Treaties and the Difficulties of Aboriginals

1. Treaties and the Difficulties of Aboriginals

2. Harmony’s Story • TASK: • With a partner read Harmony’s story • Partner A will interview partner B, then you will switch • What is the narrative saying about the relationship between Aboriginals and European-Canadians? • How have treaties affected this relationship? • Choose one of the bolded words, what does it mean? • According to the narrative what is valued in the Aboriginal culture?

3. Problems Caused by Treaties Two main losses: • Lost a lot of land, esp. in Southern and Central Canada where land is most fertile • Aboriginals could no longer govern themselves

4. Problems Caused by Treaties • Lost so much partially because they didn’t fullyunderstand what they were signing • They didn’t always get what the Europeans promised

5. Problems Caused by Treaties • Aboriginal traditional way of life based on living off the land  fishing, hunting, and agriculture all key to their survival • Through treaties, Aboriginals lost the majority of their land

6. Reserves • Reserves were often too small for them to live in this traditional way  not rich enough in resources Until 1951, Aboriginal peoples were banned from raising money to pursue land claims

7. Reserves Today, reserves take up less than 1% of Canada’s land mass BUT are home to almost 1 million Aboriginals Lack of resources  result in high unemployment and poverty rate

8. Reserves Aboriginals living on reserves today must choose to stay with their family, friends and culture despite the conditions or relocate to the city Trade off between economic stability and community/tradition

9. Self Government Before Europeans  Aboriginals had various methods of self government (Ex. Iroquois practiced democracy) With Europeans  they became the dominant population and so the federal government made decisions about Aboriginal way of life • Until 1960, they were prevented from voting in fed elections

10. Treaties and Self Government The treaties cost the Aboriginals the right of self government. The effects: • Federal conservation laws prohibit traditional fishing and hunting • Have little control on how land is developed (ex. The Bennett Dam in British Columbia)

11. The Bennett Dam • The dam helped industry BC, but it disrupted the river flow kilometers downstream in the Peace River delta at Fort Chipewyan (Alberta) • The Aboriginals that live near this delta made a living by trapping muskrat (sold the fur)  dam affected muskrat population, smaller and fur was lower quality

12. Case Study: Nunavut • Nunavut is proof Canada is still developing • Eastern and Northern parts of the Northwestern Territories = Nunavut now • Nunavut created so Inuit people could be politically involved with Canada while preserving their culture

13. Case Study: Nunavut • The people of the Northwest territories wanted to divide the territory into two areas, which lead to the signing of the treaty that created Nunavut • The final agreement which created Nunavut was signed in 1998

14. Case Study: Nunavut • The goal for the new territory was to provide the people with an economic base so they could be self-sufficient. • They were given: • ownership of 350,000 km² of land • Representation with the government on management boards • The right to hunt and trap • Creation of a form of self govn’t

15. Case Study: Nunavut • 85% of Nunavut’s population is Inuit, being the majority gives them power  gives them a form of self government • They’re still in transition as many do not have experience running their own affairs  not self govn’t quite yet

16. Residential Schools • These schools arguably has the most damaging effect on Aboriginal culture • The purpose: (located far from reserves) to teach children the language and culture of mainstream Canadian society in the hope they would assimilate

17. Residential Schools • Parents often forced to send their children • Children often punished if spoke own language or practiced Aboriginal traditions • Sometimes the kids were abused • The Canadian govn’t has spent a lot of time trying to make up for the damage residential schools caused Aboriginals

18. The Solution • Aboriginals want self govn’t because it will give them the power to protect their culture. Ex. They can create social programs to address isolation, alcoholism, suicide, sub-standard housing, and drug abuse

19. The Solution Self govn’t will allow them to recover their economic base. • Self govn’t will reduce: • unemployment • poverty • financial dependence on govn’t

20. VIDEO Where the Spirit Lives Each group will be assigned a question to answer while you are watching the clips ...So watch carefully!

21. Homework • Pg 204: 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 • Read the section Treaties Today carefully to answer question 4 (202 – 204) • Come with questions for review