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All across the country Aboriginal peoples are seeking recognition of the inherent right to self-government from the federal government. In the following essay I will try to outline some of the factors that have led us to the current state of affaires between Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian government. After developing an understanding of the history between the two sides, I will try to sum up what the Canadian Constitution has to say about Aboriginal people and the complications that come with it. And from all of this give my personal perspective on the inherent right to self-government of Aboriginal people in Canada.
The factors that have led to the current state of affaires between Aboriginal peoples and settlers to Canada span over 500 years. ...
Before 1500, Aboriginal societies in the Americas and European societies lived on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. ... Aboriginal people and settlers saw each other as separate, distinct, and independent nations that were working together in the name of peace, friendship, and trade. These relations were formalized in Treaties and also in the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which can be summarized as: ”Aboriginal people were not to be ‘molested or disturbed’ on their lands… Aboriginal lands were to be acquired only by fair dealing: treaty, or purchase by the Crown. ... ”
With European immigration increasing and the Aboriginal societies facing poverty and disease (mainly imported from Europe) the settlers began to outnumber Indigenous people. ... In the eyes of the Aboriginal peoples, the Treaties were a way of sharing the land and resources with the settlers while remaining independent. But for the Crown the Treaties would be the first step in clearing Aboriginal people off the land and assimilating them into a European way of life. Policies of assimilation gradually continued through the next century and a half with events like the outlawing of the sun dance, the implementation of a reserve system, and the residential school program etc…
In 1969, the relationship between the government of Canada and Aboriginal peoples drastically changed with the government’s introduction of The White Paper.
Approximate Word count = 1541
Approximate Pages = 6.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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