scholarly journals The Oral Histories of Canada's Northern People, Anglo-Canadian Evidence Law, and Canada's Fiduciary Duty to First Nations: Breaking Down the Barriers of the Past

1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clay McLeod

This article is a call for Canadian Courts to interpret, respect and develop First Nations' rights from the perspective of the aboriginal peoples themselves. McLeod focuses on the First Nations of the North and how their traditional use of oral histories is profoundly affected by the current Canadian rules of evidence. Indeed, the whole concept of the adversarial system, a system based on Western European culture, assumptions, and principles, and its effectiveness in determining the "truth" is shown to be inadequate at addressing the concept of the "truth" as defined by the First Nations. McLeod exposes an inexcusable "cross-cultural clash" occurring within Canadian courtrooms that is causing the rules of evidence to become tools of oppression preventing the oral histories of the First Nations from properly being admitted and given due weight. McLeod continues, however, to suggest ways by which some of the rules of evidence could be utilized so as to effectively allow the aboriginal people the opportunity of presenting their oral histories to the Courts and having them accepted as being valid and trustworthy.

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 2005
Author(s):  
Smith B. Donald

A look at three university-organized conferences, the first in 1939, the second in 1966, and the most recent in 1997, reveals an increasing awareness of Aboriginal issues — particularly in the 1990s. From the mid- to the late twentieth century, Indians, now generally known as the First Nations, moved from the periphery into the centre of academic interest. The entrance of Aboriginal people, “the third solitude,” has altered completely the nature of Canada’s unity debate. Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 19821 affirms the existence of Aboriginal and treaty rights. The definition of “Aboriginal peoples of Canada” in the new constitution of 1982 now includes the Métis, as well as the First Nations and Inuit. Today, no academic conference in Canada on federalism, identities, and nationalism, can avoid discussion of Aboriginal Canada.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Kathleen McMullin ◽  
Sylvia Abonyi ◽  
Maria Mayan ◽  
Pamela Orr ◽  
Carmen Lopez-Hille ◽  
...  

On the Canadian Prairies, First Nations and Métis peoples are disproportionately affected by tuberculosis (TB) compared to other Canadians. Statistics show enduring transmission and high rates of active TB disease. Despite awareness of the social determinants of TB transmission—such as substance abuse, comorbidities, and basic needs being unmet—transmission and outbreaks continue to occur among Aboriginal people. The Determinants of Tuberculosis Transmission project is a mixed methods, interdisciplinary study that used quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews to look more closely at patients’ experiences of TB. Provincial Network Committees (PNCs) comprised of Elders, traditionalists, community-based TB workers, and health researchers in three participating provinces guided the project from inception through to data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. The collaborative efforts of the patients, the research team, and the PNCs uncovered a continuing influence of colonization in TB transmission. Overwhelming feelings of apathy and despair for the hold that TB continues to have in the lives of patients, families, and communities is captured by the Cree word “keyam,” which may be translated as “to give up” or to ask, “What is the use?” This paper explores the concept of keyam in relation to TB transmission.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 218-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Konrad ◽  
A Hossain ◽  
A Senthilselvan ◽  
JA Dosman ◽  
MD Pahwa

Introduction Knowledge about chronic bronchitis (CB) among Aboriginal people in Canada is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CB and its associated factors among Aboriginal people aged 15 years plus. Methods Logistic regression analysis was used on data from the cross-sectional 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey to determine risk factors associated with CB. Results CB prevalence was 6.6% among First Nations, 6.2% among Métis and 2.4% among Inuit. Prevalence was higher among females than males (7.2% versus 5.0%). Individuals with CB were more likely to be older, living at a lower income, with a lower educational attainment and residing in rural areas. Smoking status and body mass index were also significantly associated with CB, but their effect differed by sex. Obesity was particularly significantly associated with CB among females compared with males, and current smoking and non-smoking status was significantly associated with CB among females but not males. Conclusion These findings identify factors associated with CB among Aboriginal people. As such, they may represent potentially preventable risk factors that can inform health promotion and disease prevention practices.


2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Thiessen ◽  
Dianne E Looker

This paper examines the positions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) peoples and visible minorities as distances from the cultural “centre” of White European culture. It then assesses the relation of information and communication technology (ICT) to these locations among Canadian youth using three data sets: the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, the 2000 Youth in Transition Survey (older cohort) and its 2002 follow–up, and a 2004/2005 survey collected by the authors. Findings indicate that the idea of cultural centrality is useful in locating FNIM groups and visible minorities vis-à-vis the cultural centre and each other and highlighting the stratified heterogeneity of these groups. Access to, use of, and development of ICT skills tend to mirror the relative positions of these groups in terms of cultural centrality. Further, youth who retain close ties with traditional culture are less unlikely to develop facility with ICT.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (S2E) ◽  
pp. S148-S160 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kue Young ◽  
Peter T. Katzmarzyk

This paper summarizes available information on patterns of physical activity, their determinants and consequences, and the results of various interventions designed to increase the physical activity of Aboriginal peoples in Canada and the United States. There is a paucity of national data on this issue for Aboriginal peoples. The most recent data, from the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey of 2002–2003, indicate that 21% of adults (27% of men, 15% of women) were engaging in at least 30 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity on 4 d/week or more. The present paper highlights the unique challenges this group faces, underlining the need to integrate collective knowledge regarding how much physical activity is required for Aboriginal Canadians, and how this activity should be accomplished, to promote and maintain health. Efforts are currently underway to tailor Canada’s physical activity guide for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Future research among Aboriginal groups should examine the minimal and optimal levels of physical activity required to achieve health benefits.


Author(s):  
Hasu Ghosh ◽  
Denise Spitzer

This article primarily aims to demonstrate how diversity is reflected among urban Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Secondly, it uncovers if and how preventive health services in the province of Ontario, Canada are responsive to this diversity. Data for this study were gathered from a review of literature on culturally appropriate health service delivery to Aboriginal peoples in Canada and a qualitative exploratory study conducted with urban First Nation and Métis people, and health service providers and policy makers. The findings from review of literature and the exploratory study indicated that the nature of Aboriginal diversity and its trends are complex. From the document review, we can comprehend that socio-economic disparities among First Nations and Métis, compared to non-Aboriginal people, are reducing slowly; however, evidence from the exploratory study suggested otherwise and indicated that there is also a strong need for First Nation and Métis families to overcome barriers in order to improve their quality of live in urban Ontario, Canada. It is evident that health services for urban First Nation and Métis people cannot address existing health inequities by simplistic application of pan-Aboriginal strategies in preventive services. Initiatives for urban First Nation and Métis people require strategies that are targeted at the unique and distinct needs of First Nation and Métis residents regardless of their legal status, cultural pluralities, socio-economic backgrounds, and place of residence in cities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungwee Park

This study demonstrated income assistance (IA) receipt among Aboriginal people living off-reserve using data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS), a national survey of First Nations people living off reserve, Métis, and Inuit. In 2011, 12% of Aboriginal people living off-reserve received IA. It focused on socio-demographic, labour market and health characteristics found in different types of IA receipt. For almost half of the Aboriginal IA receivers, IA was their only source of income; it was the main (but not sole) source of income for 27%; and for the remaining 28%, IA was a secondary source of income.  The receipt of IA was associated with socio-demographic characteristics such as never having been married; female; younger; less than high school levels of education; and living in lone-parent households.  About 20% of IA recipients were employed in 2011. Compared with other Aboriginal workers not receiving IA, they were more likely to have a job with short tenure; to be part-time workers or temporary workers; and to work in the sector of sales and services. Compared to non-recipients, recipients of IA also reported significantly poorer mental and physical health conditions. The associations between health status and IA remained significant after controlling for other demographic factors. These results have important implications for policy makers and other stakeholders interested in IA for Aboriginal people. The complexity of employment, health, and other risk factors of IA need to be considered in further understanding these issues.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-134
Author(s):  
Tiffany Prete

This paper explores the methods employed by Alberta Education to teach Alberta students about the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Currently, Alberta Education has two approaches, which are: 1) the integration of the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Policy Framework (FNMI), which is a framework that is a means to educate all Albertans on the history of Aboriginal Peoples, and 2) an optional Aboriginal Studies coursework. An urban high school participated in this research study, which was under the call for the integration of the FNMI policy framework and also offered Aboriginal Studies 10. I used a Blackfoot theoretical framework, grounded in an Indigenous research methodology, alongside principles of the Beadworking paradigm to conduct the research. I employed a survey that was quantitative in nature to determine students’ attitudes towards the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. I was interested in identifying whether taking Aboriginal Studies 10 made a difference in the participants’ views of Indigenous Peoples. I used principal-component factor analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to analyze the data. The results from the MANOVA analysis indicate that the Aboriginal Studies 10 class plays a role in students’ perceptions of Indigenous Peoples specifically. These results indicate that students who participated in the Aboriginal Studies 10 course had a more positive view of Indigenous Peoples than students who did not participate in Aboriginal Studies 10.    


Author(s):  
Charles Hartman

This chapter looks at how the Song dynasty (960–1279) reconsolidated central power and eliminated the provincial regimes that had developed in the wake of Tang decentralization. During the first thirty years after 960, they fostered astute policies that promoted and took advantage of continuing economic expansion. To administer their new polity, the Song emperors recruited through the examination system a new class of bureaucratic elite that Western writings on China often call the ‘literati’. The aristocrats of Tang had given way to the merchants and bureaucrats of Song. However, although the Song expanded Chinese economic and political power into South China, it never completed the conquest of all the traditional Chinese lands in the north. The Song coexisted with a series of alien or conquest dynasties to its north and west.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Cassell

Based on extensive fieldwork and oral history, The Terms of Our Surrender is a powerful critical appraisal of unceded indigenous land ownership in eastern Canada. Set against an ethnographic, historical and legal framework, the book traces the myriad ways the Canadian state has successfully evaded the 1763 Royal Proclamation that guaranteed First Nations people a right to their land and way of life. Focusing on the Innu of Quebec and Labrador, whose land has been taken for resource extraction and development, the book strips back the fiduciary duty to its origins, challenging the inroads which have been made on the nature and extent of indigenous land tenure—arguing for preservation of land ownership and positioning First Nations people as natural land defenders amidst a devastating climate crisis. It offers a voice to the Innu people, detailing the spirituality practices, culture and values that make it impossible for them to willingly cede their land. The text is intended to bridge the gap in knowledge between legal practitioners and those working at the intersections of human rights, social work and public policy. The book offers a potent template for how we can use the law to fight back against the indignities suffered by all indigenous peoples.


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