Assimilation In Canada Essay
In Canada, there is a catastrophic history that accompanies the Aboriginal populations, suffering through colonialism and decades of forced assimilation into the larger Canadian society, and this history has, in turn, had devastating psychological and social consequences. There was a replacement of values and beliefs in society by Euro-Canadians, through ways such as the residential school system in order to assimilate children into mainstream society at the time (Switlo, 2002, pg. 103). Within the residential school system, there was widespread sexual victimization, and this system overall created fractured families, shredding the fabric of many First Nations communities. The goal was to destroy these group’s cultures and values and to teach
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The legislative history surrounding these groups begins with the 1783 Royal Proclamation, which was issued after the transfer of New France to Great Britain, and provided the foundation for the acknowledgment of Aboriginal rights to resources and lands, but were largely ignored. In 1867, the British North American Act considered Aboriginal groups to be under Section 91 (24) powers, which gave federal jurisdiction for “Indians” and any of their lands (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, “History: Aboriginal Peoples”, 2012). The Indian Act of 1876 set out a series of regulations concerning Aboriginal peoples across Canada, but was primarily meant to “civilize” Indians east of Lake Superior quicker, and gave the government further jurisdiction over these groups concerning areas such as reserve lands, special “Indian” offences, and the definition of what constitutes a status Indian. Then, in 1969, a federal White Paper suggested immediate integration by repealing the Indian Act, removing legal recognition of Aboriginals, but this proposal was very unpopular among Aboriginal groups and was abandoned (Moss and Gardner-O’Toole, 1991). Eventually, existing Aboriginal and treaty rights were recognized in Section 35 of The Constitution Act, 1982 (The Constitution Act, 1982, pg. 63). In terms of political participation, since 1990, Elections Canada has put
The legislative history surrounding these groups begins with the 1783 Royal Proclamation, which was issued after the transfer of New France to Great Britain, and provided the foundation for the acknowledgment of Aboriginal rights to resources and lands, but were largely ignored. In 1867, the British North American Act considered Aboriginal groups to be under Section 91 (24) powers, which gave federal jurisdiction for “Indians” and any of their lands (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, “History: Aboriginal Peoples”, 2012). The Indian Act of 1876 set out a series of regulations concerning Aboriginal peoples across Canada, but was primarily meant to “civilize” Indians east of Lake Superior quicker, and gave the government further jurisdiction over these groups concerning areas such as reserve lands, special “Indian” offences, and the definition of what constitutes a status Indian. Then, in 1969, a federal White Paper suggested immediate integration by repealing the Indian Act, removing legal recognition of Aboriginals, but this proposal was very unpopular among Aboriginal groups and was abandoned (Moss and Gardner-O’Toole, 1991). Eventually, existing Aboriginal and treaty rights were recognized in Section 35 of The Constitution Act, 1982 (The Constitution Act, 1982, pg. 63). In terms of political participation, since 1990, Elections Canada has put