M5S2: Colonization Flashcards
Colonization overview
-occurred worldwide
-“the process of establishing a colony or group of settlers in a new land or territory, whether previously inhabited or not, during which the settlers are both partially or fully subject to and accountable to their mother country of origin”
-“the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another county, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically
Colonization and medicine
Medicine colonized because:
-an altruistic desire among those in colonizing nations to spread the benefits of western medicine
-the sense that western medicine is needed in communities elsewhere
-the desire to keep colonial settlements healthy
-the desire to keep the local workforce in colonial areas healthy
*the federal government in Canada established Indian hospitals for treatment of First Nations and Inuit peoples in 20th century
-these hospitals lacked indigenous medicines, midwives and holistic approaches to illness and treatment
-hospitals designed to further assimilationist goals by replacing traditional healing with biomedicine
North America pre-contact and contact
-18 million inhabitants and 2,000 languages present
-European traders, colonizers, whalers, and missionaries engaged with indigenous people and imposed their own cultural values, religion, laws
-Canada colonization started around 1535
-diseases like smallpox, me Asher’s, TB brought over
-residential schools began about 300 years post-contact
Residential school system
-1880 to 1996
-compulsory for all indigenous children 1884 to 1984
-indigenous children were removed from their homes and families and sent here which were often ran b y Christian churches and operated in partnership with Canadian government
Aim of residential schools
-remove and isolate children from the influence of their home, families, traditions, and cultures and to assimilate into the dominant culture
-to convert children to Christianity and assimilate them into European cultures where their language and culture were suppressed in an intentional process of forced assimilation
-estimated 150,000 children were taken from their families and forced to attend these schools
Residential school deaths
-many children
-others lost their language, culture, abused, neglected and forced to stay at school against their will
-in may 2021, 215 unmarked graves found in Kamloops BC
-other unmarked graves at other schools
-according to truth and reconciliation commission, at least 4,100 students died while attending residential schools across Canada
Impacts of colonization
-multiple forms of violence
-loss of livelihoods and ways of life
-loss of culture and language
-negative health impacts
-land appropriation
-oppression
-many forms of structural (and enduring) anti-indigenous racism
Health concerns directly associated with colonization
Changes to traditional lifestyle and diet
-increase in the incidence and prevalence rates of diseases like cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke), obesity, diabetes
Poverty and poor living conditions
-increased exposure to TB, exposures to toxins, injuries, diseases of contaminated water
Trauma, social exclusion and injustice
-associated with substance abuse, family violence, mental health concerns,suicide
Colonization and food insecurities among indigenous peoples
-according to 2018 Canadian community health survey, indigenous groups face higher rates of food insecurities than non-indigenous population
Non-indigenous, non-racialized -> 11.1% food insecure
Indigenous off-reserve -> 28.2 %
First Nation on-reserve -> 50.8%
Food insecurities and food sovereignty
-reflects right of indigenous people to healthy and culturally appropriate food defined by their own sustainable agricultural system
-food sovereignty movements about regaining control over food systems for indigenous people
Ex. Feed the children which tries to ensure food by supporting land and allow the people to control what eat to allow independence. Really focus on community priorities
On reserve housing / what is a reserve
-well being and health impacted by living conditions
-reserve a land set aside by Canadian government (the crown) for use by indigenous communities and were created under Indian act
-obligations for provision of housing, health and social services on reserve but often inadequate in these respects in on-reserve communities
- in 2016, 40% of Inuit, 23% of First Nations and 8% of Métis reported living in crowed houses
-19% of all indigenous persons reported living in dwelling that in need of major repairs
*refer to goodnotes
Median income for indigenous and non-indigenous populations
Refer to goodnotes
-females show higher median income than males in registered on-reserve populations and among Inuit, whereas other indigenous populations men have higher median income
Discrimination against indigenous in healthcare
-happens often
-a report from B.C. Called “in plain sight” examined these facts
Breaking the cycle of negative outcomes
*refer to goodnotes
