C1. Colonialism and Colonization
Specific Expectations
C1.1
explain the significance for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities and cultures of the key concepts associated with colonialism (e.g., the doctrine of discovery and the concept of terra nullius were used by Europeans as justification to declare right and supremacy over the new world and forcibly displace many First Nations communities; assimilationist policies separated First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals from their families, communities, and the land; the European religious “civilizing mission” led to the repression and near extinction of Indigenous spiritual and cultural practices, languages, and knowledge), identifying some connections between these concepts
- How are the doctrine of discovery and the concept of terra nullius connected?
- How does terra nullius infringe on Indigenous peoples’ relationships with the land?
- How are the concepts of paternalism and colonialism linked?
- What was the ‘civilizing mission’ in Canada? What were some of its effects? How is the civilizing mission related to assimilationist policy?
- What do the establishment of the Métis provisional government in 1869 and the List of Rights that the provisional government issued tell you about the Métis approach to dealing with colonialism? What colonialist concepts did the List of Rights address?
C1.2
analyse a variety of government policies and actions in Canada to determine their role with respect to assimilation and their impact on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals, communities, world views, and aspirations (e.g., the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 made Indian status for women conditional on marital status, causing many to lose community connections and imposing a patrilineal system on some matrilineal cultures; the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869 restricted the power of band councils, weakening the governance practices of First Nations communities; the Indian Act prohibited various traditional practices and introduced other provisions that collectively undermined community values and jeopardized the survival of communities; residential school policy forbade students to engage in cultural practices or speak Indigenous languages, interrupting intergenerational cultural transmission and instilling mistrust of institutional learning)
- Do you think that the slaughter of thousands of Arctic sled dogs by the RCMP and other authorities enforcing animal control laws was an assimilationist policy? Why, or why not?
- How did the enfranchisement policies outlined in the Indian Act of 1867 affect First Nations individuals? What connection can you make between enfranchisement and assimilation?
- What assimilationist provision of the Indian Act did Sandra Lovelace Nicholas seek to have amended in Sandra Lovelace v. Canada, 1977–81? What social and economic consequences did her lawsuit have, and how are these consequences related to First Nations aspirations?
C1.3
analyse the use of political and judicial systems in Canada to enforce colonialist approaches to the ownership, development, and management of land and natural resources (e.g., with reference to the extinguishment of title through the distribution of land scrip to Métis individuals, the forced relocation of Inuit from northern Quebec to the High Arctic, specific and comprehensive land claims, court cases, treaties), suggesting some ways in which these approaches have affected First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities
- In what ways are current approaches to land management and ownership in Canada related to colonialism and colonization? What are some consequences for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities?
- Why did the issue of an Aboriginal right to fish come before the court in R. v. Sparrow, 1990? How was the case related to colonialist policies, and what did the subsequent ruling confirm?
- In what ways did the Community Pasture Program in Manitoba disregard Métis community knowledge and aspirations? What connections can you make to colonialism? How has the program affected life for the Métis people?
