Canada removed women's suffrage. In 1867, the British North America Act was created, which stated that only white men, aged 21 and older while being a householder...
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...More Wilfredo Q. Mamaril Jr Stenberg College Idle No More The “Idle no More” movement is a grassroots political undertaking of a large group of Canadian Aboriginal people which consist of First Nations, Inuit’s and Metis. The primary focus of the movement is on Indigenous rights and environmental protection. It began as a fairly small group in Canada, but rapidly became international in scale essentially from rapid proliferation through the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter (OJEN, n.d.). The movement has also attracted a great deal of attention in the Canadian national and local mainstream media, through rallies, protests, teach-ins and direct political actions. Political actions such as flash mobs and round dances around the country protested against omnibus Bill C-45 (currently known as the Jobs and Growth act, 2012) that was introduced and announce by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in October 2012 without consulting the Indigenous peoples (OJEN, n.d.). The vision of Idle No More is to “call on all people to join in a peaceful revolution, to honour Indigenous sovereignty, and to protect the land and water” (idlenomore.ca, n.d.). The Idle No More manifesto contends that “the state of Canada has become one of the wealthiest countries in the world by using the land and resources. Canadian mining, logging, oil and fishing companies are the most powerful in the world due to land and resources. Some of the poorest First Nations communities (such as Attawapiskat)...
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...Canada is often painted as the perfect polite country that does little to no harm to other cultures. In a non-Canadian perspective, Canada has always done the right thing. However, our history of exploiting and dehumanizing Indigenous people through state policies contradicts such beliefs. The Indian Act of 1876 is an infamous example of this. The Indian Act is a federal law that governs issues involving an Aboriginal’s status, bands and their reserves in a manipulative manner that exercises white dominance over the Natives. Many of the sections inscribed in the document undermines Canadian Aboriginal culture and creates disparities between indigenous and non-indigenous people. In one of the readings, author Pamela Downe explains how the Indian...
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...ca/jah/english/jah05_02/V5_I2_Colonialism_02.pdf>. Alfred discusses disempowerment from forced colonization and cultural dislocation on indigenous men and how this affects women of this culture. He talks about how men express their frustration externally which leads to gendered violence. This article will support my argument that indigenous men have become aggressive towards their spouses not because they choose to, but because of cultural dislocation and colonization that was forced on their culture, among other factors. Chansonneuve, Deborah. Addictive Behaviours among Aboriginal People in Canada. Ottawa: Aboriginal Healing Foundation, 2007. Aboriginal Healing Foundation. Aboriginal Healing Foundation, 2007. Web. 6 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ahf.ca/downloads/addictive-behaviours.pdf>. Chansonneuve article speaks about prevalence and impacts of alcohol abuse and substance abuse in the Aboriginal population. The article presents statistics on domestic abuse towards Aboriginal women due to intoxication of their spouse. I am going to use this article to support my argument that alcohol consumption or substance abuse does play a role in domestic violence towards Aboriginal women. Giving statistical data this will help show that domestic violence towards Aboriginal women is much higher than that of non-Aboriginal women. Scrim, Katie. "Victims of Crime Research Digest No. 3." Department of Justice. Goverment of Canada, 07 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Nov. 2015. <http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/victim/rd3-rr3/p3...
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...Canada is a nation of opportunity and freedom. People from all around the world immigrate to Canada to start a new life, to get away from war or poverty. But how about those who were here from the very beginning, before anyone else landed in Canada; the ones that are called First Nation people, or Aboriginals? What is the government doing for them? Why are First Nations people suffering the worst in Canada? The first nations have been oppressed by the Canadian society and continue to live under racism resulting in gender/ class oppression. “55.6% of the poor are aboriginals and a lot of them live in reserves around Canada that Canadian government have put them in. Even Though we have signed a treaty to show constitutional and moral basis...
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...The film RIIS from Amnesia is about the Regina Indian Industrial School and the forgotten cemetery on Pinkie road in Regina, Saskatchewan. The film was directed by two Indigenous women, Janine Windolph and Trudy Stewart. Trudy and Janine did not know about RIIS or the unmarked cemetery before being approached by the Presbyterian Church about a documentary project. They took on the project and produced the film which has now been shown at film festivals all over the world and has sparked conversation about residential schools in Canada. The film took place in Regina Saskatchewan and began by interviewing a couple of Indigenous people on their spiritual feelings while visiting the cemetery on Pinkie road. The feelings were described as a lack...
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...felt. After a divisive campaign where identity issues featured prominently, Trudeau’s first steps have been a boon to diversity. His 31-member cabinet, which he unveiled as one that looks “like Canada,” is the most diverse the country has ever seen. Indigenous Canadians were tapped for the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General posts; a Muslim woman of Afghan descent named Maryam Monsef, who came to Canada as a refugee in 1996, was selected for Minister of Democratic Institutions; four[?] members of the Sikh community were also tapped, including Minister of National Defense Harjit Sajjan, which means Canada now has more Sikhs in cabinet than even India; and 50 percent of the cabinet is made up of women, another notable first. The media is swooning. But there is more. The Minister of Environment has been renamed Minister of Environment and Climate Change; the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has become Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is now Indigenous and Northern Affairs (also formerly Indian Affairs and Northern Development before); and Minister of State became Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. Of the 31-member cabinet, a [record?] sixteen chose not to be sworn in with a religious oath—including Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett who took hers while holding an eagle feather and tuft of sweetgrass in each hand. Aside from the benefit they may have on policy, these are worthy...
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...Throughout history, North American Indigenous populations have experienced vast amounts of both structural and cultural oppression. Such forces of oppression date back hundreds of years to the Colonial era, where various countries participated in the colonization of North American lands as well as the people which inhabited them. Since then, Indigenous communities have been attempting to recover, yet struggle to do so due to the lingering influences of Colonialism as well as the neo-liberal agendas of many modern societies. Regardless of being Indigenous and facing discrimination through numerous disparities, these disparities are experienced differently by each gender within these communities and often are compounded in their detrimental...
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