Introduction
Canada is a country with a positive image in the world due to its high standards of living and democratic values. When I came here, I could experience the benefits of living in this amazing place with its people who are so open and kind. Clearly, I knew that Canada, as well as any other country in both Americas, has certain issues related to Aboriginal peoples, but I never actually thought about the matter. I did not think that the situation was quite similar to the one in the USA, where the tension between Native people and Europeans has always been considerable. The videos I watched made me change the way I saw the relationships between Europeans and Aboriginal peoples in Canada and understood the peculiarities of their cultures, issues, and existing stereotypes.
Before Watching
Being a new citizen in Canada, I have to base my understanding of Aboriginal people on some general and well-known facts that are usually prejudiced and stereotyped. Indigenous people are the first inhabitants of the land who determined values, cultures, and language. They should have strong characters and the power of the will because their intention was not only to build a new community but to strive for their existence in the natural world and the world reshaped by other nations.
These people shared a hunter-gatherer style of life to survive and find food or other resources. At the same time, their cultural preferences integrate respect for nature and their religious beliefs.
In addition to the establishment of cultural needs and interests, Aboriginal people are involved in the discussion of existing social issues and concerns. One of the major expected questions is the ability of the Aboriginals to struggle against oppression that is developed by other nations. Injustice, human rights violations, and inequality bother Indigenous people in a variety of ways. It becomes hard for this group of individuals to find out their identities and recognize their opportunities within the region. Inequality and injustices are signs of potential poverty and problematic health issues. Finally, even employment barriers challenge the chosen group because of misunderstandings, racism, and other forms of discrimination.
As well as any inhabitants, Aboriginals may face a variety of positive and negative stereotypes. On the one hand, Ingenious Canadians are defined as spiritual experts and nature-loving citizens. These ideas came from movies, books, and current traditions preferred by Canadians.
Such interests enhance a positive and kind attitude toward Aboriginals and their role in the country. On the other hand, some people consider the lives of Indigenous people as wild Indians with harsh behaviors and violent relationships. These stereotypes are rooted in the necessity to struggle for their existence and prove their rights. Although such prejudice results in the creation of ambiguous feelings, it helps to understand the idea of Aboriginal life in Canada.
After Watching
During the course, I made a decision to watch several documentaries to strengthen my ideas about Aboriginal people and their relationships with Europeans. The choice of these resources is explained by the possibility to watch and learn the facts that have been gathered through time. Many people find it enough to read some information about different nations or watch pictures. My goal is to learn through observation and understand why Canada remains one of the most fabulous countries. Such movies like Kuper Island: Return to the Healing Circle, Whose Land Is It Anyway?, and We Were Children introduce a clear picture of the life of Aboriginals in Canada and their experiences after Europeans invaded the land.
After watching the chosen movies, I got a great opportunity to learn more about the true relationships between Aboriginals and Europeans. It was predicted that the latter deceived and abused indigenous people, as well as simply took away their lands. The scale of this deceit and hypocrisy is rather frustrating as people were simply deprived of their homes and the resources they could use to prosper.
To make the matter worse, Europeans utilized really terrible methods to assimilate Aboriginal peoples, which is the darkest aspect of the entire issue. Residential schools established for indigenous youth were, in many cases, the places of physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual abuse. Those crimes have to be properly investigated, and offenders should be punished as victims were children whose whole life was affected due to the scars they received in those schools.
In fact, I did not know about the conditions under which Aboriginal children had to study in residential schools. The movies show that those who experienced the hard times at Kuper Island were not angry or cruel but devastated from violence and injustice of Europeans.
I always thought that Europeans were absolutely evil and perfidious conquerors in the vast majority of cases. I knew it was hard for indigenous people to get over the past as they had to give away the most valuable gift they had been given centuries ago. However, the videos made me feel the pain and understand the chasm between Aboriginal people and Europeans. They lost their land, they are still in danger of losing their roots and identities, and they also had painful childhood experiences due to the cruelty many white people displayed.
This information reshaped the stereotypes and issues like violence, injustice, and poverty that have already been discussed in this paper. Now, I understand that Aboriginal people have no other choice but accept European standards due to their supreme powers and attitudes. Cruel behaviors and alienation were the results of unfair European treatment and the desire to get what they did not actually have.
Nevertheless, I believe that the bridges can emerge, and the two rival camps can learn how to live in peace. The success stories of Aboriginal people are inspiring since they have been able to stand for their land and their rights. They have been capable of setting successful businesses, which made them empowered. Some Canadian indigenous people cannot collaborate or even interact with Europeans due to the wounds mentioned above. Others stress that although collaboration is not always free from resentment or hostility, it paves the way for the development of Aboriginal peoples who can, finally, become successful in their own land.
Conclusion
I would like to emphasize that my perspective regarding Aboriginal people in Canada is different now. The videos informed me about the atrocities of the past, which made me understand the reasons for the tension between Europeans and Native people. One of the ideas mentioned in the videos was specifically insightful. Aboriginal people were ready to share the land as there was (and there still is) quite vast vacant territories in Canada.
However, it is also true that Europeans abused indigenous people’s kindness and trust by taking the best areas and the most valuable resources. At the same time, I think the solution can be found if people from the two camps start collaborating and communicating effectively. Canada has substantial resources that have been accumulated due to the unfairness of the crown. Therefore, it is time to invest a part of this wealth in solving the issue, which will be beneficial for the entire nation because Aboriginal people and Europeans will be able to work and create together.