Introduction to Indigenous Perspectives Flashcards
Week 3: Learning Objectives
- Describe the various theoretical constructs within critical criminology
- Understand the key differences between Western and Indigenous worldviews
- Understand the differences between the purpose of Western and Indigenous education
- Understand how identity has been used historically to further the interest of the state
- Explain what a Creation Story is and define what area Turtle Island refers to
- Define Indigenous criminology
- Describe the controversy related to First Contact
First Contact
- Docuseries produced by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN)
- Takes six non-Indigenous participants to Indigenous communities across Canada
- Controversy: Some critics argue the job of educating non-Indigenous people should not fall on the shoulders of Indigenous peoples
- APTN recognizes these criticisms but argue First Contact is an important step toward reconciliation
Why First Contact is Included in the Curriculum
Introduces the student to some of the critical events in Canada’s history with Indigenous peoples
Showcases Indigenous communities across Canada
Features a variety of Indigenous speakers sharing their stories in their own words
Defining Identity
- John A. MacDonald: “If they are Indians, they go with the tribe. If they are half-breeds, they are whites.”
- Why would he say this?
- Who is Indigenous?
- Indigenous: First Nations, Inuit, & Métis
- First Nations: Status Indians & Non-status Indians
- Under the Indian Act, First Nations people who want to be legally recognized as such must enroll with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) to be listed in the Indian Register
- There is no federal register within INAC for Inuit or Métis
Defining Identity Continued
- Defining identity is often about control
- Blood Quantum (Native Americans) & Indian Status (First
Nations) - The One Drop Rule (African Americans)
- Each a distinct racist methodology used to further the interest of the state
- With Indigenous people Caucasian bloodlines were used to reduce the population of status Indians the government had obligations to
- In the US African American bloodlines were used to increase the number of people who could be enslaved by whites
Defining Identity Continued
Indigenous people come in all shades and have a variety of different features: all should be respected as Indigenous
Identity & Internalized Oppression
- When people are targeted, discriminated against, or oppressed they often internalize the myths and misinformation that society communicates to them about their group
- They accept the stereotypes applied to them and make them part of their self-image – their internal view of themselves
Critical Criminology: A Critique of Domination, Inequality, & Justice
- Exposes the bias and political agenda of mainstream criminology
- Umbrella term for the different perspectives with different core
beliefs and values - Feminist Criminology
- Posits the social world is shaped by relations of sex and gender
- Marxist Criminology
- Posits concepts of crime are not shaped by consensus
- Crimes defined by those with power and resources in order to maintain that power
- Indigenous Criminology
Indigenous Criminology
Cognizant of the position of Indigenous people in settler colonial states (Australia, NZ, USA & Canada)
* High rates of victimization
* Indigenous women in Canada face victimization triple that of non-Indigenous women
* High rates of incarceration
* Indigenous women are the fastest-growing incarcerated population
Indigenous Criminology
- Goal of decolonization
- The process of deconstructing colonial ideologies of the superiority and privilege of Western thought and approaches
- Chris Cunneen and Juan Marcellus Tauri (pictured left) (2017) question whether Western criminology provides an adequate starting point for understanding Indigenous involvement in the CJS in colonial societies
- Problematizes Indigenous beliefs and cultural practices
- Disempowers Indigenous groups
*Do not confuse Indigenous Criminology with Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice and Indigenous Justice
- RJ: An approach to crime and conflict that brings the victim, the offender, and members of the larger community together
- Sometimes based on traditional Indigenous practices
- The Youth Criminal Justice Act includes restorative justice principles
- Section 718.2 (e) in the Criminal Code of Canada
- [A]ll available sanctions other than imprisonment that are reasonable should be
considered for offenders, with specific attention being paid to Aboriginal offenders. - Tauri (Maori) and other Indigenous scholars believe that the New Zealand government co-opted traditional Maori practices and repackaged them within a colonial framework creating modern RJ practices
- Indigenous scholars in Canada have similar complaints
The 3 Principles of Indigenous Criminological Research (Cunneen &Tauri, 2017)
1) A belief in the ability of Indigenous peoples to carry out empirical research that will result in meaningful outcomes for their communities
2) Understanding the impact of the colonial state apparatuses on Indigenous peoples
* The education system
* Police
* Courts
* Government policies and legislation
3) Research that is not done on Indigenous people, but comes from within Indigenous peoples and communities
Criminological Research
- Indigenous peoples have long been exploited in academic and scientific research
- E.g., Nutrition experiments starving children in Indian Residential Schools (IRS)
- Any research with Indigenous communities in Canada must adhere to guidelines
- Understand that there are diverse perspectives on research involving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities
- Interpret ethics in the context of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities
- Recognize and respect the cultural norms, governance structures and needs of different Aboriginal communities involved in research
Indigenous & Western Worldviews
Circular Thinking (Look at the slide for the picture slide 18)
Linear Thinking (look at the slide for the picture slide 18)
Indigenous Teachings
- Spiritual and intellectual wisdom shared by Elders or other knowledge keepers
- Culturalvalues * Beliefs
- Lessons
- Philosophies
- Instructions to live by
- Typically conveyed through narratives or metaphors
- Historically conveyed orally and passed from generation to generation
- Contemporary teachings sometimes use technology to connect people with their cultures
