Introduction
It is worth noting that in Canada, rights violations and abuse of Aboriginal women are gaining increasing attention. Moreover, the murder of indigenous women in this country has become systematic in character. The population of Canada is requesting the government to engage in investigations and take active measures to prevent these incidences from reoccurring. The purpose of this paper is to review the article by Anita Olsen Harper, which discussed whether Canada is a safe place for aboriginal women.
Author Background
The author of the article is a researcher and a member of the Lac Seul First Nation. Being raised “on the traditional territories of the Anishinaawpe people”, she can understand and relate to the experience of aboriginal women (Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative, 2019, para. 1). Anita is a person with an active position, who is trying to address such issues as the omission of formal education, which affects many aspects of human life (Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative, 2019). She also raises the awareness of people in terms of the unequal access of aboriginal women to employment opportunities, their exclusion from social or political life, and cases of abuse against them. The author of the article also attracts attention to the health disparities observed among local communities of Canada and represents indigenous people in several organizations (Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative, 2019). Anita participates in various research and social projects aimed at improving the way indigenous people and women, in particular, are treated in different aspects of life, including political, social, education spheres, and healthcare.
Summary
According to the article, aboriginal women in Canada face numerous limitations and inequalities. Their human rights are violated on different levels, including the institutional one. The writing opens up with the discussion of the fact that there is a gap in legislation due to which spouses do not have the right to an equal division of matrimonial property. The complexity of the situation lies in the fact that Canada-wide legislation does not apply to “lands reserved for Indians” (Harper, 2006, p. 33). As a result, aboriginal women and their children are forced to leave their homes and seek adequate housing somewhere else, relying on their own effort.
Historically, aboriginal women were not represented properly in Canadian society, which resulted in their exclusion from many significant aspects of life (Harper, 2006). Women were viewed as inferior to men and represented as sexually available to white settlers, which caused a dramatic shift in the way indigenous women were treated (Harper, 2006). Traditional values promoted by aboriginal females were distorted and diminished and replaced with the views of women as inferior to white men and as those who should be submissive and may be treated as property.
Apart from that, the author of the article stresses that women were politically and socially marginalized historically, which resulted in the fact that they have become subjects of hatred and harassment (Harper, 2006). Apart from unequal rights due to inadequate legislation, racist and sexist views of aboriginal women led to the fact that they are frequent victims of sexual and other forms of physical and psychological violence. Harper stressed that there were numerous cases when aboriginal women were brutalized, raped, killed, or went missing.
Critique
The article draws attention to various fundamental issues, such as gender inequality, insufficient protection of certain population groups, unequal access to employment opportunities, poor housing, lack of access to education, and so on. Moreover, the author emphasizes the complexity of the issue through the example of the missing and murdered Aboriginal women (Harper, 2006). The article covered the important topic that, despite the evidence and the fact that many women went missing in suspicious circumstances, most cases remain uninvestigated.
Aboriginal women make up only a small portion of the Canadian population, and Indians make up the majority of the indigenous population. The article emphasizes the plight of Aboriginal people who live in poverty and poor housing conditions, cannot get access to the educational system and stay employed for years (Harper, 2006). One of the most important remarks of the author is that the complexity of the situation is evident, and the conservative government of the country calls for tougher penalties for serious crimes. Nevertheless, the authorities reject initiatives for an additional investigation of the facts. Despite the depth of the research conducted by the author of the article, the conclusions could be reinforced significantly through detailed statistics, extracts from credible resources, and so on. The author generalized her point of view based on facts; however, it is not clear enough whether the evidence she used was exhaustive.
Concluding Points
Thus, it can be concluded that the article by Harper provides an insightful discussion of the situation in which aboriginal women are living and functioning in Canada. Although this country is characterized by quite high standards of living, the indigenous people face pronounced limitations and inequalities. The article brings to the forefront the fact that, even though the society and the government are aware of the situation, no effective measures have been taken.
References
Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative. (2019).Anita Olsen Harper. Web.
Harper, A. O. (2006). Is Canada peaceful and safe for Aboriginal women? Canadian Woman Studies/Les Cahiers de la Femme, 25(1,2), 33-38.