Unit B

Question 1

Self-determination:

Answer 1

The power to control one’s own affairs. National self-determination is the power of people within a nation-state or nation to make their own decisions about what is in their interest.

Question 2

Loyalties:

Answer 2

A strong feeling of support or allegiance.

Question 3

Francophones:

Answer 3

A person who speaks French.

Question 4

National Pride:

Answer 4

National pride is the positive effect that the public feels towards their country, resulting from their national identity. It is both the pride or sense of esteem that a person has for one’s nation and the pride or self-esteem that a person derives from one’s national identity.

Question 5

Distinct Culture:

Answer 5

A unique setting with different rules, terms and behaviour patterns.

Question 6

Decolonization:

Answer 6

The process that occurs in a former colony when an imperial power withdraws. Decolonized countries can exercise sovereignty under international law and can join the United Nations.

Question 7

Contending Loyalties:

Answer 7

Loyalties that compete. People sometimes need to choose among various loyalties based on their commitment level to these loyalties. People can feel loyalty to more than one nation.

Question 8

Polarization:

Answer 8

Division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.

Question 9

Bias:

Answer 9

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

Question 10

Brotherhood:

Answer 10

An association, society, or community of people linked by a common interest, religion, or trade.

Question 11

Parti Quebecois:

Answer 11

The Parti Québécois was a nationalist party that was created in Quebec in 1968. The party firmly pushed for the separation of Quebec from Canada, peacefully. The PQ was first in office in 1976, led by René Lévesque, where it held two referendums on Quebec’s sovereignty. Although neither referendum passed, the party continued to display want for separation from the rest of Canada. In 1977 the government declared French the only official language of Quebec’s government.

Question 12

Quiet Revolution:

Answer 12

After Québec prospered from the war and industrialization, it was ready for change. Before the Quiet Revolution, Québec’s education was highly religious and extremely underdeveloped compared to the rest of Canada. In 1960, a man named Jean-Paul Desbiens wrote a book denouncing the religious-based education system. It caught on quickly. Québec elected Jean Lesage eager for reform. This new government set up hydroelectric utilities, a pension plan, cultural affairs ministries, and improved federal and provincial relations. The most significant change, however, was in Québec’s education. Paul Gérin-Lajoie was a youth minister who immensely helped take away the church’s influence in education, and by 1964, the education ministry was majorly under government control. French-speaking Québécois began asserting their rights for equality and more modern society. The Quiet Revolution brought about strong feelings of French nationalism in Québec. Federal-provincial relations became dominated by a philosophy in Québec called “maîtres chez nous”, meaning “masters in our own house”.

Question 13

Indian Act of 1876:

Answer 13

Early government officials in Canada talked openly about the “Indian problem”. The “Indian problem” was that First Nations peoples were on the land that the government desired for expansion and the solution was assimilation. The Indian Act was intended to further assimilationist policies. The Indian Act is a collection of laws that defined and controlled all aspects of the lives of First Nations peoples. It banned all cultural ceremonies, made it illegal for First Nations people to leave their reserve, called the pass system, defined who was a “Status Indian” and established the process to take away status, made it illegal to vote until 1960, and eliminated all forms of traditional government.

Question 14

Assembly of First Nations:

Answer 14

In 1982, the Assembly of First Nations (formerly known as the National Indian Brotherhood) was created. This organization is made up of elected chiefs from First Nations communities from across the country. They advocate for the recognition of Indigenous rights in Canada and are pushing the government to honour the numbered treaties. They are working to have Indigenous perspectives be included in the mainstream narratives about Canada as a nation.

Question 15

Nisga Agreement:

Answer 15

The Nisga’a Treaty is a negotiated agreement between the Nisga’a Nation, the Government of British Columbia (B.C.) and the Government of Canada. It came into effect on May 11, 2000. The Nisga’a Treaty is the first modern-day treaty in B.C. and is the fourteenth modern treaty in Canada to be negotiated since 1976. The Nisga’a quest for a treaty began over 100 years ago, with the formation of their first Land Committee in 1890. However, from 1927 to 1951, the Nisga’a could not pursue their goal for a treaty because Canadian laws made it illegal for “Indians” to raise money to advance land claims. After these laws were repealed in 1951 the Nisga’a Land Committee re-established itself as the Nisga’a Tribal Council in 1955. In the late 1960s, the Nisga’a Tribal Council began legal action in the B.C. Supreme Court. However, it was not until 1973 that the Supreme Court of Canada rendered a decision that prompted the creation of Canada’s land claims negotiation policy. The federal government began treaty negotiations with the Nisga’a in 1976 and the B.C. government joined the two parties at the table in 1990.

Question 16

Nunavik Agreement:

Answer 16

The Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement (NILCA) came into effect on July 10, 2007. It applies to the offshore region around Quebec, northern Labrador and offshore northern Labrador. The rights of Nunavik Inuit to the offshore were recognized as unfinished business in the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. However, it took many years of meticulous research and active political lobbying to have the formal statement of claim finally accepted in January 1992 for negotiations with the federal government. During that same period, a separate statement of claim to Labrador was prepared. It was accepted for negotiations in June 1993.

Question 17

Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples:

Answer 17

The end of the Oka Crisis led to the establishment of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. This commission was tasked with setting a policy direction for how the government of Canada could reconcile the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada. The final report recommended that Indigenous people have their rights to land and to self-determination respected by all people in Canada.

Question 18

Boston Tea Party:

Answer 18

The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbour.

Question 19

Declaration of Independence:

Answer 19

The Declaration of Independence was the first formal statement by a nation’s people asserting their right to choose their own government. The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence - written largely by Jefferson - in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence.

Question 20

Rene Levesque:

Answer 20

Rene Levesque founded the Parti Quebecois, pushing for Quebec’s separation from Canada. He also created Bill 1, which led to Bill 101. Bill 101 (The Charte de la Langue Française), was introduced in 1977 by the Parti Québécois, led by Premier René Lévesque. Bill 101 made French the official language of Québec. He also never signed the constitution, joining Quebec to Canada.

Question 21

Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine:

Answer 21

First premier of the United Province of Canada. He helped unite Upper and Lower Canada.

Question 22

Robert Baldwin:

Answer 22

Worked with LaFontaine in developing responsible government.

Question 23

Royal Proclamation of 1763:

Answer 23

First Nations peoples were recognized as sovereign “nations” under British law; therefore, newcomers were required by law to negotiate treaties.

Question 24

The Numbered Treaties:

Answer 24

From 1871 to 1921 there were eleven treaties signed between various First Nations groups and the British monarch. The British crown negotiated and signed treaties with First Nations people on behalf of the Canadian government. The British believed that the agreements were for the First Nations people to cede their land to the Canadian government. The First Nations believed that the agreements were to share the land with Canada.

Question 25

Louis Riel:

Answer 25

Louis Riel was the leader of the Métis people in the Métis settlement of Red River (present-day Winnipeg). Riel led a resistance movement against Canadian expansion into their territory. This is known as the Red River Resistance of 1869. The resistance led to negotiations between the Riel and Macdonald that eventually led to the creation of the province of Manitoba in 1870 and the establishment of rights for the Métis.

Question 26

Clifford Sifton:

Answer 26

Clifford Sifton was a Canadian politician who encouraged and facilitated a mass migration of Europeans to western Canada in the early 1900s. His policies and work led to millions of immigrants coming from Europe to settle in Canada. These policies excluded immigrants from non-European nations. Many argue that Canada as a nation has strong connections to European culture and worldview because of a focus on accepting European immigrants.

Question 27

Henri Bourassa:

Answer 27

Bourassa was a federal and provincial politician who advocated for the inclusion of the French language and culture to become a part of Canadian nationhood. He worked to help establish the French language and culture into the political, education and economic institutions of Québec. His work also helped influence the establishment of Canada as a bilingual country, with French being one of the two official languages in all parts of the country.

Question 28

Oka Crisis:

Answer 28

The Kanesatake people never signed a treaty or agreed to allow settlers to live in their traditional territory. Kanesatake people blocked construction vehicles from entering their territory. This led to a months-long standoff with the Canadian armed forces and local police that left several people injured and one person dead.

Question 29

1969 White Paper:

Answer 29

In 1969, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau proposed to make all Indigenous people equal to all other Canadians by eliminating the Indian Act, dissolving the treaties and ending any special rights guaranteed to Indigenous peoples. Indigenous people see themselves as distinct nations and part of the founding nations of Canada. They have certain rights because they were the first people here, and agreed to allow Europeans to come and live on the land with them. Removal of their rights and their claims to traditional lands would mean an end to their way of life and nationalist loyalties. First Nations leaders and groups strongly opposed the proposal. Many saw Pierre Trudeau’s desire for equality as misguided, as it ignored the history, relationship to land and sovereignty of First Nations peoples. Harold Cardinal wrote a response to the White Paper entitled Citizen Plus which criticized the White Paper for continuing the program of assimilation and outlined the desire for more self-determination for First Nations groups. This response started a new era of Indigenous activism and prevented the passing of the proposal in the White Paper.

Question 30

James Bay Agreement:

Answer 30

There were no treaties signed in Northern Québec. In the early 1970s, the Québec government proposed building large dams on the traditional territory of the Cree and Inuit. These dams would have greatly affected their way of life, so they took the government to court and filed a land claim. In court, the James Bay Agreement was created giving the Cree and Inuit of that area claim to over 35 000 square kilometres of land. Indigenous groups had to take the government to court several more times to force them to keep up their end of the agreement. The agreement was finalized in 2007 after over 30 years of negotiation.

Question 31

Qaujimajatuqangit:

Answer 31

An Inuit word that describes the Inuit worldview based on: working towards the common good, maintaining balance and harmony, respecting all living things, and preparing for the future.

Question 32

Eskimo Disk-List System (1941-1970)

Answer 32

Because of frustration with Inuit names and a desire to control the population, the government began issuing an identification number and tag to replace the names of all Inuit People. By the mid-1940s, many Inuit began using the disk number to identify themselves. Doing so allowed them to receive government aid, medical care and the basic necessities of life. In 1945, the Family Allowance Act of Canada defined an Eskimo person as “one to whom an identification disk has been issued”.

Question 33

Creation of Nunavut:

Answer 33

The Inuit never signed treaties or made land agreements with the Canadian government as many First Nations groups had. Canada and various Inuit groups have settled several large land claims. These land claim agreements have included consensus on the establishment of new Inuit territories and the right to self-government. The Territory of Nunavut was created in 1999. It includes over 30 000 people and an agreed-upon form of self-government.

Question 34

Metis Scrip:

Answer 34

The scrip was like an individual treaty. Métis people accepted scrip and agreed to leave their traditional territory in exchange for money or a piece of land somewhere else. These scrip agreements were ignored and not honoured by the Canadian government. This left many Métis people without land to settle and live on.

Question 35

The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism:

Answer 35

This commission was a way to reconcile some of the challenges that French Canadians faced. The commission wanted to address the following: Language and cultural protection, more political opportunities for Francophone communities, and more economic opportunities for Francophone communities.

Question 36

Reasonable Accommodation:

Answer 36

The process of changing laws or policies in a nation to incorporate cultural inclusion and diversity.

Question 37

The Conscription Crisis:

Answer 37

Canada did not yet have sovereignty over its foreign policy so when Great Britain went to war, Canada was automatically involved. Anti-British sentiment led many in Québec to believe that fighting in World War I should not be required of them. In World War II, the same anti-British sentiment continued. This division made many feel that Canada could never be united.

Question 38

The FLQ:

Answer 38

The Front de Libération du Québec was a terrorist group founded in 1960. The goal was to liberate Québec from English colonial domination, capitalism and the rest of Canada. FLQ believed violence would be a necessary tool for attacking English colonialism in Québec. From 1963 to 1970, the FLQ carried out more than 200 bombings and robberies that left six people dead. One slogan of the FLQ was “Vive le Québec Libre” (Long Live Free Québec). The slogan was first said by the President of France, Charles de Gaulle when he visited Québec in 1967.

Question 39

The October Crisis

Answer 39

The FLQ kidnapped a British diplomat, James Cross, and a Québec politician, Pierre Laporte. Laporte was murdered by the FLQ. Québec premier Robert Bourassa and Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau called for federal help to deal with the crisis.

Question 40

The War Measures Act:

Answer 40

In response to the actions of the FLQ, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau deployed the Armed Forces and invoked the War Measures Act. This is the only time it has been applied during peacetime in Canadian history. The War Measures Act allowed the government to suspend many civil rights in Québec in order to capture the members of the FLQ.

Question 41

The Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1971:

Answer 41

The policy aimed to address demands of Québec nationalism and increasing diversity within Canada.

Question 42

Constitution Act of 1982:

Answer 42

Replaced the British North America Act of 1867 and became the new constitution of Canada. Removed the British Parliament’s role in Canada’s government. Included the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Province of Québec did not sign the Constitution Act.

Question 43

Meech Lake Accord:

Answer 43

The issue of bringing Québec into the Constitution of Canada was addressed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. In 1987, a package of amendments to Canada’s constitution was proposed as a way to persuade Québec to sign the 1982 Constitution: Recognize Québec as a distinct society. Offer more power to all provinces, including veto power on constitutional change, greater control over immigration and the power to nominate Supreme Court judges.

Question 44

Failure of the Meech Lake Accord:

Answer 44

After the Meech Lake Accord was passed in the Canadian Parliament, it went to each of the provinces for their approval. In Manitoba, the rules for acceptance stated that there must be unanimous approval within the legislature in order to approve the accord. Elijah Harper, a First Nations member of the Manitoba Legislature, voted against the accord because it neglected to recognize the important and distinct role of First Nations peoples in Canada.
Québec has still not signed the constitution of Canada.

Question 45

National self-determination:

Answer 45

The ability for a nation to make its own decisions.