Chapter 9 Flashcards
Indigenous
Includes Métis, Inuit, and First Nations peoples
Indian
Originated by early explorers who thought they had
reached India in their search for the passage to the east.
Today the term “Indian” is used in a legal context and
usually defines a person as being either a Status or non-
Status Indian
Status
Indians
Individuals of Indigenous descent that are registered as
”Indians” according to the Indian Act
Non-Status
Indians
Non-Status Indians are not, or have lost their right to be
registered as Indians as defined by the Act, but identify
with the Indigenous community culturally and/or
linguistically.
Colonialism
Forced political domination of one nation over another,
including administrative, economic, and cultural control
Indian
Agent
A government agent who administered the Indian Act,
interfering in virtually every aspect of Native life.
Indian Agents had extraordinary administrative and
discretionary powers. They were meant to displace
traditional Indigenous leaders to institute a new way
of living consistent with the assimilationist intentions
of the Canadian federal government.
Indigenous Population
In 2011, 4.3% of the population in Canada identified as
Indigenous.
* The number of Indigenous people is increasing, and they
are young.
* The largest amount of Indigenous people live in Ontario,
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia
and make up the largest population in Nunavut and the
Northwest Territories.
History of Colonization
Colonialism involves one society seeking to conquer another and then rule over it.
* Colonialism in Canada took the form of settler colonialism
* European peoples came to this continent with a worldview based on Christianity and capitalism.
* The process of colonization grew in large part out of a belief that humankind was to “fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish in the sea, the birds of heaven, and every living thing that moves upon the
earth”
The brutality perpetuated upon Indigenous Peoples by the French and English in securing pelts during the fur trade
* The banning of political activity in Indigenous communities from the 1800s to the 1960s which served to eliminate any challenges to colonial rule
History of Colonization dates/systems
- Indian Act of 1876
- Script system
- Disc list system
- The sixties scoop
- Residential schools
Indian Act 1876
Defined who would be considered an “Indian”
* Gave government authority over Indigenous peoples
* The Indian Act is a piece of social legislation of very broad scope that regulates and controls virtually every aspect of the lives of Indigenous peoples
* An “Indian Agent” administered the act in Indigenous communities
* Canada is still one of the few countries to have a separate law for a specific group based on race or ethnicity
The Reserve System
- Indigenous people were shunted aside onto small parcels of land which was largely devoid of any economic potential
- The land could not be used to develop business ventures since the land was held “ in trust” by the Canadian Government
- Famine and tuberculosis virtually decimate Indigenous communities
- Housing provided was of the poorest quality, and healthcare and education were until quite recently left to the church
- There are boil water advisories in many Indigenous reserves.
- Overcrowded and poor housing conditions caused serious health concerns
Housing on reserves is substandard, in need of repairs, and overcrowded. - The Government of Canada is responsible for providing and repairing homes on reserves.
- Over one in five Indigenous people live in crowded housing (Statistics Canada, 2022)
- Approximately one in six Indigenous people live in a dwelling that requires major repairs (Statistics Canada,
2022)
The Inuit
- The Inuit had no land that was formally set aside for their
use, nor any treaties signed with the Inuit people. - The Canadian government relocated the Inuit people
from Northern Quebec’s Ungava Peninsula to Ellesmere
and Cornwallis Islands in the High arctic. - In 1953 and 1955, the Canadian government forcibly
relocated eleven Inuit families from the Port Harris region
and four families from Pond Inlet to new communities at
Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay.
The Metis
- The Métis in Western Canada sought to become
status Indians by aligning themselves to certain
treaty areas, or they could “ take script” - The script system entitled the bearer of a scrip
certificate to either land or money; in exchange the
person who took the script gave up all further claims
to land
The Métis and the Inuit
The relocated families suffered great hardship in the
new region,
* Hunting and shelter were scarce, winters were darker,
and a few youth were brought into the new community,
making partnerships limited.
* Many Inuit individuals perished during the beginning of
the relocation experiment, although most survived
through fierce adaptation.
The Métis and the Inuit- Disc System
- The disc list system assigned a numbered disc to each Inuit.
- Originating in the 1920s as an administrative
measure and not universally employed - the disc list system was a quasi-legal status that
affected all aspects of Inuit life. - By the 1960s, “it was evident that Government’s
attempts to implement a ‘disc list’ system was largely a failure”
Residential Schools
Established in the mid-1800s by Indian
Affairs with several Christian churches.
* The last Indian residential school closed
in 1996 in Saskatchewan.
* Goal was to “ take the Indian out of the
child”
* Assimilate Indigenous children
* Children were denied their language,
spiritual rituals, and access to their
families
* The children were subjected to
emotional and physical abuse, and
many were also victims of sexual
abuse
* Residential schools were supposed
to provide education however did
not prepare these individuals for
life outside of the school
* Caused intergenerational trauma
The Sixties Scoop
In 1951 the Indian Act was amended
such that provincial laws of application
( and therefore child welfare legislation)
applied to reserves.
● The government’s approach to
Indigenous assimilation veered from
residential schools toward the
apprehension and placement of
Indigenous children in non-Indigenous
foster homes
● Child welfare agencies assumed
responsibility for services to
Indigenous communities
● In the 1960s massive numbers of
children were removed from their
communities
● By the late 1970s early 1980s, one in
seven Indigenous children were not
in the care of their parents
● One in four Indigenous children
spent at least some time away from
the parental home
● The sixties scoop was widely
condemned in the mid-1980s after
ongoing criticism
A Legacy of Harm
● In 1981 the federal government
entered into agreements with
the provinces, insisting that
child and family services for
Indigenous peoples adhere to
provincial standards and
regulations.
● Under this legislative mandate,
many Indigenous child welfare
agencies came to resemble
mainstream service
providers.
● Over-representation in
the Canadian justice
system today is one
consequence of the
residential schools, the
Sixties Scoop, and the
attempted systemic
disruption of
Indigenous societies
`
Indigenous Child Welfare
The sixties scoop has given birth to what
some call the “Millennium Scoop”
● The Millennium Scoop is what is
referred to the high rates of
Indigenous children in care today
● In 2020 the Assembly of First Nations and Government of Canada
signed a protocol co-developed by both organizations to establish a new
structure to support discussions on the implementation of the Act
Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.
● Co-developed with Indigenous, provincial and territorial partners, the act:
○ Affirms the rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services
○ establishes national principles such as the best interest of the child, cultural continuity and substantive equality
○ contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
○ provides an opportunity for Indigenous peoples to choose their own
solutions for the children and families
Missing and Murdered Indigenous
Women, Girls and Two-Spirited
(MMIWG2S)
● Indigenous people are far more
likely to be murder victims than
other segments of the population
● Indigenous people were 6x more
likely to be victims of homicide
than non-Indigenous people
● Indigenous women in Canada are
7x more likely than non-
Indigenous women to be killed by
serial killers
A 2014 RCMP report found that
1,181 Indigenous women were
killed or went missing between
1980-2012
● 32 homicides of Indigenous women
happened within the RCMP
jurisdictions
● May 5th is the national day of
awareness for the Missing and
Murdered Indigenous women
Truth and Reconciliation
● Truth and Reconciliation Commission ( TRC)
(2015)presented 94 calls to action that would help
“redress the legacy of residential schools and
advance the process of Canadian reconciliation”
● 13 completely enacted
● 60 calls which the government has taken some
steps
● 21 calls to action have no steps made towards
reconciliation
● Continued failed promise by the Canadian
Government
● Reconciliation does not occur after these 94 calls to
action are complete it is an ongoing process
United Nations Declarations on the
Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP)
● The General Assembly adopted UNDRIP on Thursday, 13th
September 2007, by a majority of 143 states in favor
● 4 votes against which were Australia, Canada, New Zealand
and the United States
● Years later, the four countries that voted against UNDRIP have
reversed their position and support the UN Declaration
● The declaration is the most comprehensive international
instrument on the rights of Indigenous peoples.
● Universal framework of minimum standards for the survival,
dignity and well-being of the Indigenous peoples of the world and
it elaborates on human rights standards and fundamental
freedoms
Toward Indigenous Self-Government and
Protection of Rights
● The most important part in
this process is the
reaffirmation of indigenous
rights to land, rights that
are inextricably linked to
the principles of
Indigenous self-
government
Social Work with Indigenous People
Four Key Principles
● the recognition of a distinct Indigenous world view
● the development of consciousness regarding the destructive
impact of colonialism on Indigenous peoples
● an emphasis on the importance of cultural knowledge and
traditions
● the application of the concept of Indigenous empowerment
Social Work with Indigenous People
Lack of traditional Indigenous social work practices has neglected Indigenous clients.
■ Integrating traditional beliefs and customs
■ Draw on the perspectives of Elders, teachers, and community members
■ Social work educators can incorporate a revised understanding of the oppression of Indigenous peoples into
their everyday practice.
■ 70 percent of Indigenous people living in urban centres felt negatively portrayed by non-Indigenous people
■ Storytelling in the media needs to include traditional practices, as determined by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers
■ Storytelling can lead to a deeper understanding of a client’s
own experiences, and dispel Westernized notions of barriers confronting Indigenous clients, and a rejects pervasive racist ideologies.
■ Storytelling enhances understanding of past experiences of oppression within a present-day context to help gain helpful insights into current challenges.
■ Educate yourself about the current issues facing
Indigenous communities
■ Do not rely on people from that community to teach you
■ Respect Indigenous sovereignty, learning
about treaties, questioning and resisting racial stereotypes
■ Learn about the people who are Indigenous where
you live, and learning about and supporting Indigenous programs and organizations
Difference Between Ally and Accomplice
For race and social justice work, the terms
“ally” and “accomplice” are often used to
describe those who come from places of
privilege and their relationship to
marginalized groups and individuals.
● The term ally is defined as someone who
advocates for groups or individuals
who do not come from the same place
of privilege as the ally.
● Being an ally is considered one of
the first steps in race and social
justice work.
● The term accomplice
encompasses allyship but goes
beyond to advocacy. An
accomplice uses their privilege to
challenge existing conditions at the
risk of their own comfort and
well-being
