Lecture 8 Readings Flashcards
federally created political spaces for Indigenous people
Canada has created political spaces that facilitate the rights of Indigenous peoples but these spaces are limited, inadequate, and flawed
root of Canadian political processes
Political processes in Canada are rooted in European and North American settler notions of Indigeneity
Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative (MRI)
an initiative that aims to reroot governance to Indigenous culture by creating just treaty implementation, governance, and shared social and economic development in Nova Scotia
jurisdiction of the MRI
- Unique to Canada
- This applies only to Nova Scotia
politics in Indigenous cultures
Indigenous cultures are inherently political and marked by flexibility
Indigenous people in contemporary politics
Indigenous people remain marginalized by political processes and structures in Canada
implementation of the Indian Act
In 1927, the Indian Act governed every aspect of the lives of Status Indians, preventing them from forming political organizations
Indigenous leaders’ role in constitutional talks
First Nations leaders were excluded from constitutional talks in Canada until the First Ministers Conference on Aboriginal Rights from 1983 to 1987
activism of Indigenous communities
Many Indigenous communities are calling to return to Indigenous values which have no longer shaped their governance
Hanrahan on eurocentrism
it is politically useful to use the Eurocentric words of one era to counteract the Eurocentric views of the current area
impact of colonialism on the Mi’kmaq
- The Mi’kmaq were among the first Indigenous North Americans to encounter and interact with Europeans
- The Mi’kmaq endured many horrific consequences of colonialism, including the fatal introduction of foreign diseases, the destruction of their ancient economy and governance systems, the imposition of the reserve system, and more
prevealence of the Mi’kmaq
In 1761, Mi’kmaq made up 30-35% of the population of Nova Scotia and in 1996, they made up just 1.19%
indirect impacts of colonialism on the Mi’kmaq
The Mi’kmaq were also affected by changes that were not directed at them, but greatly affected them, such as technological change, the increased dominance of the English language, and more
interpretation of treaties
Treaties were left up to British interpretation, which privileged the British and marginalized the Mi’kmaq
Hanrahan on Indigenous sovereignity and governance
“It might be more useful to view Indigenous sovereignty and governance as rooted but permanently elastic”
Mi’kmaq values include:
- autonomy
- consensus
- balance
- harmony
- respect
- sharing
- generosity
- inclusion
- reciprocity
- the priority of the collective over the individual
culture and resistance
Culture is a vital resistance strategy
flexibility of Indigenous cultures
- Indigenous cultures are highly flexible
- Ex. the Apache ingenious adapted to the introduction of livestock in the 1600s and 1700s
interpretation of historical records
The Canadian government views historical records as legitimate, but these records cannot explain what Europeans could not understand and do not even know exists
Mi’kmaq governance structures
were egalitarian and democratic
governance of more complex Indigenous societies
had a greater ability to exercise governmental authority over their people and extend this to other people
is the the Mi’kmaq a complex Indigenous society?
yes
organization of Mi’kmaq villages
stratified into 3 classes
3 classes of Mi’kmaq villages
- Chiefs
- Commoners
- Slaves/war captives
basic social unit of the Mi’kmaq
the residential kin group, which was led by a chief
kin group size of the Mi’kmaq
varied between 30-300 participants
patriarchy in the Mi’kmaq
The Mi’kmaq were patriarchal and the Chiefs were always male
Mi’kmaq chiefs
- Chiefs held their position largely through consensus and consultation
- This was usually the result of kinship affiliations and superior abilities
- Mi’kmaq Chiefs had to be confident, competent and intelligent
- The Chief’s presence and behaviour set the tone for events
- Chiefs were responsible for the maintenance of the Mi’kmaq economy and the allocation of resources
- Mi’kmaq Chiefs used a cooperative system to ensure that all material needs were addressed
why is reclaiming Indigenous values challenging?
The dominance of Candian values and political context
function of Indigenous stories and cultural expressions
they are useful sources of knowledge for the reclamation project
contemporary Indigenous sovereignty
Indigenous sovereignty is often a shadow of its former self due to the continuing power imbalance between Indigenous governments and the Canadian state
land claims and sovereignity
Land claims are a hope for Indigenous sovereignty
governance and nationhood
Governance is arguably the most important issue in the development of Mi’kmaq nationhood in Nova Scotia
The five pillars of Mi’kmaq values:
- To achieve recognition, acceptance, implementation, and protection of treaty title, and other rights
- To develop systems of Mi’kmaq governance and resource management
- To revive, promote, and protect a healthy Mi’kmaq identity
- To obtain the basis for a shared economy and social development
- To negotiate toward these goals with community involvement and support
The twofold vision of Mi’kmaq governance:
- Enhanced governance for the Mi’kmaq
- A venue to showcase Mi’kmaq culture and arts to residents and visitors
the Indian Act and sexism
- The struggles of Indigenous women were exacerbated by the Indian Act of 1868
- The act was rooted in both colonial and sexist ideologies
1876 amendment of the Indian Act
- The Act was amended in 1876 to establish patrilineality as a criterion for determining Indian status
- This led status Indian men to an expectation of entitlement in band government and property rights over Indian women irrespective of their status
1985 amendment of the Indian Act
- In 1983 and 1985, several different Indian women’s constituencies and their allies secured legislative amendments that partly reversed the 1876 criterion
- These groups were demonized as proponents of excessive individualism and feminism
The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
The Indian Act commissioned the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) to oversee band government operations and remove band officials if they felt they had demonstrated that they were not qualified to carry out their duties (i.e. acted ‘unchristian’)
status and the Indian Act
Under the Indian Act, status men could never lose status but status women would lose their status if they married a non-status man or if they got divorced
the Indian Act and assimilation
- The Indian Act was designed with the explicit intent of assimilating Indigenous people into Canadian society
- It was based on the assumption that Indigenous governance, beliefs, and gender roles were irrelevant and invalid
the Indian Act and the devaluation of Indigenous women
- The Indian Act’s provisions for status represented and perpetuated a long process of the social devaluation of Indian women
- The adoption of this sexism was highly disconnected from Indigenous culture, which is largely matrilineal
result of the Indian Act on Indigenous women
The Indian Act led status Indian men to feel entitled to privileges
violence against Indigenous women
- There has been a systematic escalation of violence against Indigenous women
- 60% of Indigenous women have experienced sexual violence
- Indigenous women between the ages of 25 and 44 are 5 times more likely than all other women of the same age to die as the result of violence