Chapter 3: The Dynamics of Nation Building Flashcards
What is the doctrine of discovery?
A statement made by the pope that said non-Christians had no right to land ownership so Christians/ European rulers could unilaterally declare ownership over land
How did the relationship between the Colonizers and Indigenous people change over time
The colonizers had a more powerful material interest in treating Indigenous people well during the fur-trade than they did after the fur trade declined. Essentially, the Colonizers were more tolerant of Indigenous people when they needed them but once they became “inconvenient” in stead of useful, they revealed their true intentions and attitudes.
What was the significance of the 1763 Royal Proclamation
Was a proclamation made by King George III and it laid the foundation of making crown treaties with Indigenous people in Canada.
What are the three significant aspects of the Royal Proclamation
- It recognized Indigenous land rights in “Indian Territory” west of the Appalachian mountains, outside Rupert’s land in in the old colony of Quebec
- It stated that no land could be taken without the Indigenous People’s consent
- To transfer hands, Indigenous land had to first be given back to the crown.
How did the US War of Independence affect the royal proclamation of 1763?
The US did not feel bound to the proclamation because of their seperation from England so they started breaching Indigenous Land
Why did colonizers grow frustrated with the royal proclamation?
Becasue as the fur trade declined and the desire for colony settlement went up, they needed more land and the royal proclamation was in their way. Eventually they used the proclamation to develop land surrender treaties.
What are the main types of land surrender treaties?
- One time cash payments
- Reserve Land negotiations
- Payment in perpetuity (because one time cash payments felt too expensive)
What are the two main issues with treaties today?
- How to interpret documents that were written so long ago so that they are relevant in a contemporary context. (e.g. what does the promise to supply teachers mean?) Are the documents living or set? etc.
- The government has a history of negligence, malfeasance and straight incompetence when it comes to managing the treaties.
What changed in the Mid-1800’s/19th century?
The government began to introduce systematic policies to assimilate Indigenous people and eliminate Indigenous culture. These early policies eventually became the 1976 Indian Act
Why did the British essentially allow New France to run it’s own show after they took it over from France?
With impending war with the US and knowing that France was supporting the US, the British wanted to both Keep the French colonists in New France happy so they would not join the US but also just didn’t want to deal with them while also trying to deal with the US.
What is the nature of the conflict between the french and the english in canada?
It is really a conflict caused by the cultural and linguistic difficulties between the two groups but it was characterized as a “race” problem where the english perceived the french as an inferior race.
