Cultural ethos and perspectives are key tenets in the reflection of humankind. The history of any segment of society can be written from the myriads of perspectives. Vital information about a group can be obtained from knowledgeable people, history books and of course the internet.
Information on the culture, social organization, and architectural contributions of a given group of people are among the main themes that can be used to construct their history. Being a linguistic expert of a community that needs to be studied is also a crucial requirement before writing the history of a group.
Is it true that the First Nations did not create a lasting impression in the early history of Canada? The social life of the First Nations was painted in a bad light as judged from most of the written historical sources. Some historians such as G.F.G Stanely even described the First Nations as primitive people. When the history of a large group of people is constructed from a subjective point of view, it becomes difficult to understand their actual socio-economic and political structures.
Some sections of literature also argue that the First nation families were an organized group of people even though they lacked a coercive political authority. The political sphere of the First Nation was mainly comprised of women bearing in mind that social concerns were the epitome of society. In my opinion, the positions held by women in the political structure of this group was the main reason behind the negative connotations used in history.
Between the 13th and 14th centuries, close to half a million First Nations people had a pre-contract with Canada. They were spread across the country. As a result, they had a lot of influence. Even though some of them were economically weak due to a nomadic lifestyle, it cannot be concluded that the First Nation people were primitive. The hunting and gathering lifestyle was probably the reason why most historians categorized the First Nation people as under civilized.
It is also vital to mention that substantial changes were observed among the First Nation people in regards to social policies and the interests of the society. Although the latter took place after vast interaction with the Europeans, it seems that a new form of civilization among the First Nation people was injected by the Canadians contrary to what is stated in some history books.
In any case, I understand that the ancient colonial settlements in Canada essentially survived as a result of the First Nation people. In the case of the early settlers, it is clearly understood that they enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with the First Nation people. This implied that both of the groups benefited immensely from each other. I tend to believe that the early settlers managed to survive in the new environment owing to the assistance derived from the First Nation people.
Perhaps, we may easily be compelled to conclude that the primitive nature of the First Nation people was cultivated by the harsh and degrading laws from the colonizers. After European settlers found their way into the lands of the First Nation people, tougher administrative laws were adopted.
These laws were punitive to the indigenous populations. Consequently, they were made slaves in their land. Reserves were specifically meant to resettle the First Nation people as part and parcel of isolating them from the lucrative economic regions. I hold the view that the state of social degradation experienced by the First Nations significantly led to social degradation that most historians later referred to as primitivism.
In a quick rejoinder though, we also need to appreciate the fact that the early European settlers brought vital and progressive changes in the life of the First Nation people. As much as this social group was subjugated after the establishment of reserves, the European settlers were keen with economic development. In any case, the modern day land that was initially occupied by the First Nation people has flourished owing to the activities of the settlers.
I can also emphatically assert that the Canadian government failed in its mandate to protect and safeguard the welfare of the First Nation people. It can be recalled that this ignorance took place shortly after the inception of the reserves. It became impossible for the First Nation people to advance economically owing to the inactive nature of the Canadian government.
It is disheartening to learn that the basic rights of the First Nation people were systematically ignored until the early 1970s when the situation began to change gradually. Such a scenario is common across the globe especially among communities that have been labeled as minorities. Social justice is hardly preferred for small segments of the national population.
On a final note, I feel that several elite historians were never fair when documenting the history of the First Nation people. As already mentioned above, this group was referred to as a primitive lot in historical literature. Whereas they practiced peasantry, hunting, and gathering, they did not qualify to be graded as the most barbaric people in society.