New Orators Motivational Consultants Terminology Canada •  “Aboriginal” is most inclusive term used today and it is meant to include First Nations, Inuit & Métis populations of Canada. •  “First Nations” or “Native” has replaced “Indian” •  Legal definition according to the Indian Act remains “Status Indian”. •  Status Indian is one that is defined by the Indian Act and is registered as an Indian by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Empowering Process —  Re-­‐naming and Re-­‐membering of Nations and Communities **Best Practice** —  Learn the names of the Nations you are working with Across Canada —  There are 634 First Nations Reserves —  Many coming from various cultural groups, with dramatically distinct cultural practices and language Aboriginal Stereotypes —  Alcoholics/Addicts —  Drop out of school —  Don’t work and are lazy —  Are disengaged —  Are mean Dispelling Some Myths —  Every “Indian” gets a monthly cheque worth so much money that they do not have to work —  “Indians” get everything for free —  “Indians” don’t pay taxes —  Free land Coloniza=on —  defined as the subjugation of one people by another through destruction and/or weakening of basic institutions of the subjugated culture and replacing them with those of the dominant culture (Lee, 1992). Colonial Trauma —  defined as “to encompass both historical and contemporary traumatic events that reflect colonial practices to colonize, subjugate, and perpetrate ethnocide and genocide” (Evans-­‐Campbell 2008, p. 335.) —  CT is Complex, Continuous, Collective, Cumulative, Comprehensive, Compounded across generations (Mitchell & Maracle, 2005) History of Coloniza=on —  Royal Proclamation 1763 Ø Defined Indian land ownership Ø Developed a protocol of how those rights can be extinguished —  Gradual Civilization Act 1857 Ø Every Indian had to be civilized into dominant society —  British North American Act 1867 Ø  British Crown passes responsibility to fulfill obligations to the Indians —  Enfranchisement Act 1869 History of Coloniza=on —  Assimilation Policy “Indian Act 1876” Ø Defined who and what a “Status Indian” was. Ø Not citizens, wards of the state until 1960. Ø Full of human rights violations. Ø Reserves (Pass System), Civilization Policies, Outlaw Ceremonies, Forced Enfranchisement, Indian Residential Schools. Gradual Civilization Act, Enfranchisement Act —  Indian Residential Schools 1876-­‐1969 Ø  All Indian children 6-­‐14 Ø 139 Schools across the country Indian Residen=al Schools —  Indian Residential Schools were documented as early as 1700’s —  1874 official agreement between Government and several churches for the delivery of Indian Education —  Major shift in the intentions of these institutions, went from education to assimilation. —  Official agreement was ended in 1969. —  Over these 95 years an estimated 150,000 students attended 139 Schools. —  Gordon Indian Residential School 1996 Residen=al School Timeline in Canada 1700s-First Schools being
documented in what is now
Quebec
1996: Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples Report, Volume
One, Chapter 10 concerns Indian
residential schools
1876: Indian Act established
“Indian Residential School
Policy in effect
1994: Presbyterian Church
issues confession and
apology
1969: Government ends agreement
with Churches and begin to transfer
control to First Nation Communities
2007: Indian Residential Schools Agreement comes
into effect, Government of Canada starts receiving
applications for the common experience payments
2002: Government announces an
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Framework for compensation for Indian
residential school abuse
1998: United Church of
Canada issues second apology
1993: Anglican Church
of Canada Apology
1986: United Church Apology
1850s-1880s Schools transition
from learning to institutions.
Agreements between
Government and Churches to
establish Indian Residential
Schools
Legislated History of Oppression
1763: Royal Proclamation
1850: Indian Protection Act
1857: Gradual Civilization Act
1860: Indian Lands Act
1867: British North American Act
1869: Enfranchisement Act
1876: Indian Act
1996: Last Indian
Residential School closes in
Saskatchewan
1991: Catholic Missionary
Oblates of Mary Immaculate
Apology
2002: Presbyterian Church
Initials agreement in principle to
share compensation with the
government
2006: Government signs the Indian
Residential Schools Settlement
Agreement
1998: Government’s Statement of Reconciliation
Gathering Strength-Canada’s Aboriginal Action
Plan includes a $350 million healing fund;
Aboriginal Healing Foundation established to
manage fund
2008: Prime Minister Stephen
Harper apologizes on behalf of
Canada to Aboriginal people for
its treatment of children in Indian
residential schools; other political
parties follow with their apologyLiberal, New Democratic Party
and Bloc Quebecois
2009: The Truth and
Reconciliation commission
start their 5 year mandate to
document, research, and
commemorate the history of
Indian residential school in
Canada
2008: Establishment of the
Indian Residential Schools Truth
and Reconciliation Commission
Historical Context •  1991 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples •  Four year mandate to explore •  Examine the relationship that exists between Aboriginal People and the Government of Canada as well as Canadian society. •  Make specific recommendations for solutions to the problems that have plagued these relationships. •  Completed and released November 1996. •  Google RCAP 1996. •  Well documented and researched about the victimization (sexual abuse, psychological abuse, spiritual abuse, physical abuse). Colonial Trauma Events of Trauma —  Loss of language —  Loss of land —  Loss of family —  Loss of culture —  Loss of power —  Loss of self determination —  Death by war, disease, starvation Implications of Trauma —  Grief, Anger, Shame —  Substance abuse —  Family violence —  High rates of suicide —  High incarceration rates —  Generational welfare —  Poor health and wellbeing (Braveheart &DeBruyn,1998; Duran, Duran, & Braveheart ,1998;
Evans-Campbell & Walters, 2006; Evans-Campbell, 2008; Mitchell
& Maracle, 2005)
Inter-­‐genera=onal Trauma —  Many Canadians are unaware of the history and do not understand that these impacts of dysfunction pass from generation to generation known as Intergenerational Trauma. (Quinn, 2007) —  As a result of long term exposure to intergenerational trauma there is Historic Trauma (HT) defined as “cumulative emotional and psychological wounding across generations, including one’s own lifespan, because everything up to a minute ago is history.” (Yellow-­‐
horse Braveheart, 2005) —  “Aboriginal families are very adaptive and not dysfunctional, when considering the vast amounts of colonial trauma perpetrated upon Aboriginal people these reactions are a natural and normative response.” ( Evans-­‐Campbell, 2006) Gathering Strength-­‐Canada’s Aboriginal Ac6on Plan —  January 1998 in response to the RCAP report, Jane Stewart then Minister of Aboriginal Affairs made a statement of Reconciliation to the Aboriginal people in Canada. —  Apologizing specifically for all of the past wrongdoings and the roles that the government of Canada had in enforcing such policies of assimilation. —  Announced the establishment of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. —  $350 Million provided for a 10 year mandate to deliver healing and wellness initiatives for Indian Residential School Survivors. —  Not enough Survivors wanted an apology from the Government of Canada. First Na=ons, Me=s and Inuit Policy Framework —  Ministry of Education 2007 —  Part of a larger movement of Aboriginal engagement in Canada that is in economic sustainability, health care and environmental health Aboriginal Post-­‐Secondary Education Framework —  Ministry of Education 2011 —  Innovative degree programs and supports for Post-­‐
Secondary Institutions Indigenous Reality —  Addiction —  Disempowered —  Family Violence —  Suicide —  Hopelessness —  Depression —  Incarceration —  Inter-­‐generational —  welfare recipients —  Powerlessness —  Anger —  Guilt —  Lack of education —  Lack of supports —  Shame —  Grief —  Lack of resources —  Unworthiness Indigenous Priori=es —  Survival —  Suicide rates —  Cancer rates —  Environmental racism —  Social determinates of health — 
Poverty connections to health conditions —  Cultural/Spiritual survival —  Indigenous governance —  Economic/sustainability development Sharing Power —  Historical relationships with government/
institutions/corporations have been one of unequal power —  No recognition of Indigenous rights —  Clashing value systems Treaty Colonial/Canadian History Pre-­‐contact Trea=es —  Great Law of Peace 1000 —  Treaty between Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida and Mohawk to form Haudenosaunee Confederacy(They build a long house), 1720 Tuscarora —  British called us Six Nation, French called us Iroquois —  Dish with One Spoon —  Treaty among many Nations in Southern Ontario Post-­‐contact to about 1763 —  Peace and Friendship Treaties —  To establish cooperation between First Nations and Settlers — 
Negotiated between the Holland, French and British Crowns —  1701 Nanfan Treaty —  Beaver Hunting Grounds —  Two Row Wampum 1613 Holland, 1653 French, 1677 British —  Silver Covenant Chain or Friendship Treaty 1701 Early treaties were about developing a peaceful, sharing coexistence 1763-­‐1921 —  Land transfer treaties —  Land transfers from First Nations, Inuit and Métis to British Crown and Canada — 
British Crown and Canada after 1867 —  Royal Proclamation 1763 —  Secured sovereignty of the Nations —  Allied Agreements —  Secured land for the “Indians” protected by the crown, meaning only the crown can attain land 1763-­‐1921 cont’d —  1867 British North American Act —  British Crown passes responsibility of the “Indian” to Canada — 
“best interest of the Indian” —  1871-­‐1921 there were 11 numbered treaties signed across Canada —  All regional territories Treaties were seen as similar to early treaties by Aboriginal populations, but considered total surrender by Canada 1973-­‐Present —  Land claims agreements —  Settle land claims on behalf of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples — 
Various Provincial and Federal governments —  1973 Calder Decision —  Affirmed Aboriginal title of lands —  1990 Sparrow Decision —  Affirmed Aboriginal hunting rights —  2014 Tsilhqot'in —  Declaration that Aboriginal land title still exists where lands were not surrendered Modern Land Claims —  1974 Land Claims Commission —  1998 Land Claims Tribunal formed but limited to claims under $150 million —  Specific Land Claim —  Existing treaty in place but feel that the Crown/Canada has not dealt fairly, or has not fulfilled its duty as outlined in the treaty —  Comprehensive Land Claims —  No documented treaty but have occupied and lived in territory for time immemorial —  No other Nations use the land, and they continue to use the land Idle No More —  Specifically about “duty to consult” —  Bill c-­‐45 changes to Navigable Waters Protection Act —  Many of these waters and protections came as not only protections from the government of Canada but protections of treaty lands and waters Social Jus=ce —  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5DrXZUIinU Contact Info Darren Thomas Wilfrid Laurier University 519-­‐770-­‐8875 [email protected]