Theme Of Indigenous Autonomy In A Mind Spread Out On The Ground

In his essay “To be Indian in Canada today”, Richard Wagamese relies on logos to explain the struggles and obstacles that come with the Federal Court’s decision to recognize Metis and non-status Indians in Canada as “Indians” under the Constitution Act. He then begs the question, “what does it mean to be Indian in Canada today?”(Wagameses). Being First Nations himself, Richard Wagamese knows firsthand all barriers that come with being Indigenous in Canada today. While using logos Richard Wagamese implements many different statistics and percentages in his essay to show the hurdles that Indigenous people face: “To be Indian in Canada today is to see youth languish in chronic unemployment and malaise, endure high rates of alcohol, drug and solvent

These questions denote the fundamental issues that Native Americans are forced to deal with. Simpson’s second claim is that there is an alternative to recognition: refusal. By this, she means that instead of fighting for recognition as a sovereign Nation, Indians can also refuse to be categorized and treated otherwise. Her third and final claim is that anthropology and political science must come to challenge things that are perceived as “settled,” especially when it comes to the politics and culture of indigenous people. Simpson points out that Indians and settler colonialism has not yet been “settled” and should not be regarded as such.

During this time, family members emphasized that understanding and honoring individuals whose lives were cruelly cut short necessitates a detailed accounting of all the ties that molded their loved one's life and that their loved one, in turn, shaped. Throughout the process, public community hearings were held, private statements were collected, expert panels were formed, and written archive records and existing studies on the problem were reviewed. This process aims to find the truth by gathering many stories from many people to have the truths woven together to show the world what violence really looks like for Indigenous women and girls in Canada. The National Inquiry reached out to put families first throughout the process rather than others who hold power, as well as being informed about the trauma encountered and making sure there is no further harm, and decolonizing where in they center Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and doing. The idea of cultural safety emerged from this process as a foundational principle of wellness.

Elliot explains how these communities have accepted but not forgotten the dispossession as many took it upon themselves to recover from the suffering, torture, and dehumanization. Despite the fact that The Indigenous Peoples had already fought enough to the point where there was nothing left in their control to implement, many “decided [they] couldn't let [this] happen again.” (164). Though there is not a simple “solution” for the oppression, Indigenous communities have taken a step forward to reconnect with who they are and take pride. Furthermore, this same occurrence is also portrayed by Arthur Manuel as he emphasizes possible measures to help eliminate the burden of overhead.

Countless numbers of Native individuals are traumatized and their unhealthy mindset and physical traits are typically passed on. Many of these Indigenous people probably do not even realize the harm that their actions cause to their future family members which is one of the root issues that makes people struggle to end the cycle of abuse. Thus, it is important for one to recognize their negative behaviours toward others. Fred mentioned that residential schools were not their fault, “We’re not responsible for what happened to us. None of us are,” (120) which is absolutely true, however, he also said, “But our healing—that’s up to us,” (120) and this further proves that in order to end the cycle of traumas, one should take the initiative.

By embracing this concept, we can work to create a better future for all people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous

Furthermore, the promised reserves were often located in remote and unpleasant areas, far from any sources of water or food. In addition, the promised rights of education, health care, and other services were often not provided, or were provided at a much lower level than promised. “From Confederation to the present day, Indigenous people still fight for the treaties to be honored and have always maintained that the land was never surrendered. The government continues to fight Indigenous communities who claim title to lands that were never surrendered through treaty-making.” This quote by Chief Perry Bellegarde demonstrates how the indigenous people have been targeted for defending their lands and how they continue to fight throughout this struggle.

Hilary Weaver argues in her piece of writing; that identifying indigenous identity is complex, complicated, and hard to grasp when internalized oppression and colonization has turned Native Americans to criticize one another. Throughout the text, Weaver focuses on three main points which she calls, the three facets. Self-identification, community identification, and external identification are all important factors that make up Native American identity. The author uses a story she calls, “The Big game” to support her ideologies and arguments about the issue of identity. After reading the article, it’s important to realize that Native American’s must decide their own history and not leave that open for non-natives to write about.

It weighs heavily on the hearts and minds of Indigenous women, casting a shadow over their daily lives and shaping their interactions with the world. It seeps into their relationships, affecting their ability to trust, to love, and to heal. It stifles their dreams and aspirations, robbing them of the opportunities and resources they need to thrive, let alone just survive. But amidst this darkness, there is resilience, strength, and an unwavering spirit. Indigenous women are reclaiming their voices, their cultures, and their power.

Today in this individual oral, I will explore the global issue of culture, but more specifically, the idea of how the alienation of indigenous people in the modern world. To do this will be looking at two texts examining this concept. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, at the top, there is self-actualization, and all humans are born into a family. Even from the start, we belong somewhere in society, and every family has a heritage. If this bond between our heritage or family has broken, the person will feel isolated and fearful in society.

Losing one’s cultural knowledge, and therefore the reality of their culture, allows others to have control over their collective and individual consciousness as well as their destiny. In this case, it is clear that the United States government has had the dominant relationship over the Native

The summer before eleventh grade, I was given the opportunity to travel to Tsawout, a First Nations reserve situated in Vancouver Island for a week on a short-term missions trip. While assisting to run a camp for the children in the reserve, I was exposed to the mental and emotional burden for those whom had experienced, and were victims of residential schools. Many of the Tsawout Elders witnessed the death of their culture and the brutality these schools wrought on those impacted: families and survivors. The Elders expressed their outrage and past struggles with passion, laying bare their innermost thoughts and ordeals. They challenged me to open my eyes to beyond the reaches of my comfort zone.

Thomas King’s short story “Borders” explores the idea of pride and its power to strengthen the Indigenous identity through the erasure of physical borders. The protagonist’s mother teaches him that he should not have to abide by the physical borders of countries to be living on the land because something as deeply personal as one’s cultural identity is worth more than “a legal technicality” (King 292). Her disregard of the American-Canadian border grants the protagonist the knowledge that when they do not recognize the border, the border will not recognize them. Thomas learns this cultural pride by witnessing his mother's unapologetic display of her Blackfoot identity, discovering the power of resilience and media, and learning the stories of his family and people. These revelations show

Critical Summary #3: First Nations Perspectives In Chapter eight of Byron Williston’s Environmental Ethics for Canadians First Nation’s perspectives are explored. The case study titled “Language, Land and the Residential Schools” begins by speaking of a public apology from former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He apologizes for the treatment of “Indians” in “Indian Residential Schools”. He highlights the initial agenda of these schools as he says that the “school system [was] to remove and isolate [Aboriginal] children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them[…]” (Williston 244).

The colonization of Indigenous peoples has dramatically affected their health, and health-seeking behaviours, in a myriad of ways. The Indian Act of 1876 was, in essence, created to control the Indigenous population. The Indian Act laid out laws and regulations that tightly regulated the lives of natives economically, ideologically, and politically. This included a wealth of ways in which their identities were stripped away, and in which they were taken advantage of by the Government of Canada. This has resulted in a reduced quality of life for Canada 's indigenous population, as well as adverse health problems, and prejudicial perceptions that we still see the impact of today.