Workbook 9 Activity 3

Activity 3: Indian Act

Get Focused

The image below displays a simplified description of the human rights as outlined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR). You explored in Unit 2 that, globally, everyone is entitled to these rights.

© DLRB

Imagine you lived in a world where one culture was believed to be better than, or superior to, any other. This belief in the superiority of one culture is called ethnocentrism (centred on one ethnic group). Based on this ethnocentric philosophy, everyone who lives in this world who is not a member of this group would be expected to abandon their cultural identity and become part of one ethnocentric culture. To do this is to assimilate.

ethnocentrism: the belief, point of view, or perspective that one culture is superior to all other cultures

assimilate: to lose one's own cultural identity by becoming part of another culture

 Vocabulary

Retrieve your Issues for Canadians Definitions handout from your Activities folder, and add the terms ethnocentrism and assimilate.

Provide some examples of ethnocentrism and assimilation occurring in Canada's history. (This might be your own family. Perhaps your ancestors immigrated from Norway, but you cannot speak a word of Norwegian, for example.)

Return your updated handout to your Activities folder.

©Thinkstock

©Thinkstock

What rights would you lose if you were to live in this ethnocentric culture?

Consider the diagram representing the UNDHR above, and identify the rights that you would lose.

Save this list to your Activities folder.

In this activity you will answer this inquiry question:

How does the Indian Act recognize the Aboriginal peoples of Canada?