The document discusses various challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples in Canada over the 20th century, including the Indian Act, residential schools, reserves, and treaty negotiations. The Indian Act aimed to assimilate Aboriginal peoples and undermined their rights, languages, and cultures. Residential schools separated children from their families and communities. Aboriginal peoples responded to these challenges through protests and legal challenges, and increasingly demanded self-government. By the late 20th century some gains were made, including land claims rulings, apologies for abuses, and the creation of Nunavut territory with Inuit self-governance.

1. ABORIGINAL PEOPLES IN CANADA

2. Two Big Questions
1. Describe the challenges faced by Aboriginal
Peoples People in Canada during the 20th
century with reference to the Indian Act,
residential schools, reserves, self-
government and treaty negotiations.
2. What were the responses of Aboriginal
Peoples to these challenges?

3. Little Question #1
 How did the Indian Act affect Aboriginal
People in Canada and how did they respond
to it?

4. Forced Assimilation
 By the Mid 1800’s the official government
policy with Aboriginal Peoples was forced
assimilation which means: the process whereby
a minority group is forced to adopt the customs and
attitudes of the prevailing culture
 The general idea was to treat Aboriginal
Peoples like children until they had
“grown up” to behave like “civilized”
Canadians. To this end the government
introduced the Indian Act in 1876.

5. Indian Act- 1876 to present (most of what you
read below was changed in the 1960’s) –
 This was the legal support for
the government’s assimilationist
policies
 gave ‘Indians’ ‘Special Status’-
exempted them from paying
income and sales tax on
reserves
 banned all Aboriginal Peoples
dances and ceremonies like the
potlatch and the Sundance.
 restricted Aboriginal Peoples from voting in Federal and Provincial
elections.

6. Indian Act Continued
 gave an Indian Agent (white guy) control
over money, activities and movement of
Aboriginal Peoples on reserves
 set up an elected band council on each
reserve which was subordinate to the
agent
 If ‘Indians’ wanted to vote they had to
give up their ‘Indian Status’
 Other ways to lose ‘Indian Status’ were:
for an ‘Indian’ woman to marry a non-
Indian, to live off reserve, to join the
military or to get higher education.

7. Une Petite Question # 2
 How did residential schools affect Aboriginal
People in Canada?

8. Residential Schools
 The Indian Act also set up
residential schools. These live-
in missionary schools forced
Aboriginal Peoples’ children to
attend for 10 months of the
year away from their families.
At the schools Aboriginal
Peoples children were taught
European traditions. They were
forbidden to speak their own
language or practice their own
culture. There have been
increasing reports of mental,
physical and sexual abuse at
these schools. The effects of
these schools were devastating
for Aboriginal Peoples in many
ways: (destruction of lives and
communities)

9. Reserves
By 1880 the government
established reserves for
“Indians”-separate pieces of
government owned land
designed to protect
“Indians” from whites, allow
for easy government control,
free open land for settlers.
As more settlers came, the
government took back
some these reservers.

10. Little Q # 3
 What challenges were faced by Aboriginals in
Canada from 1914 -1945? How did they
respond to these challenges? How did the
Canadian gov’t respond?

11. 1914-1945
 The policy of assimilation and the ban on
potlatches were in full force. The number
of residential schools steadily increased in
the 1920’s and 1930’s.
 Aboriginal Peoples responses (20’s):
challenged potlatch ban, cut-off lands
(lands taken out of reserve land by gov’t)
and Aboriginal Peoples title (according to
our laws the land actually belongs to the
Aboriginal Peoples) – Gov’t response: Did
nothing to improve the situation

12. Pregunta quatro (# 4)
 What challenges were faced by Aboriginals in
Canada from 1945-1970? How did they
respond to these challenges? How did the
Canadian gov’t respond?

13. 1945-1970
 Finally, in 1948 the government of Canada started to change the
Indian Act.
 1948 - The ban on Aboriginal Peoples dances and ceremonies is
removed
 1951 – Aboriginal children allowed to attend public schools
 1960 - Aboriginal Peoples are allowed to vote in federal elections

14. 1945-1970
 Residential Schools start to get phased out.
 1969 – White paper - Trudeau (PM) and Chrétien
(Minister of Indian Affairs) propose a new policy of
making FN totally equal to the rest of Canadians – no
more special treatment (more assimilation). Essentially,
this would have gutted the Indian Act (which Trudeau
saw as completely toxic). Aboriginal Peoples
responded angrily (ex. National Indian Brotherhood)
and asked for Self- Government and it got dropped

15. CINCO!!! (# 5)
 What challenges were faced by Aboriginals in
Canada from 1970-2000? How did they
respond to these challenges? How did the
Canadian gov’t respond?

16. 1970-2000
 • 1977 - Aboriginal Peoples people manage,
through protest to stop the creation of a
major pipeline through Inuit territory
 • 1982 - Aboriginal Peoples rights affirmed by
federal government in Charter of Rights
 • Band councils get more decision making
rights on reserves
 • 1990 – Oka stand off – Quebec Mohawks
blockade road to prevent golf course
construction on sacred land. Police officer is
killed, army called in and Aboriginal Peoples
across Canada demonstrate in support.

19.  • 1992 - B.C. starts officially negotiating treaties
with 50 bands in the province.

20. 1970-2000
 1998 - Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Aboriginals could
claim ownership of land if they could prove they continually
and exclusively occupied before the Can gov’t claimed the
land in the Degamuluukw case
 1998 – Federal Government apologizes for residential school
abuses and announces a 350 million dollar healing fund for
residential school survivors
 1999 – Nunavut created (3rd territory) Inuit get self- gov’t
over natural resources, education and justice system
 1999 - Nisga’a treaty ratified giving the Nisga’a $190 million +
land + some self gov’t + resource rights – other aboriginal
nations are asking for similar things in their treaties
 2008 – PM Stephen Harper and opposition leaders officially
apologize for residential schools.

21. Two Big Questions
1. Describe the challenges faced by Aboriginal
Peoples People in Canada during the 20th
century with reference to the Indian Act,
residential schools, reserves, self-
government and treaty negotiations.
2. What were the responses of Aboriginal
Peoples to these challenges?

22. “English was the only language allowed
at school.”
An Aboriginal Voice, 1965
1. To what is this quotation referring?
A. spiritual traditions
B. assimilation policy
C. special language rights
D. voting on language issues

23. Ban against
potlatch revoked
VANCOUVER HERALD
2. Which document would be associated
with this headline?
A. Indian Act
B. White Paper
C. Bill of Rights
D. Charter of Rights and Freedoms

24. 3. What did the White Paper, 1969 propose?
A. to abolish the Indian Act
B. to give the vote to Aboriginals
C. to settle outstanding land claims
D. to unify Aboriginal organizations

25. 4. Which Aboriginal group was first to sign a self-
government treaty with the federal government?
A. Inuit
B. Dene
C. Nisga’a
D. Mohawk

26. 5. Which group of people lobbied for the creation of this
territory?
A. Cree
B. Inuit
C. Métis
D. Mohawk

27. Answer Key!
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. B