module 1 foundations

8/7/2019 Module 1 Foundations

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Foundations: A Very Brief

Overview of Aboriginal Peoples

History in Canada

College of Medicine

University of Saskatchewan


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First Nations Indian Act- 1876- Developed to administer

services to Indians and to facilitate their

assimilation

Status or registered or non-status

Registered under Federal Indian Act

Non-status-lost for many reasons or

somehow never received status

Treaty or non-treaty

Traceable to First Nations people who

signed treatys

Administered at community level

Lists kept by each First Nation

Treaty and status not interchangeable

Waldram et al., 2005; Smylie et al., 2000


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Mtis Mtis

Ancestry can be traced to the intermarriage of European menand First Nations women during 17th century.

Distinct language (Michif), culture, and economic roles.

Excluded from treaty negotiations and Indian Act

Mtis Today

CanadianMtis Councils says: Mtis are persons of mixed blood -

European/Aboriginal blood (Indian ancestry); Someone who is

distinct from Indian and Inuit, someone who has genealogical ties to

Aboriginal ancestry.

Mtis do not have Indian status

http://www.canadianmetis.com/Qualifying.htm

Legal status in most ways no different than other Canadians



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Mtis people post-colonization Canadian Government saw Mtis as a big problem because they impeded

settlement.

1969 Louis Riel and his provisional government created a list of rights for

theMtis that were included in the Manitoba Act of 1870.

Province ofManitoba created and land was set aside forMtis people

(who had already been on their land for centuries) called scrip

1.4 million acres

Most scrip never made it in the hands ofMtis children and families

Dispute of terms of distribution, allotment that did not fit with current

occupancy patterns, sharp dealings by land agents, corruption of

government officials.

Mtis were dispersed, many went west (Batoche). Similar actions of Riel

andMtis people at Batoche as the west opened up further.

1885 Northwest Rebellion, Riel hanged.

Sprague Government Lawlessness in the Administration ofManitoba

Land Claims, 1870-1887,


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Mtis People post

colonization

Too white for Aboriginalrights, too brown to betreated as Canadian

citizens.

Road Allowance

Marginalized

No box to checkoffMtis

No taxes, noeducation

Resiliency

Despite hardships a

rich cultureemerged

Experimental Farms

Poorly planned

Furthered problems


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Inuit

Traditionally live about tree line inCanada

1939- Supreme court stated that Inuitwere included in the term Indian. This

was done for government jurisdiction butthey weren't included in the Indian Act.

They were registered, similarly toIndians.

No legislation in Indian Act definingthem.

Federal government has assumedresponsibility for these people andprovides or delegates many services tothem.



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Pre-contact health

Remains from many regions in Canada show thatdisease was present prior to contact.

Fungal, parasitic, bacterial infections were present TB, ring/hook worms, dental caries, lice

Often related to human/animal interaction

Affected groups differently dependant on socio-ecological factors For example the Iroquois of Southern Ontario lived in

dense villages with Longhouses housing many people,

and animals.

The current diseases that burden many Aboriginalcommunities are post-contact related.

(Waldram et al., 2006)


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Treaties and

ReservesTreaty Purpose: Remove the

Indians title to the lands, and to

remove Aboriginal people

themselves, to allow for settlement

and exploitation of the natural

resources by European Immigrants(Waldram et al., 2005)

Reserves: Parcels of land held by

Canada on behalf of the First

Nations.

Lack of choice in signing treaties due

to declining health.


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Sociodemographics

Today Rapidly growing

Young

Increasingly urban


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Diversity Among

Aboriginal peoples in Canada are incredibly

diverse in backgrounds, beliefs, and

communities.

Aboriginal people can not be generalized

into simple groupings based on their

government status.

There is a rich diversity in different

communities and families.


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11 Different language families

Saskatchewan has 5 main languages

http://www.sicc.sk.ca/heritage/sils/ourlanguages/cree.html

Cree-most spoken Aboriginal language in Saskatchewan

3 dialects-Swampy, Woodland, Plains

http://www.giftoflanguageandculture.ca/medicalterm-

sample_page.htm

Dene

6,300 Dene people, 5,100 speakers (high retention)

It is a tone language-distinguished means between high and low

tone for same syllable

Mitchif

Blend of Cree and French

Ojibwa- aka Saulteaux

Lakota, Nakota, Dakota (Siouan)

Language

Canadian Plains Research Centre

& Gov. of Saskatchewan (2006)


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Discussion

Questions

Much of the information about

Aboriginal peoples shared with

you so far comes from a non-

Aboriginal sources. What andwho are these sources? What

are the issues surrounding this?

Who are you and who defines

your history and current legal

status?

Canada has two official

languages. Often English and

French patients expect that

their physician cancommunicate with them.

Many of you are going to

communities where you will

likely not speak the language

that some of the people you

interact with do. Analyse how

this affects power imbalances.

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