Module 8 Flashcards
What was the primary function of the Indian Act?
Facilitated acts of assimilation, dispossession, and colonial authority over First Nations people.
How did the Indian Act specifically impact First Nations women?
It served as a tool of oppression, leading to profound harm and violence against them.
What principle was gender equality based on in First Nations communities?
Complementarity of gender roles, valuing all genders equally and accepting differences.
What roles did women often hold in matrilineal and patrilineal communities?
Political and military leadership positions.
What was the role of clan mothers among the Haudenosaunee?
They held highly influential positions and could select or remove Chiefs.
What did the arrival of Europeans introduce to First Nations societies?
Patriarchal values that were imposed through the Indian Act and other means.
What restrictions did the Indian Act place on First Nations women regarding governance?
Prevented them from running for elected positions and voting in Band elections.
Until what year were women excluded from political participation under the Indian Act?
1951.
What was the role of property ownership for women under the Indian Act?
Women were not allowed to hold property; Certificates of Possession were held by men.
What did Section 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act state about First Nations women who married non-status men?
They would automatically lose their status as legally defined Indians.
What was the difference in status retention between Indian men and women marrying non-status individuals?
Men retained their status and could confer it to their wives, while women lost theirs.
What recommendation did the Royal Commission make regarding Section 12(1)(b)?
Indian women should retain their status and transmit it to their children upon marriage to a non-Indian.
What was the outcome of the Supreme Court case Attorney-General of Canada v. Lavell?
The Supreme Court ruled against the women, stating that the Indian Act was not invalidated by the Canadian Bill of Rights.
What was the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s stance on the Indian Act?
It found that the Act interfered with the rights of individuals to access their culture.
What was the significance of the 1981 ruling by the United Nations Human Rights Committee?
It compelled the Canadian government to begin changes to the Indian Act.
What did Bill C-31 aim to address?
Sexual discrimination in the Indian Act and provide band control of membership.
What major issue remained after Bill C-31 was implemented?
Residual sex discrimination, particularly affecting Indian women under second-generation cut-off guidelines.
What was the response of First Nations leadership to proposed changes in the Indian Act?
Concerns about assimilating First Nations and financial costs of increased membership.
True or False: The Indian Act allowed First Nations women to retain their status after marrying non-status men.
False.
Fill in the blank: The Indian Act was amended to address sexual discrimination in ______.
1985.
What was the purpose of Bill C-31 passed in 1985?
To address sexual discrimination in Section 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act.
What ongoing issue did the second-generation cut-off guidelines of the Indian Act present?
They continued to affect Indian women more than Indian men.
What does Section 6 of the Indian Act allow?
Reinstatement of status for persons who lost it through marriage to non-status individuals or voluntary enfranchisement.
What are the two subsections of Section 6 in the Indian Act?
Section 6(1) refers to individuals with both parents as status Indians; Section 6(2) refers to individuals with one status parent.
What is the ‘two-parent rule’ in the context of the Indian Act?
Children of mixed marriages can gain status but cannot pass it on if they also enter mixed marriages.
True or False: The second-generation cut-off is similar to a blood quantum requirement.
True
Who challenged Section 6 of the Indian Act and why?
Sharon McIvor, because it contained residual discrimination on the basis of sex.
What did the B.C. Supreme Court rule in 2007 regarding the Indian Act?
The amendments to the Indian Act were in violation of the equality rights guaranteed by Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
What was the outcome of the federal government’s response to the B.C. Supreme Court ruling?
Introduced new legislation through Bill C-3 to end residual discrimination.
Fill in the blank: The grandchildren of Indian women who lost their status prior to 1985 were eligible to apply for Indian status through _______.
Bill C-3
What ongoing issues did First Nations women face even after the introduction of new legislation?
Gender discrimination in certain circumstances, such as status transmission discrepancies.
What did the U.N. Committee rule in January 2019 regarding Sharon McIvor’s claim?
The government of Canada continued to discriminate against First Nations women through the Indian Act.
What socio-economic impacts have resulted from the historical oppression of First Nations women?
Poverty, poor health, and lack of cultural and community connections.
What percentage of Indigenous women in Saskatchewan had less than a grade nine education in 1996?
22%
What was the unemployment rate for Aboriginal women in 2006?
13.5%
What health disparities do Indigenous women face compared to non-Indigenous women?
Higher rates of diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.
How much more likely are Indigenous women to contract HIV compared to non-Indigenous women?
Three times more likely.
What percentage of new positive HIV test reports among Aboriginal people were Aboriginal females between 1998 and 2006?
48.1%
What is the rate of spousal violence among Indigenous women compared to non-Indigenous women?
25% for Indigenous women vs. 8% for non-Indigenous women.
How many times more likely are Indigenous women to be victims of homicide compared to non-Indigenous women?
Seven times more likely.
What did the 2004 Amnesty International report document regarding Indigenous women?
Widespread racism, poverty, and marginalization increasing their risk of violence.
What was the RCMP’s reported number of murdered and disappeared Indigenous women and girls over thirty years?
1,118 recorded cases.
What is a common stereotype that negatively impacts Indigenous women’s lives?
Historical images that devalue their lives.
What was the public reaction to the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada?
There was little public outcry or widespread demands for an inquiry, except from mostly Indigenous women and organizations.
This indicates a general apathy and lack of concern among the broader Canadian society.
How have negative stereotypes contributed to the devaluation of Indigenous women’s lives?
Negative stereotypes such as ‘Indian Princesses’ and ‘easy Squaws’ create dehumanizing images that legitimize violence against Indigenous women.
Janice Acoose’s book ‘Iskwewak: Neither Indian Princesses nor Easy Squaws’ examines these stereotypes.
Who was Helen Betty Osborne and what happened to her?
Helen Betty Osborne was a young Indigenous woman who was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered in 1972, with her case highlighting the failures of the justice system.
Her murder initiated an inquiry into Manitoba’s justice system.
What did Emma Laroque argue regarding the portrayal of Indigenous women?
She argued that the portrayal of Indigenous women as ‘squaws’ contributes to their dehumanization and vulnerability to violence.
Laroque’s views emphasize the connection between racist/sexist stereotypes and violence against Indigenous women.
What is the significance of Pamela George’s case?
Pamela George was a First Nations woman murdered by two non-Aboriginal university students, exemplifying dehumanization and victim-blaming in the justice process.
The trial revealed racial slurs and attitudes toward Indigenous women.
What percentage of Indigenous women are estimated to be engaged in street-based survival sex work?
Estimates suggest that Indigenous women make up 70% to 90% of visible street-based survival sex workers in urban centers.
Many of these women report being involved in sex work involuntarily.
What role does victim blaming play in society’s perception of Indigenous women?
Victim blaming perpetuates systemic inequality and shifts focus from the perpetrators to the victims’ behavior.
This culture of victim blaming extends to government attitudes and policies.
What happened in the trial of Bradley Barton regarding Cindy Gladue?
Bradley Barton was acquitted of murder despite evidence suggesting he caused Gladue’s death, highlighting systemic failures in the justice system.
The case raised significant concerns about the treatment of Indigenous women’s bodies in court.
How has media portrayal affected public attitudes towards missing and murdered Indigenous women?
Media often portrays Indigenous women in negative contexts, reinforcing stereotypes and distancing the public from the realities of colonialism and structural inequalities.
Such portrayals contribute to public apathy regarding the issue.
What triggered a national outcry regarding missing and murdered Indigenous women?
The death of Tina Fontaine, a 15-year-old First Nations teenager, significantly raised awareness and prompted calls for a national inquiry.
Her tragic story resonated with the public and media, leading to increased advocacy.
What was the focus of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls?
The inquiry addressed the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women, including colonial policies and socio-economic factors.
It included testimony from over 2000 people and examined the impact of intergenerational trauma.
What were the key findings of the final report from the national inquiry?
The report identified multigenerational trauma, poverty, and systemic marginalization as primary factors contributing to violence against Indigenous women.
It included 231 recommendations for various societal segments.
What are some of the recommendations made by the national inquiry?
Recommendations included gender-specific socio-economic impact assessments and addressing the lack of gender equity in political structures.
These recommendations aim to improve the situation of Indigenous women in relation to resource extraction and governance.
What is the total number of recommendations included in the final report of the Inquiry?
231 recommendations
Which groups were specifically highlighted for a lack of gender equity in political and governance structures?
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people
What type of assessments did the report call for in resource extractive and development industries?
Gender-specific socio-economic impact assessments
What movements have exposed the physical harm posed by extractive industries to Indigenous women?
- Tiny House Warrior Resistance Campaign against the TMX pipeline * Unist’ot’en Camp Campaign
What term did the Inquiry use to describe the violence against Indigenous Peoples?
Genocide
What colonial structures are mentioned as empowering genocide against Indigenous Peoples?
- Indian Act * Sixties Scoop * Residential schools * Breaches of human rights
What was the public reaction to the Inquiry’s use of the term ‘genocide’?
Disagreement and debate, with many news outlets publishing contrary opinions
What does Sally Thorne argue regarding the role of nurses in relation to systemic injustices?
Nurses must challenge prejudice and discrimination and create conditions of cultural safety
What is the implication of Thorne’s message for Canadians regarding the colonial narrative?
Canadians must educate themselves about difficult truths within the colonial relationship
What was the government’s promise following the report’s release?
To create a detailed action plan within the following year
What factors contributed to public apathy regarding missing and murdered Indigenous women?
- Stereotypes/stereotyping * Blaming the victim * Media/reporting
How many people were involved in the MMIW Inquiry?
More than 2000 people
What major aspect did the MMIWG Inquiry findings reveal about the violence faced by Indigenous women?
Results of numerous acts of race-based genocide
What does Bill C-31 aim to address?
End gender discrimination in the Indian Act
What does ‘second generation cut-off’ refer to in the context of the Indian Act?
Prevention of status passing to children of non-status marriages under section 6(2)
What did Section 12 (1) (b) of the Indian Act state regarding First Nations women?
They would lose their status upon marrying a non-status Indian
Who is Sharon McIvor and what did she challenge?
First Nations woman who challenged section 6 of the Indian Act for gender discrimination
What sparked outrage and demands for a national inquiry regarding missing Indigenous women?
The murder of Tina Fontaine
What grassroots initiative was inspired by Tina Fontaine’s death?
Bear Clan Patrols and ‘Drag the Red’ operation
Fill in the blank: The report identified trauma and marginalization in the form of ________ as leading causes behind the high numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
poverty, insecure housing or homelessness, and barriers to education, employment, healthcare and cultural support
