The Aboriginal Cleavage in Canadian Politics

1. The Aboriginal Cleavage in Canadian Politics

2. Types of Aboriginal Canadians Status Indians Non Status Indians Metis Inuit

3. Indian Act of 1867 • Defines an “Indian” as anyone whose name appears on a band list • Entitled to Indian land • Members of a band that surrendered land rights for certain benefits (hunting, fishing, taxation, later expanded to education, health care)

4. Problems with the Indian Act • Creates a paternalistic, semi-colonial position • Originally intended to put natives on reserves until they became “civilized” enough to enter “proper” society • Denied natives control and compensation for large tracts of land, which were effectively confiscated by the federal government • Has left natives dependent on the Canadian government

5. Aboriginal Social Movements • Federal government banned natives from forming political organizations until the 1960s • National Indian Brotherhood formed in 1968 • Clashed with Trudeau over the White Paper on the Indian Act • Trudeau wanted to make all First Nations legally equal, but with no special rights and privileges • This was rejected by natives, who sensed an attack on their “collective rights”

6. Social Conditions Among Native Canadians • High School Completion Rates are low – 20% compared to 70% for non-whites • Only 22% of the adult Native population have training beyond High School, compared to 40% for non-whites • Unemployment is roughly twice as high as the national average • Life expectance, infant mortality, suicide, and violent death are all worse than non-whites

7. Social Conditions (continued) • Native children are four times as likely to die by the age of 14 • The rate of death by fire on reserves is six times that of the Canadian population • Reserves endure low housing standards, with overcrowding and insufficient access to indoor plumbing, running water, and electricity • 50% of Native homes are fully serviced with sewers and water, compared to the national average of over 90%