The Nation of Canada would come to know many great leaders within the nineteenth and twentieth century. One of these people would be Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Laurier would be an arbiter to Canada's history. Serving as Prime Minister from 1896 to 1911; a well respected leader and a man of honor. A man, confident within his country stated the following on January 18, 1904 “Canada has been modest in its history, although its history, in my estimation, is only commencing. It is commencing in this century. The nineteenth century was the century of the United States. I think we can claim that Canada will fill the twentieth century.” (Suzuki) Many Canadians would come to believe this and feel secure and prideful of their country. However, this statement would be proven wrong by the harsh unforgiving way the Aboriginal peoples were treated.Canada would not belong to the Twentieth century due to how the Government's treatment of first nations people, through the title of Status Indian, Reserves and Residential Schools.
The Indian Act was put in place in the late nineteenth century as a means to calm down the First Nations people violent response to western settlers. (Coyler 176) The indian act would give the title of Status indian to certain people who met certain qualifications such as having Aboriginal ancestry or being an Aboriginal. This act would neglect the Aboriginal peoples to certain rights and freedoms, as well as eventually turning into a title of humiliation and prejudice. Anyone who had the title of status indian, were not given the right to vote. The final group of people to gain suffrage would be the Aboriginal peoples in the 1960’s. (Colyer 356 )Along with the inability to vote, the Indian Act would neglect Aboriginal people from receiving Old Age Pension. A pension that was established within the time of the roaring twenties; and was created in order to