Summary
The fight for self-rule and sovereignty among the aboriginals in Canada has been going on for several years. The fight originated from the experience and perceptions of social, economic, and political discrimination and marginalization among the indigenous groups in Canada. These experiences comprised of conceptions that the federal government discriminates against the aboriginals in delivery of services and focused on the foreigners.
This discrimination led to underdevelopment in various parts of Canada inhabited by indigenous communities. As a result, the natives suffered in abject poverty because they were unable to access mainstream privileges in social, economic, and political circles. In addition, diseases like tuberculosis and malaria are prevalent in these regions. Due to these experiences, movements like the Brotherhood Movement and International Association of Alberta (IAA) emerged with the intention of fighting for the rights of the marginalized natives in Canadian.
Introduction
Canada is a country in North America, which hosts diverse races from various parts of the world. Over the years, the aboriginal populations have engaged in wars, demonstrations, and political negotiations with the foreign settlers, who are their past colonizers, on matters regarding sovereignty, self-rule, and independence. Aboriginal ethnicities of Canada have often used civil rights groups and treaties to fight for their freedom and sovereignty (Ladner 231). The fight for freedom and the improvement of living standards has not yielded much development, as per the expectations of the aboriginal populations. Therefore, the paper analyzes the experiences and achievements of the Indian Association of Alberta (IAA), a civil movement in Canada, by focusing on self-rule, good governance, sovereignty, economic rights, and improvement of living standards.
Self-rule
Members of the native communities in Canada believed that the federal republic of Canada exercised poor leadership and had institutionalized discrimination. Therefore, the indigenous communities were compelled to develop movements like the IAA, which advocated for their rights. The main purpose for creating the IAA was to pass their grievances to the federal republic of Canada concerning their experiences of marginalization. According to Sunseri the natives felt that the state had neglected and left them to suffer on their own, and thus, they started fighting for self-rule and leadership (92). The need for self-rule emerged because the indigenous Indian communities wanted to undertake their developments and improve the state of their communities. The movement encountered several challenges because the government exhibited unwillingness and reluctance to empower the natives. Furthermore, the government imposed very strict penalties on civil leaders because they agitate people to fight for their rights.
After several protests and demonstrations, the federal republic of Canada consented to some of the grievances presented by the aboriginal Indian communities living in the country. According to Sunseri, the IAA was useful in expressing the grievances of indigenous communities to the federal government of Canada (34). Some of the amendments that occasioned because of protests and demonstrations include the freedom accorded to the members of native Indian communities to create political organizations and govern themselves through organizations like bands.
Although, the movements yielded some developments, the government of Canada still needs to put extra effort in empowering the marginalized natives to realize their social, economic, and political potentials (Ladner 242) Some of the issues that the IAA campaigned for regarding leadership and self-rule were devolution of powers and duties from the central government to community and provincial levels. The devolution of powers and duties helps the indigenous communities to produce and manage their resources in ways that best develops and improves the state of their communities.
Good Governance
After the Canadian government took over power, the indigenous populations felt that the federal government was sidelining them in several decisions regarding access to basic amenities and resources. Adelson argues that the fight for good governance in Canada started in early 1990s, when the native members of Canada began struggling for equal treatment and resource allocation from the government (13).
Fishing rights and recreational rights such as dancing and meetings were subject to harsh penalties from the federal republic of Canada. As a result, the indigenous members living in Canada started forming movements and associations that would help them voice their concerns to the government. Ladner states that one of the important movement used by the aboriginal communities living in Canada to fight for their rights included the IAA (232) The IAA wanted to address the challenges that many leaders went through in their struggle for good governance from the federal government of Canada. The indigenous people in Canada received harsh treatment from the federal republic, which made some of them to die.
The IAA was a movement formed with the main objective of championing for good governance in government for the native Indian communities living in Canada to benefit. The IAA movement saw the introduction and signing of many treaties between native communities and the federal government of Canada. The signing of these treaties took place after a series of demonstrations and protests made by the indigenous communities. Ladner reports that some of the treaties signed between the aboriginal Indian communities and the federal republic of Canada included the Indian Act and the IAA (233). These treaties advocated for equal and fair treatment of all people living in Canada irrespective of their color, race, or place of origin. In addition, the movements aided the treaties to champion for the acquisition of rights of associations and political developments among the indigenous communities living in Canada.
Economic Rights
Another factor that compelled the native people in Canada to form and use the IAA movement was economic rights, as the aboriginals believed that the federal government deprived them of their economic resources and capacities. Members of the indigenous Indians felt that the Canadian government denied them the right to invest and develop economically (Sunseri 23). The government gave grants or loans used for development for non-native members and left out indigenous members.
Due to this discrimination on issuance of grants or loans, several aboriginal people failed to develop and progress economically. In addition, the government of Canada did very little to develop infrastructure, despite the fact that it is instrumental in the progress and growth of the indigenous areas and communities. Instead, the government focused on infrastructural developments in other areas inhabited by foreign settlers. Some of the factors that demonstrated some form of discrimination on aspects relating to economic development included the discrimination on fishing, which was one of the main economic activities of the native Indian communities
The IAA movement led to a signing of a treaty known as the Indian Association of Alberta. The treaty had its focus on the economic development of the Indians, the natives of Canada, and advocated for the introduction of incentives that would enhance the economic status of the natives. Moreover, the arrest of an individual, David Marshall, for illegal fishing was one of the events that led to demonstrations and protests from the native communities. According to Robert, the effect of discrimination against the members of the indigenous communities dwarfed their economic growth (par. 2). As a result, a significant number of natives still live without clean-piped water, while they are subject to diseases that are prevalent in developing countries yet they are in a developed country. In this view, the economic discrimination was a major issue that the IAA focused in a bid to advocate for the rights of aboriginal communities in Canada.
Sovereignty
The movement sought for an overall independence from the intrusion by other governments or states like Canada and Quebec. The intrusions and invasions by other states or governments affected the overall development of the native communities in Canada. Therefore, the movement had its focus on reducing the level of interference from the federal republic of Canada. Although the fight for overall sovereignty and independence did not yield the expected results, it led to various amendments in the constitution of Canada. The amendments enhanced the recognition of the natives and thus promoted their rights in the face of racial discrimination, which dominated Canada in the early and late parts of the 20th century.
Stonechild explains that the amendments increased the level of freedom that the natives enjoyed (110). The IAA movement was among the movements and organizations that campaigned for freedom and independence of the native communities in Canada. The fight for independence and sovereignty was one of the factors that compelled the federal government of Canada to shelf the discriminating red and white paper.
After independence from colonialism, the indigenous communities living in Canada felt that the federal government was interfering with their activities and infringing on their rights. Therefore, they initiated a movement, which emphasized on achieving objectives and goals of free rule and self-governance (Adelson 13). Owing to the realization that the federal republic of Canada was not engaging in good governance and was discriminating against the natives, the aboriginal communities wanted very little interference from the federal government. The need for self-rule was due to economic, political, and social developments that the indigenous Indian communities wanted in their societies. Hence, the movement was very instrumental alongside other movements like Brotherhood Movement, which had a common objective of attaining freedom and self-rule of the native Indian communities in Canada.
Improvement of Living Standards
The native communities living in Canada felt that the Canadian government was not doing enough to meet their requirements for development. Several people living in these regions still suffer from diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Therefore, it implies that the federal state of Canada is discriminating against the natives because it is not doing enough to improve their living standards. Henderson argues that the movement sought to voice the opinions and grievances of the indigenous Indian communities to the government of Canada with the objective of receiving recognition and equal treatment as the rest of the population (par. 5).
Although, the federal government of Canada took some steps towards achieving improved living standards of the aboriginal communities, it has to undertake a great deal of work to solve the impending crises. The movement also wanted to get solutions concerning the rate at which the government undertook infrastructural developments in regions inhabited by indigenous people compared to other areas occupied by foreign settlers.
Schools, hospitals and other centers that provided social services to the natives in Canada are not well equipped with modern facilities that meet the required standards. As a result, the movement developed by the native people of the Indian communities wanted the government to address the issues and provide a lasting solution (Clement, Will, and Trottier 11). However, the federal republic of Canada discriminated the indigenous communities in the delivery of these social services like hospitals, good roads, and schools. The fact that several people from the aborigine communities could not study in Canada clearly elucidates the presence of discrimination in delivery of social amenities and services.
Until 1951, several members of the indigenous communities could not undertake their university education in Canada, yet they are subject to its rule and leaderships. However, due to the struggles of movements like IAA, the number of students graduating in many universities in the society has increased (Stonechild 109). Discrimination in the delivery of social amenities led to development of movements like the IAA to campaign for the rights of the native communities that live in Canada.
Conclusion
The fight for the sovereignty and self-rule by the indigenous communities such as the Indian communities in Canada has continued for several years. Tribe, band, and federal organizations developed to voice the grievances and complaints of the indigenous communities to the federal government. Initially, the federal government of Canada was unwilling to listen and negotiate with the indigenous Indian communities, but after several protests and demonstrations, they yielded to their demands. To enhance their voice on the federal republic of Canada, the natives created movements like the Brotherhood Movement and the Indian Association of Alberta (IAA). The Indian Association of Alberta was instrumental in advocating for the rights of the indigenous populations of Canada. However, the fight for self-rule and freedom did not yield much, and thus, several native residents of Canada still suffer in abject poverty and underdevelopment.
Works Cited
Adelson, Naomi. ‘Being Alive Well’: Health and the Politics of Cree Well-being. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000. Print.
Clement, Dominique, Silver Will, and Daniel Trottier. The evolution of human rights in Canada. 2012. Web.
Henderson, Phil. The fight to regain indigenous self-determination in Canada. 2014. Web.
Ladner, Kiera. “Aysaka’paykinit : Contesting the Rope around the Nation’s Neck.” Group Politics and Social Movements in Canada. Ed. Miriam Smith. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 227-249. Print.
Stonechild, Blair. The New Buffalo: The Struggle for Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education in Canada. New York: University of Manitoba Press, 2006. Print.
Sunseri, Lina. Being Again of One Mind: Oneida Women and the Struggle for Decolonization. London: UBC Press, 2010. Print.