theresa spence of idle no more fights for her home and native land: the violation of aboriginal...

8/12/2019 Theresa Spence of Idle No more fights for her Home and NATIVE Land: The violation of Aboriginal Rights by Bill C-45 and the rise of Idle No More in Canada

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Theresa Spence of Idle No more fights for her Home and NATIVE Land:

The violation of Aboriginal Rights by Bill C-45 and the rise of Idle No More inCanada

Melissa InfusinoOctober 23rd, 2013


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Abstract

Despite the many injustices Canadas Aboriginal Peoples have experienced since the

arrival of Europeans in North America, little has been done by the Canadian Government

to end their socio-economic strife. The overall image that emerges from literature is

negative, stereotyping the Aboriginal as a drug addict, alcoholic who has a history with

law enforcement. This essay explains the reasoning behind the deteriorated state of

Aboriginal communities through various academic websites and books. An analysis of

these sources yields the Natives views and explanations that bring light to the dark-side

of Canadian society through three assumptions: 1) the assimilation of First Nations

people throughout history, stemming from racial ideologies; 2) those who are benefitting

from the assimilation of Natives by exploiting their resources; and 3) those suffering from

assimilative policies entrenched by the government. This essay reveals a shameful side

of Canadian history, leaving citizens oblivious to the cultural genocide that has been

unraveling for years right under their noses.

Rsum

Malgr les injustices que subissent les Autochtones du Canada depuis larrive des

Europens en Amrique du Nord, trs peu a t fait par le gouvernement Canadien pour

mettre fin leurs conflits socio-conomiques. Limage qui merge de la littrature est

trs ngative, dcrivant des strotypes the lAutochtone comme un intoxique,

alcoolique qui a un pass avec la loi. Cet essai explique le raisonnement derrire ltat

dtrior des communauts Autochtones travers trois hypothses: 1) lassimilation des

Premires Nations travers lhistoire, cause par des idologies racistes; 2) ceux qui

profitent de lassimilation des Indignes en exploitant leurs ressources; et 3) ceux qui

souffrent des politiques dassimilation enracines par le gouvernement. Cet essai rvle


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un cot honteux de lhistoire canadienne, laissant les citoyens inconscients du gnocide

culturel qui se dnouait juste sous leurs nez.

After bringing disease, war and destruction to the Indigenous Peoples,

Canadas colonizers put forth treaties that caused great resistance from

Aboriginals because the benefits for the Europeans greatly outweighed the

benefits to the first inhabitants of the lands. In 2012, history repeated itself after

Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced Bill C-45 and an investment treaty

with China, including the expansion of tar sands on protected Aboriginal lands

and waterways. While most Canadians would view The Harper Governments

Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act and Bill C-45 as

beneficial to the economic growth of the country, many First Nations believe that

this bill is a violation of Aboriginal Rights and a menace to the environment,

hence evoking a political movement Idle No More of which Chief Theresa

Spences hunger strike is a part. The historical context of the mistreatment of

Natives during the colonization of North America lead to many sociological

problems such as employment barriers and socio-economic disparities as well as

political problems such as their legislated assimilation.

The relationship between the Crown and Aboriginal people is one in which the

government enforced political policies in order to culturally assimilate the First

Nations people of Canada. Eurocentrism is the reasoningbehind the

governments superior status towards Aboriginals and justifies its need to

assimilate and civilize them. Legal assimilation can be observed through the

establishment of different policies in the past such as the Crowns Lands


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Protection Act of 1839, the Indian Act of 1876, residential schools and the White

Paper of 1969.

Since colonial times, Europeans have viewed the world as open to conquest,

control and domination. Other civilizations have been perceived as weak or

vicious, and as in need of being civilized. Eurocentrism hypothesizes the

superiority of Europeans over non-Europeans based on a concept called

diffusionism (Cannon and Sunseri, 2011). Diffusionism is based on two

assumptions: most human communities are uninventive and a few human

communities (or cultures) are inventive and are thus the permanent centers of

cultural change or progress.1From this framework, diffusionism emphasizes that

European peoples are superior to Indigenous peoples and this superiority stems

from the belief that non-European peoples lack mind and culture. The theory

argues that because Europeans are superior, First Nations peoples need to be

civilized through the diffusion of rationality, innovation and a sense of honor or

ethics from Europe in order to progress. Consequently, for centuries, First

Nations children grew up being told that their culture was inferior, their religion

was wrong and their language useless.

Early colonial policy towards Aboriginal Peoples was influenced by

Eurocentrism and shaped by two influential ideologies: mercantilism and Roman

Catholicism (Cannon and Sunseri, 2011). French Indian policy had two primary

objectives: conversion from paganism to Catholicism and the eventual

assimilation of Aboriginal Peoples into French civil and commercial life. This

1Cannon, Martin and Lina Sunseri,Racism, Colonialism and Indigenity in Canada, Ontario:Oxford U P, 2011,11.


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policy was established through incorporation and alliances that were cemented

through marriage and adoption. (Cannon and Sunseri, 2011). The French Crown

relied on the Roman Catholic missionaries to convert Aboriginals in hopes that

Christian conversion and French civilizing influences would turn them into strong

and loyal allies against the British colonizers. Unlike the French, the English, who

were driven by land lust and maintained the idea that a savage could never

validly exercise sovereignty, waged war on Aboriginal communities and took their

lands by force (Cannon and Sunseri, 2011). As the fur trade became increasingly

entrenched in society, the balance of power shifted. Patriarchy and the

commodification of First Nation resources and labor introduced by the fur trade

slowly destroyed egalitarian or communal relations between First Nations men

and women2. Cooperation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people was

replaced by a new situation, one in which the economies of the two peoples were

increasingly incompatible. Europeans were interested in establishing permanent

settlements on the land and taking advantage of the resources in order to supply

their own needs or exploit them to other markets. Thus, Europeans viewed the

Native use of the land as a hindrance to productive development forcing

missionaries to civilize them through Catholicism.

The European ideal of womanhood revolved around female domesticity. The

appropriate position of women was confinement to the household where they

were subordinate to the wills of their fathers and husbands. Contrarily to

European women, Aboriginal women were economically independent, had

2Canon and Sunseri 45


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considerable personal autonomy, controlled their own sexuality and had the right

to divorce. Missionaries represented the condition of Aboriginal women in

fatalistic and derogatory terms, believing that they had no value, were savages

and their ways of life violated Christian norms. (47) Hence, evangelists attempted

to restructure their society by introducing the European family organization with

male authority and the elimination of polyandry and divorce. Missionary

illustrations of the degraded and inferior condition of Aboriginal women were

used to convince the Crown and other Europeans of the savage wretchedness

of Aboriginal life

3

and were used to justify the ideological Eurocentrism rationale

for colonial conquest, dispossession and cultural genocide of the First Nations

people (Canon and Sunseri, 49). However, First Nations people were not only

being dominated by religion. Colonial administrators undertook many initiatives to

legally assimilate and civilize them.

Many legal issues of importance to the aboriginal nations were decided early

in the 19thcentury. Starting in the 1830s, the Canadian policies reflected the

priorities of protection and assimilation rather than partnership with the First

Nations Peoples. Among the most important of these policies was the Crown

Lands Protection Act of 1839, which affirmed that aboriginal lands were the

property of the Crown unless specifically titled to an individual (Aboriginal Affairs

and Northern Development Canada). Disallowing indigenous control over their

lands led to a significant loss of Aboriginal territories and infringed upon their way

of life. In 1876, The Indian Act was passed, authorizing Canadian federal

3Canon and Sunseri 47


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government to regulate and administer in the affairs and daily lives of registered

Indians and reserve communities. This federal law imposed governing structures

on Aboriginal communities in order to control the rights of Indians to practice their

culture and traditions. Furthermore, the government possessed the right to

determine the land base of Indians and to define who qualifies as Indian in the

form of Indian status (Cannon and Sunseri, 51-52). The main goals of this act

were to reduce the number of status Indians the government was responsible for

and impose the civilized European system. Consequently, many Indians were

legally stripped of their identity, lost the right to live on traditional lands,

participate in First Nations local activities and many Aboriginal women who

married-out of their race were denied their First Nation identity and were denied

the right to live on-reserve free from taxation or liens (Cannon and Sunseri, 50).

This regulation remained in effect until the Indian Act was revised in 1985 by bill

C-31.

Another way to assimilate the First Nations people was placing their children in

church-run residential schools. The government believed that it was easier to

mould children than adults in order to diminish or completely abolish native

traditions and prepare them for mainstream society. Hence, children were taken

away from their homes, separated from their families and placed in boarding

schools where they were taught to speak English or French and discouraged

from speaking their first language or practicing native traditions. According to the

Aboriginal Affairs and northern Development Canada, many children were

victims of sexual or physical abuse, were malnourished, poorly dressed and


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many of the schools were crowded and dirty. The last Indian Residential School

was closed in 1996.In 1969, Prime Minister Trudeau proposed a White Paper policy with the goal

of achieving greater equality for Natives. Wanting to maintain a legal distinction

as Indian people, Natives across Canada rejected this policy because it would

assimilate them into mainstream Canadian society. Due to the widespread

resistance against the White Paper, the federal government eventually

abandoned the policy (Cannon and Sunseri, 63). This was a turning point in

Canadian history because the government finally began to abandon its policy of

assimilation for a policy geared toward establishing constitutionally protected

rights for First Nations.

To conclude, Eurocentrism has shaped and influenced the way society views

Aboriginals. Ever since the two races met during the colonization of North

America, non-Indians have been trying to teach, convert, improve and even

change Aboriginals and their lifestyles. A sense of superiority and entitlement

from the Whites created a government that believed that First Nations Peoples

were undeveloped human beings in desperate need of mentoring in order to

properly function in society. This was expressed through the Crowns Lands

Protection Act of 1839, the Indian Act of 1876, residential schools, the White

Paper and is now being reproduced with the implementation of Bill C-45 by the

Harper government in correspondence to the Canada-China treaty.

The Conservative Party of Canada led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper is

directly focused on creating jobs, promoting economic growth and ensuring long-


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term economic prosperity (The Conservative Party of Canada). Hence, the

Harper Government has signed a trade-treaty with China in order to help

Canadas economy flourish by allowing Chinese investors to exploit natural

resources such as the Albertan tar sands. Following the classical liberalist

ideology and neo-liberalist economic policies, there will be little to no government

intervention pertaining to Chinas business choicesregardless of how they may

affect Canadians or the fragile environment.

The Conservative political ideology is generally characterized by a belief in

individualism and minimal government intervention in the economy and society.

In Canada, The Conservative Party of Canada presently holds the majority of

seats in the House of Commons allowing the Harper Government to pass

legislation easily. Although it is a conservative party, it is a less radical version of

classical liberalism, combining liberal values and policies such as equality of

opportunity, redistribution of income (the social safety net concept with

conservative stances) and most importantly promoting a laissez-faire economy

and neo-liberalist economic policies (Boyd and Harrison, 202-206). In a laissez-

faire, neo-liberalist economy, human needs are best served by free competition

in the economic marketplace with minimal government intervention. State-owned

enterprises and resources are sold to private investors (privatization),

concentrating the wealth into very few hands and making the public pay for its

needs (The Shock Doctrine). Furthermore, neo-liberalism liberates private

enterprises from any bonds imposed by the government and promotes the idea

that markets regulate themselves. Consequently, foreign companies have an


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ease of entrance into the economy (Merriam Webster Online), thus explaining

the entrance of China into Canadian economy.

On September 9th 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed an

agreement while at the APEC Summit in Vladivostok, Russia with China called

the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act also known

as the FIPPA. This Canada-China investment treaty was kept from the Canadian

public and Parliament until September 26th, when it was quietly made public. In

fact, the majority Harper Government continuously avoided democratic debate in

the House of Commons by ignoring calls to studying and clarifying the

ambiguities of this major foreign investment agreement between the two

countries (CBC News). The reason for this secrecy was to avoid the backlash of

the many failings of this treaty such as allowing Chinese investors to easily

takeover Canadian assets and to sue the Canadian Government outside

Canadian courts if the government puts any kind of restrictions or if it does

anything that would infringe upon the foreign investors profit. Moreover, this

treaty restricts British Columbia and Alberta from controlling their natural

resources, negotiating a greater share of profits and creating regulations related

to the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline for the next thirty-one years

after it comes into effect.

The Northern Gateway is a controversial pipeline project proposed to run from

the oil sands in Alberta to the north coast of British Columbia. The eastbound

pipeline would import natural gas condensate and the twin westbound pipeline

would export bitumen from oil sands diluted with the natural gas condensate to


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Kitimat, BC where it would be transported to Asian markets by oil tankers (Green

Party of Canada). This is proof that the Harper Government is implementing a

neo-liberalist economic policy by giving carte blanche to Chinese economic

interests to exploit Canadian resources as they see fit with minimal governmental

intervention.

To conclude, Chinas companies will hold the power to shape Canadas

natural resource markets as well as challenge Canadian politics. Not only does

this treaty erode Canadas ability to deal with environmental problems and set

high environmental and labor standards, it also infringes upon the First Nations

Peoples rights, more precisely the right to the property of their lands. Stephen

Harper pursued this deal without prior consultation with the Natives.

Consequently, this undemocratic treaty has led to the creation of an Aboriginal

Activist Group called Idle No More.

The image of Canada is one where the world believes that it is a gentle

northern neighbor of the United States. What the world sees of First Nations

people in Canada is one of beauty and tradition often seen in cultural gatherings.

However, they do not see the harsh reality that First Nations face on a regular

basis and the horrific human rights violations that Aboriginals have been dealing

with for generations which has now been brought to the publics attention by the

Idle No More movement.

After the public announcement of the Canada-China investment treaty, the

Aboriginal community was very upset because it weakens the environmental

protections in order to advance the rapid expansion of resource development on


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un-ceded First Nations territories. This agreement therefore protects Chinas

interests and would significantly increase their investment in the development of

the Alberta tar sands, pipelines, mining projects and other resource development

projects at the risk of aboriginal rights and the environment. Not only have the

Natives lost their land throughout history but now the floodgates have been

opened to allow foreign interests to exploit with impunity what is left of their

limited resources with no economic benefit or return to them.

To make matters worse, on December 5 th2012, the Harper Government

passed the Canadian Omnibus Bill C-45, also known as the Jobs and Growth

Act, in connection to the Canada-China Investment Treaty. Of particular concern

are the changes in Bill C-45 that drastically reduce protections for waterways

under the Navigable Waters Act and a private members bill that seeks to amend

and ultimately repeal the Indian Act4. The most recent amendments to the

Navigable Waters Protection Act further weaken the navigational and

environmental protection of Canadian waterways, changing the statutes name to

the Navigation Protection Act (NPA), a change that reflects the governments

desire to completely separate navigation from the environmental component that

enables it. In other words, the law will no longer protect navigable waters, it will

only protect navigation5. Consequently, the NPA significantly decreases the

regulation of Canadian waterways, excluding 99.7 per cent of Canadas lakes

and more than 99.9 per cent of Canada s rivers from federal oversight6. Hence,

4Jesse Winter, First Nations slam Bill C-45, Yukon News, (Dec. 2012).5Bill C-45 and the Navigable Waters Protection Act, Ecojustice, N.p. (Oct. 2012).6Bill C-45 and the Navigable Waters Protection Act.


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under the NPA, proponents of industrial development and large infrastructure

projects (e.g. Enbridges Northern Gateway pipeline) will be given free reinto

disrupt and impact Canadian waterways without regard to either navigation or

environmental rights7.Also, Bill C-45 makes changes to the Indian Act in order

to allow First Nations communities to lease designated reserves lands based on

a majority of votes from those in attendance at a meeting or in a referendum,

instead of waiting for a majority vote from all eligible voters 8.Without the need

for the consent of the majority of Natives in a community, lands can be easily

taken over by industries without any consultation on the environment, on the land

and the waters that are essential to the Aboriginal tradition.

With the implementation of Bill C-45, there will be fewer impediments to the

development of the Alberta Tar Sands. A rapidly growing economy coupled with

low domestic supplies of oil products have forced China to secure a long-term

flow of oil to supply its ever-growing energy needs. The Canada-China Foreign

Investment Promotion and Protection Act will allow China to exploit Canadas oil

products, including the Alberta Tar Sands. Although this new presence in

Canadian oil production will bring employment to Canadians and large

investment projects will diversify Canadian exports, the environmental costs

associated with developing oil sand petroleum are significant. Compared to

extracting conventional oil, producing sand bitumen is a lot more damaging to the

physical environment because it destroys forests for oil sand extraction, utilizes

7Janyce McGregor, 22 changes in the budget bill fine print. CBC News.N.p. (Oct.2012).8McGregor


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an enormous amount of natural gas to extract the bitumen from oil sands (Alberta

Oil Sands extraction utilizes enough natural gas to heat approximately 3.5 million

Canadian homes), produces an important source of greenhouse gas emissions

and approximately uses twelve barrels of fresh water to produce each barrel of

bitumen in surface mined oil sands operation 9. Furthermore, oil sands

productions do not only impact the environment but also cause health problems

for the First Nations.

Aboriginal populations located downstream from the oil sands are developing

respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems and rare cancers that are

suspectedly caused by toxic substances leaching into streams (Mech, 11). A

2005 report, conducted as part of an environmental impact assessment by

Suncor, concluded: Total metal levels (including arsenic and mercury) in the

Athabasca River have been above water quality guidelines, similar to other water

bodies in the Oil Sands Region. Chronic toxicity has been observed when

laboratory organisms are exposed to Athabasca River sediment 10.

Furthermore, deformed fish have been found in nearby Lake Athabasca and

drinking water has been contaminated from the oil sands operations. The

devastating effects on both wildlife and local indigenous peoples are threatening

the preservation of their traditional way of life (Mech, 28) and are direct violations

of treaties confirming their rights to their lands.

In 1876 and 1899, two treaties were signed, Treaty 6 and 8 between the

Queen and the First Nations peoples occupying what is now regions of Oil Sands

9Michelle Mech,A Comprehensive Guide to the Alberta Oil Sands,N.p. (2011) 12-16.10Mech 28.


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developments. In both of these treaties, the Crown promised that the First

Nations would retain hunting, trapping, and fishing rights in perpetuity 11.

Moreover, Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1982 protects aboriginal rights

and communities from threatening federal and provincial legislative policies.

These treaties were promises that were made so that both treaty partners would

benefit from the wealth and prosperity of Canadian lands. It is evident that the

government of Canada has benefitted from the natural resources, while many of

the First Nations peoples are treated like second or third class citizens (e.g.

racism, discrimination and employment barriers) resulting in high youth suicide

rates, poor health conditions, over-representation in child and family services and

prisons, alcoholism and hundreds of murdered and missing indigenous women12.

In order to bring attention to and combat what the Harper government is trying to

pass in the name of economic growth is the work and awareness being raised by

the activist movement known as Idle No More.

Idle No More began as the name of a teach-in in Saskatchewan that was

organized in December by four activists Jessica Gordon, Sylvia McAdam, Nina

Wislon and Sheelah McLean in order to fight the Federal Governments

deregulation of most Canadian waterways in its budget implementation bill. As

previously stated, the deregulation will make it easier for resource development

companies to access rivers and watersheds that flow through First Nations

11Mech 30.12Andy Radia, AFN runner-up Pam Palmater accuses the Prime Minister of trying tobreak up communities, Yahoo News,N.p. (Dec. 2012).


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territories by eliminating much of their say in the matter of development.

Furthermore, pipeline projects that pass through Aboriginal communities produce

large reservoirs of toxic waste, release toxic chemicals into the air and emit

greenhouse gas that lead to serious health problems (Gosselin, 4). Idle No

Mores primary objective was to have the Federal Government repeal all

legislation that violates treaties, including those affecting environmental

regulations such as the Omnibus C-45 bill. In addition, Idle No More seeks to

educate and revitalize First Nations Peoples, empower them and regain

sovereignty and independence.

On December 11 2012, Attawapiskat First Nation leader Chief Theresa

Spence started a fast to draw public attention to Canadas Bill C -45 and raise

awareness for the Idle No More movement. She pledged to continue with a

hunger strike consisting of a liquid diet including lemon water, medicinal teas and

fish broth (a historical survival diet for Indigenous communities facing poverty

and food shortages from land loss and colonial policies) up until she won a

meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David

Johnston to discuss the legislation. After a six-week-long hunger strike spent

under a tipi on Victoria Island, near Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Spence agreed to

end her fast after members of the Assembly of First Nations and the Liberal and

New Democrat caucuses signed a thirteen point declaration of specific

commitments asked for by Spence. This declaration was designed to keep up the

pressure on Parliament Hill, as well as reaffirming Spences call for a meeting

with Harper and Governor-General David Johnston. A copy of the declaration,


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obtained by CBC News lists thirteen commitments13:

1. An immediate meeting between the Crown, the federal and provincialgovernments, and all First Nations to discuss treaty and non-treaty-related relationships.

2. Clear work plans and timelines, and a demand that the housing crisiswithin First Nations communities be considered as a short-termimmediate action.

3. Frameworks and mandates for implementation and enforcement oftreaties on a nation-to-nation basis.

4. Reforming and modifying a land-claims policy

5. A commitment towards resource revenue sharing, requiring theparticipation of provinces and territories.

6. A commitment towards sustained environmental oversight over First

Nations lands

7. A review of Bill C-38 and C-45 to ensure consistency with constitutionalrequirements about consultation with aboriginal peoples.

8. Ensure that all federal legislation has the consent of First Nations whereinherent and Treaty rights are affected

9. The removal of funding caps and the indexing of payments made to FirstNations.

10. An inquiry into violence against indigenous women.

11. Equity in capital construction of First Nation schools and additionalfunding support for First Nation languages.

12. A dedicated cabinet committee and secretariat within the Privy CouncilOffice responsible for the First Nation-Crown relationship.

13. Full implementation of the United Nations declaration of the rights ofindigenous peoples. (CBC News)

Unfortunately, Spence did not achieve her initial goal to meet with Harper and

Johnston. In fact, she denied meeting the Prime Minister because the Governor-

General Johnston would not be attending. Johnston's office said he was not

attending "because it consists of a working meeting with government on public

13Chief Theresa Spenceto End Hunger Strike Today, CBC News,N.p. (23 Jan. 2013).


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policy issues.14" It was of importance to meet with the Governor-General

because his presence was integral to the conference since he represents the

Crown, which negotiated the original treaties with aboriginal people.

To conclude, Theresa Spences forty-four day fast epitomized the hunger of

Canadas First Nations forrecognition and fair treatment. Her camp-out near

Parliament Hill was essential in helping to drive the issue of aboriginal rights to

the top of the national agenda and onto the International stage reaching

Indigenous groups from Central and South America, Australia and the United

States. Her protest made a strong impact across the world not only because it

highlighted the plight of many native communities: high unemployment, youth

suicides, underfunded schools and services, poor living conditions and an over-

representation in the Canadian Justice System, but also the ability of individuals

to effect beneficial change.

Throughout the years, the United Nations has identified Canada as a country

with a high standard of living. Canada is very fortunate, by any criterion, whether

it is wealth, natural resources or acceptance of diversity. Yet, there remains

within this country an almost unspeakable reality. This is the reality of life for First

Nations peoples, who in many parts of the country experience chronic illness,

who live in Third World conditions, and who do not have the opportunities

available to the majority of mainstream Canadians. Furthermore, all Aboriginal

groups have suffered loss of land, language and socio-cultural resources.

Ironically, our society values tolerance, acceptance and multicultural diversity

14Theresa Spence Pulls Out of Meeting with Harper, CBC News, (9 Jan. 2013).


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even as Aboriginal peoples are marginalized and their cultures denigrated.

Physical environments play a primary role in determining the health of

populations. Among Aboriginal peoples, physical environments are largely

detrimental to their health. The most extensive outcomes of these structures

include substantial housing shortages and poor quality state of existing homes.

Hence, the lack of affordable housing has forced many families to live in over-

crowded and run-down housing. In 2006, almost 22% of First Nations housing

was in need of major repair, compared to 7% of the non-Aboriginal population.

Off reserve, First Nations people were more than twice as likely to live in a house

that needs major repairs.15Overcrowding in homes can lead to a number of

health outcomes, including increased risk of transmitting infectious diseases,

severe lower respiratory tract infections, and higher rates of injuries, mental

health problems, and family tensions (Reading and Wien, 8-9). Moreover, many

First Nation communities lack potable water and sewage systems. For example,

many residents on reserves in Manitoba must use outhouses slop pails or

cisterns, whose contents are periodically hauled away by sewage trucks. Water

is retrieved from communal standpipes or delivered to households by truck16.

According to a national assessment by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada,

water in First Nations is potentially harmful due to contamination. As of

November 2011, there were 131 boil water advisories in First Nations across

Canada17. For a country that is supposed to be rich with fresh water, these are

15Why Am I Poor? First Nations Child Poverty in Ontario,Health Nexus (2012), 15.16

Stastna, Kazi, Clean Running Water Still a Luxury on Many Native Reserves, CBC NewsCanada,(2011).17Why Am I Poor? First Nations Child Poverty in Ontario, 15.


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disappointing statistics.

Colonization, colonialism, systemic racism and discrimination are responsible

for prohibiting Aboriginal peoples to have access to the resources and conditions

necessary to maximize their socio-economic status. This disadvantage currently

manifests itself in high rates of unemployment, scarce economic opportunities,

low literacy and educational attainment as well as meager community resources.

Consequently, social exclusion, low social cohesion and increased crime are the

results of racism and discrimination by Non-Aboriginal Canadians. Furthermore,

this social exclusion prevents individuals from pursuing education and creates

anxiety, insecurity, low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness. These

psychological stressors have been linked to substance abuse and violence,

hence explaining the high suicide rates and the over-representation of

Aboriginals in the criminal justice system (Health Nexus, 12-15). Statistics from

Correctional Service Canada show that while Aboriginal people represent only

4.3% of the Canadian population, they account for 18% of those who are

incarcerated in federal institutions. In the Prairie Provinces, 50% of prisoners are

Aboriginals.18It is obvious that Aboriginal people are continuously being

discriminated against by a system and nation that has gained so much at their

expense.

Aboriginal people in Canada are less likely to find jobs than Non-Aboriginal

Canadians. When they do find jobs, their annual earnings are considerably lower

than they are for other Canadians. According to Statistics Canada, the

18Examining Aboriginal Corrections in Canada,Public Safety Canada, The Government of

Canada, (2010).


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unemployment rate rose sharply in 2009 for Aboriginal Peoples, rising from

10.4% in 2008 to 13.9%19. Racism and discrimination by employers are causes

of the high unemployment rate. Incomes were lower for First Nations

People, as compared to the general population who had an average income of

$26,000. The median income for Aboriginal people in Ontario age 15 and over

was under $19,000 in 2006. This was 25% lower than that of the general

population20. However, low levels of post-secondary or secondary education are

also contributing factors. An estimated 50% of Aboriginal youth will drop out, or

be pushed out, of high schools; resulting in diminished literacy and employment,

as well as increased poverty in future generations.21Inadequate education

institutions on reserves often include poor literacy and insufficient skills one might

have to offer the labor market often resulting in low paying jobs. Furthermore,

insufficient education opportunities for most adults manifest as a lack of capacity

to promote education among their children causing a vicious cycle of poverty.

These large socio-economic gaps between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals

are the results of social class divisions within society. According to Max Weber,

social stratification is based on three concepts: class, status and power. Using

Webers theory of stratification, Natives, just like Canadians, occupy the common

three-stratum model: upper class, middle class and lower class. In other words,

Natives occupy different social classes, they can be rich, poor or in between.

However, they occupy a low status within society due to the historical

19Aboriginal Peoples, Statistics Canada, Government of Canada, (2011).

20Why Am I Poor? First Nations Child Poverty in Ontario, 17.

21Wien, Fred and Reading, 12.


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stigmatization of their ancestors by the colonizers, missionaries, the government,

employers and even non-Aboriginal Canadians. Class and status play essential

influential roles within political power. Parties in Canada are the organizations of

power. Due to the fact that Aboriginals lack prestige, they do not have much of a

voice within Canadian politics, explaining their struggle for equality. Unlike Karl

Marx who believed that social class was the cause of social disorder, Weber

believed that social status was the cause to social conflict. Hence, if we accorded

higher social status to Native peoples in Canada, they would occupy a balanced

position within society. Furthermore, this would put an end to their social strife.

To conclude, racism and social exclusion, stemming from the Eurocentric

belief in colonial times, have placed Aboriginal people at the bottom of almost

every index of socio-economic well being, including educational levels,

employment opportunities, housing conditions and other conditions creating

devastating repercussions such as health problems, drug abuse and an over-

representation of Aboriginals in the Criminal Justice system. The Harper

Governments Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act

and Bill C-45 are examples of many other violations of Aboriginal rights

throughout history. These controversial and deteriorating (for the environment)

policies created strong adverse reactions from the First Nations communities

across Canada, hence evoking a political movement Idle No More of which

Theresa Spences hunger strike made international headlines. She has become

an icon, bringing attention to native issues and representing the struggle for

equality for Indigenous people across the world taking into account the myriad of


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paradigms that were entrenched in order to assimilate them over the years. It is

obvious that the Federal Government is neglecting the people of Our Home and

Native Land. Idle No Moresprotests have triggered a universal theme: the

power and ability that humans posses in order to effect beneficial change to

obtain world peace and harmony.

My research is proof that there are universal themes that occur and are shared

in different countries and social groups. The case of Trayvon Martin, who was

shot by a racist cop, is very similar to the case of Matthew Dumas, an Aboriginal

teen from Winnipeg who was killed due to racial profiling back in 2005. Just like

the case of Aboriginals in Canada, African Americans are marginalized within

their country and are treated like second or third class citizens due to the color of

their skin. In both cases, racism stems from colonial beliefs, making White people

superior to people of color, hence explaining the reasoning behind slavery of

African-Americans and the cultural genocide of the Indigenous people.

Whether it is the struggle against racism, sexism, marginalization or powerful

groups, they are all present in different parts of the world hence, proving that

there is a problem with social order and the solution still has not been found even

though many countries are developed and prosperous.


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Health Impacts of Canadas Oil Sands Industry. Ottawa: The Royal Society of

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theresa spence of idle no more fights for her home and native land: the violation of aboriginal...

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