Course Objectives Flashcards
(39 cards)
Identify the four main factors that contributed to adoption of native studies as a separate program in universities.
- Post war consciousness of racism and the treatment of other groups
- Activist groups/feminism
- Indigenous activist roles, within their own culture
- Responsibility/guilt from universities
Identify characteristics and examples of Eurocentric curriculum
Eurocentrism is a term which refers to all the beliefs that presume superiority of Europeans over non-Europeans. An example would be, in history class, learning that history started when Christopher Columbus came to what is now the America’s.
Discuss ongoing impact of Eurocentric curriculum.
Makes people believe that immigration is what started Canada and that everything Canada is, is because of immigration
Discuss the significance of indigenous studies for both indigenous and non-indigenous students
Allows us to understand our role in Canada today, and recognize that we are sharing the land with Indigenous people. We are all treaties people and anyone living on treaty land benefits from treaties
Recall dates of first Native. Studies department in Canada
1969 Trent university was the first university to adopt a Native studies program. I’m 1982, it was introduced into the U of S
Recall early challenges of introducing Native studies into schooling
Due to its multi-disciplinary approach, it suffered criticism about its lack of a distinct discipline. This called to question the credibility of scholars
Be able to articulate key aspects of Metis identity and the problem with racially based perception
because of the French in the children’s blood, these people are considered not Indigenous and created as a product of colonization. Their identity is a cultural/political group of any Indigenous people who have mixed ancestry
Articulate why Section 35 of Constitution does not function to prevent “settler self-indigenization”
Because the government was unable to define what Metis people were
Recall proportion of growth in terms of people claiming to be Metis in Nova Scotia (1996 – 2016).
Increased from 830 people, to 23’000 people
Discuss role of Indian Act in promoting higher of Metis status on census counts
The Indian Act does not define that a Metis is Indian, because of this there has been an uproar in resistance
Discuss role of recent legal decisions in promoting increased number of Metis people and Metis organizations
Upheld Mi’kmaq limited fishing and hunting rights
and increased after the Powley decision (2003)
Know: On what basis does the government’s ‘starvation policy’ meet the official definition of ‘genocide’ according to U.N. Convention
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
Know: How do we know the government was in fact aware of the conditions of starvation in the West?
As Lux states, “The starvation at Fort Walsh was a cynical and deliberate plan to press the government’s advantage and force the Cree from the area to allow the government a free hand in developing the prairies.” Also because they knew they couldn’t afford it, they forced police officers into town to tell the people to leave
Explain the motives behind the Dewdney’s starvation policy (politically and personally)
Him getting rid of all of the Indigenous people in the cypress hills area allowed the government to plan to put the railroad. The railroad also passed through the land that now homes the city of Regina, land that was owned by Dewdney
Be able to explain the significance of the government’s agreement to payout Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) which included numbers for the missing people from Cowessess Band who had died as a result of starvation policy.
It was the government admitting to themselves that they were the reason for all of the deaths that had happened in this band. They had to payout to other people though because the people that they should be paying out were already dead
Be able to recall three main factors leading to adoption of residential school policy
- John Macdonalds government pressured to live up to treaty provisions for Wester Indians. 2. Recommendation for Davin Report. 3. Subfactors supporting the top two- I-Educational policies directed by Indian Act. II- Government had explicit agenda of Aggressive civilization. Churces had similar motives and wanted to partner in system.
Be able to recall difference between “boarding” schools and “industrial” schools
Boarding schools were closer to communities, focused on younger children, provided basic instruction. Industrial schools- targeted older children, further away from home, much more aggressive in teaching.
Be able to recall Residential School history facts (number of schools, where operated, which Churches involved, how many people alive who attended, when last school closed).
130 schools in total, in all provinces except, PEI, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick. Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches all involved. Last one closed in 1996. About 70k to 80 k people still alive today that attended.
Be able to discuss major reasons for failure of schools to achieve their primary mandate.
Be able to discuss major reasons for failure of schools to achieve their primary mandate. Government Parsimony- lack of quality teachers, many were volunteers who lacked education, most were missionaries, who only tried converting the children. Second was the Indian Resistance.
Be able to recall the change in statistics for involvement of Native children with child welfare for Alta, Man. And Sask. (overall Scoop figures)
In 1959, there was less than 1 percent of children in child services and then in 10 years after that dramatically increased to roughly 34%
Discuss general nature of outcomes from mass adoptions
They always turn out poorly, creates a cycle of trauma and abuse
Be able to discuss at least 3 areas of current harm resulting from time spent in-care today
- Apprehension: when children are taken away from mothers it causes a huge impact on the life of her and the family. Creates a trauma for her, and statistics show that when children are taken away, 97% of women turn to substance abuse to deal with it. Also many mothers are having many children in hopes of keeping one.
- Deaths in foster care. Many deaths occur to children in foster care. While many of these deaths are considered as “accidents”, a major cause for death is suicide.
- Homelessness and Incarceration: 41 percent of Indigenous youth in care, has been involved in the justice system. In B.C., more Indigenous kids are likely to be involved in crime than graduate from high school.
Recall 4 contributing factors to over-representation in care
role of apprehension-children are getting taken because parents cannot afford it, role of discrimination (funding)- Indigenous child agencies receive 25% less funding. Role of Adoption Moratoriums- lots of kids are being put into foster care and never leaving. Lack of Indigenous control- child welfare laws were created by other people to regulate Indigenous people when Indigenous people did not get a say in how they want to raise their own children
Recall proportionate numbers of children in care in Saskatchewan
85% of children in foster care are Indigenous in Saskatchewan, while 48% in Canada.
