The White Paper’s Political Resurgence for First Nations:
The White Paper brought into Canadian history by the Federal Government in 1969 stands as a turning point for Indigenous activism and the political renaissance in Canada. First and foremost, included in the objectives of the White Paper was the dismantling of the Indian Act and ensuring the integration of Indigenous peoples into mainstream Canada. However, it was opposed by all Indigenous communities across the country two years after it was proposed by the Government of Canada (1969). In contrast to the initial goal of unity, the paper born a swell of Indigenous resistance, which flooded communities with a fierce determination to oppose the government policies that threatened their cultural heritage, land ownership, and self-rule. Such opposition resulted in a single voice opposing the recommendations of the Government, and organizations like the National Indian Brotherhood were instrumental in making sure that this unified front was operational and the Indians’ demands on treaty rights and self-determination were being articulated (Miller, 2000). Despite the Government’s attempt to maintain control, the failure of the White Paper has become a symbol of the endurance of Indigenous peoples and a source of a broader national discourse about Indian rights and reconciliation. This discourse would eventually lead to the ongoing struggles for recognition and self-determination.
Achieving Self-Government after “Dancing Around the Table”:
The film “Dancing Around the Table” (1987) by the National Film Board of Canada films contrasts Indigenous self-government within First Nations as the primary means to address, solve and navigate the various challenges facing these communities. At the core of securing self-government is the power relinquishing to Indigenous communities in charge of administering their affairs, ranging from education, healthcare, and economic development based on Indigenous values and traditions (National et al. of Canada, 1987; Global News, 2019). Building on this, advanced work involves collaborative approaches to facilitate partnerships between Indigenous leadership, governmental agencies and community stakeholders, fostering sustainable self-governing institutions (Global News, 2019). By trekking back to the authority of their lands and resources, Indigenous communities can shade in their independence and make up for the historical injustices, consequently embarking on a journey to choice (Global News, 2019). In the same way, the administration systems’ improvement and enhancement of the Indigenous peoples’ capacity development form significant approaches that should be given more attention to promoting real self-government, not only Indigenous rights but also reconciliation in Canada.
The Department of Indian Affairs and Indigenous Women’s Issues:
The Department of Indian Affairs, as covered most comprehensively in CBC News [2020] and Indigenous Services Canada (n.d.) reports, has been fully acknowledged as a leading perpetrator of the Indigenous women’s marginalization and vulnerability crisis, and has, to a great extent, contributed to the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). Policy-making, like the enactment of the Indian Act and setting up the residential school system, has profoundly and adversely disrupted indigenous family and community structures and shaken the traditional cultural concepts of gender (CBC News, 2020; Indigenous et al.). That is why Aboriginal women experience poverty, violence and discrimination within Canadian society out of proportion with other social groups (CBC News, 2020; Indigenous et al.). On the other hand, the Indian Act provisions regarding status and membership have also increased inequality, which further burden Indigenous families generation by generation (Indigenous et al.). In addition, from time to time, police, as well as justice systems, are prone to institutional failures, which result in cases of MMIW being inadequately investigated or completely ignored, which ultimately creates the loop of abuse of law and impunity (Indigenous et al.; CBC News, 2020). Curing the roots of violence against Indigenous women has to involve fully effective incorporation of the attitudes and respect of different stakeholders, including politicians, Indigenous peoples, and support service providers; it also requires the modification of the social, economic, and political systems that contributed to the vulnerability of Indigenous women.
References:
CBC News: The National. (2020, June 26). Sixties scoop survivors receive first settlement cheques [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/czMNeOvbOyk
Global News. (2019, June 27). Metis in Canada granted the right to self-governance [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/IBuu2AjtwTM
Government of Canada. (1969). Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian Policy, 1969. Retrieved from https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2020/aanc-inac/R32-70-1969-eng.pdf
Indigenous Services Canada. (n.d.). Indigenous Services Canada. Retrieved from https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/
Miller, J.R. (2000). Skyscrapers Hide the Heavens: A History of Indian-White Relations in Canada (3rd ed.)—University of Toronto Press.
National Film Board of Canada. (1987). Dancing Around the Table, Part Two [Film]. National Film Board of Canada. https://www.nfb.ca/film/dancing_around_the_ta
National Film Board of Canada. (1987). Dancing Around the Table, Part Two [Film]. National Film Board of Canada. https://www.nfb.ca/film/dancing_around_the_ta
Wolf Collar, L. P. (2020). First Nations self-government: 17 roadblocks to self-determination, and one chief’s thoughts on solutions. Brush Education.
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