Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: A History
Did technology hasten marginalization of Aboriginals in Canada?
In studying the early history of relations between the Aboriginal people of the country that is now called Canada, and the European newcomers from first contact to present day, it appears that more of the truth from the past is being revealed even now. Aboriginal philosophy and technology was vastly different and considered primitive to most newcomers but also was seen as brilliant to those newcomers that were able to understand and learn some of the ancient traditions. It would not be fair to assume that marginalization of the aboriginal was increased only as a direct result of technology, as each culture has its own technology not necessarily better or worse than the other. In early times the Europeans were at the mercy of the Aboriginal`s for their very survival as they were not fit to survive in this part of North America because of the difficult geography and climate. In Dickason’s book Canada’s First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples from Earliest Times she makes reference to how, “Anthropologist Robin Rodington has made the point that their technology consisted of knowledge rather than tools” (Dickason, pg.40). It was soon seen that the aboriginal technologies including; survival, shared wealth, spirituality, navigating the wilderness, hunting, trapping, song, dance, stories and methods of warfare were all beneficial to the new colonial pioneers. The Europeans also brought; greed, firearms, firewater, reading, religion and writing (books), some of which were beneficial to the aboriginal but not necessary as they had done very well without them for a long time. Dickason then goes on to explain “that Amerindians had been able to survive as well as they did with a comparatively simple tool kit” (Dickason. Pg.40) This simple tool kit was used along with complex knowledge to enable pre-contact aboriginal people to thrive in Northern North America. The early Europeans
In studying the early history of relations between the Aboriginal people of the country that is now called Canada, and the European newcomers from first contact to present day, it appears that more of the truth from the past is being revealed even now. Aboriginal philosophy and technology was vastly different and considered primitive to most newcomers but also was seen as brilliant to those newcomers that were able to understand and learn some of the ancient traditions. It would not be fair to assume that marginalization of the aboriginal was increased only as a direct result of technology, as each culture has its own technology not necessarily better or worse than the other. In early times the Europeans were at the mercy of the Aboriginal`s for their very survival as they were not fit to survive in this part of North America because of the difficult geography and climate. In Dickason’s book Canada’s First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples from Earliest Times she makes reference to how, “Anthropologist Robin Rodington has made the point that their technology consisted of knowledge rather than tools” (Dickason, pg.40). It was soon seen that the aboriginal technologies including; survival, shared wealth, spirituality, navigating the wilderness, hunting, trapping, song, dance, stories and methods of warfare were all beneficial to the new colonial pioneers. The Europeans also brought; greed, firearms, firewater, reading, religion and writing (books), some of which were beneficial to the aboriginal but not necessary as they had done very well without them for a long time. Dickason then goes on to explain “that Amerindians had been able to survive as well as they did with a comparatively simple tool kit” (Dickason. Pg.40) This simple tool kit was used along with complex knowledge to enable pre-contact aboriginal people to thrive in Northern North America. The early Europeans