Life+for+Aboriginals

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Aboriginal Peoples

 Ever since the Indian Act became law in 1876, the lives of First Nations peoples had been bound up in strict regulations enforced by the RCMP. For example, traditional ceremonies and dances were forbidden, and permits were required to sell farm produce and livestock. Government officials controlled (and sometimes stole) band money. First Nations peoples could not vote unless they left their reserve.

 In 1919, Frederick Loft, a Mohawk chief from the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario, organized the League of Indians to address some common First Nations issues:

 - the seizure of their lands illegally and without consultation or negotiation

 - the government's failure to sign treaties recognizing land claims

 - government restrictions on traditional hunting and trapping rights

 - policies that threatened First Nation languages and customs

 - the poor economic and health conditions on many reserves

 The Indian Affairs department did nothing to address these problems. Instead, Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs Duncan Campbell Scott tightened his control in order to stop any further attempts to organize.

 Did You Know?

 Duncan Campbell Scott once admitted that the object of his department was "to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into [mainstream; society]..."

1. What do you think being "absorbed into mainstream society" means?

 Residential Schools

 Perhaps the most damaging government policy toward First Nations peoples was the creation of the residential schools. Starting in 1920, all First Nations children aged 7 to 15 were required to live most of the year in one of 80 government-funded schools. The aim was to remove children from their home and culture, and use the education system to assimilate, or absorb, them into Canadian society. Traditional languages, clothing, and religious practices were strictly forbidden. Instead, the children were required to speak English (French in Quebec), wear uniforms, and become Christians. There have been many proven cases of physical and sexual abuse at the residential schools. Many students in these schools died, particularly around the start of the 20th century. It was found by one government doctor that up to 60% of students entering some schools died within 5 years.

 First Nations people continue to struggle with the effects of the residential schools. Thousands of lawsuits have been launched against the federal government and many of the religious groups involved in the schools' administration. Official apologies have been issued by most of these groups. Here is part of what Bill Phipps, the moderator of the United Church of Canada, said in a statement made on October 26, 1998:

 On behalf of the United Church of Canada I apologize for the pain and suffering that our church's involvement in the Indian Residential School system has caused....

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;"> We know that many within our church will still not understand why each of us must bear the scar, the blame for this horrendous period in Canadian history. But the truth is that we are the bearers of many blessings from our ancestors, and therefore we must also bear their burdens.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">People often debate addressing injustices that have happened in the past. Should we compensate those who've suffered in the past? Should we compensate their children? Some people say if it happened in the past, it should stay in the past. Here are a few things to consider however; <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">-In the United States, slavery was legal until 1865. That means that there were some people born as slaves who were alive when Mr. M's mother was a young woman! There are people alive now who would have lived with former slaves! <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">-In Canada, the compulsory attendance of residential schools for First Nations didn't end until 1948. Many of the people who lived through this are still alive today. Some of their children are around Mr. M's age.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">2. Knowing those two things above, consider what you think about addressing problems that have happened in the "past".

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">3. The expression "The Roaring Twenties" does not really fit the experience of some groups in Canada during those years. Choose one of the groups in the last few wiki pages and suggest an alternative description of the decade that expresses its experiences. Explain your description to a partner.

===<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">You may think that the residential school system only happened in Canada. This short video below explains how it happened in Australia. Pay close attention, the experiences of Aboriginal Australians is almost identical in this regard to First Nations...VIDEO === <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">media type="youtube" key="KzpsBqwCQqE" height="390" width="480"