3.3 European Governments

Mysore Palace, India

The political systems of the Europeans were very different from those of the Indigenous people. They were based upon a hereditary monarchy, and decision making was usually in the hands of a small political elite. With the exception of Britain, common people had very little impact upon the decision making within the nation. Britain did have a Parliament that included commoners in decision making as part of their House of Commons. However, there were severe restrictions on voting and who could run for Parliament. Forms of this type of government would be used in the colonies, usually under the guide of a governor appointed by the home country, to ensure that the wishes of the home government were carried out.

The First Nations way of doing things was not compatible with the European ways. In fact, the colonial governments did not understand that the Aboriginal people had their own methods of government. They did not understand how a decision could be made by consensus. Instead of looking for a solution that would satisfy all people, the new government was imposed from afar with very little consideration for the best interests of the people of Canada and a great deal of consideration for the people of the colonial power. Only landowners had the vote, and Indigenous people did not own land. Women lost their voice in government. As a result, decisions that affected native people were not made by the people themselves. These decisions were made by other people, supposedly with their best interests at heart. This paternal system and the loss of political power led to the assimilation of native people into the dominant culture.

After Confederation, Canadian men were allowed to vote for their leaders. But women and First Nations people were denied the franchise in the same clause for criminals and insane people. It was not until 1917 that women could vote. Immigrants from Asia could not vote until the late 1940s, and native people could not vote unless they were prepared to give up their treaty status until 1960.

In countries where mercantile or commercial colonies were established, such as India, a formal government had already been established. Imperial powers tried to influence and control the Indigenous people who were in positions of power. India, for example, was composed of a number of provinces, each ruled by its own prince. The British government used their military and control of trade to ensure that these princes remained friendly to their rule. Eventually, the British queen was named Empress of India, and 1,000 British officials controlled 280 million Indian subjects.

European governments were foreign to Indigenous people all over the world. Little or no recognition was given to any inherent rights of self-determination for these people. They were forced to change their traditional styles of government to survive. In mercantile colonies, the changes were less severe because local leaders were allowed to stay in power. Because the land was not settled by immigrants, most people continued to live in their traditional ways. However, they were controlled by a foreign power. Their civil liberties were limited, and they were not allowed to govern themselves.