Current Issues
With the coming of the Europeans, social, political, economic and cultural structures were disrupted and, in many cases, destroyed as the two cultures influenced each other.  We will examine the interaction of the two cultures,  European and Aboriginal, and we will try to evaluate some of the repercussions of this interaction on both cultures. From a historical perspective, we will explore some of the current issues being addressed by Aboriginal political and economic organizations. The final aspect of this section will be to research some of the Aboriginal people who have successfully entered into the world of business to improve their quality of life while keeping a balance with traditional practice. Click on the 'Current Issues' lesson icon to begin.
*Note: A more in-depth study of the current successes and challenges of the Aboriginal peoples is studied in Aboriginal Studies 20 and 30. Â
Repression and Resistance
The struggle that Aboriginal peoples have been engaged in can be understood by recounting the famous statement made in 1920 by Duncan Campbell Scott, poet, essayist and Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, that encapsulates the prevailing attitude of his day: 'Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic, and there is no Indian question and no Indian department'.
Aboriginal people have had to fight to maintain their cultural identity, sovereignty over traditional territories, and rights to full participation in Canada’s constitutional democracy. Since contact with European influences, Aboriginal people have had to resist or conform to the teachings and methods of Christian missionaries and their economic counterparts, the trading companies. What resulted was a loss of language, a loss of traditional rituals, ceremonies and traditions as well as a loss of political self-determination.
As expansion continued westward government policies were developed to further address the 'Indian Problem'. With the institution of the reserve system, residential schools, and the Indian Act, the government of the day essentially undermined the sovereignty of all Native peoples.
Despite these concerted efforts Aboriginal people have risen and continue to rise through such accomplishments as:
- The enshrinement of Aboriginal rights in the Canadian constitution.
- Abolition of the residential school system and compensation for its victims.
- Resolution of long-standing disputes over specific and comprehensive land claims.
- Formation of Aboriginal education, health care and judicial systems.
Found in: Aboriginal Perspectives - National Film Board of Canada
Cody Zacharias - Chairman of National Aboriginal Caucus for the Canadian Federation of Students speaks to some of the issues currently being experienced by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.
Published on May 14, 2016 What do we mean when we say Aboriginal or Indigenous communities? What are pow-wows and smudging ceremonies? What role did history play in the current relationship we have with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities? Joining me to discuss this, and much more is Coty Zachariah, Chairman of National Aboriginal Caucus for the Canadian Federation of Students. Quran Speaks - You Tube