Timeline: Aboriginal Rights

Timeline:

Aboriginal Rights in Canada

By: Andy Tam

1969:

The White Paper

1950:

The Right to Vote

1876:

Enactment of the Indian Act

1975:

James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement

• The White Paper was estabilished by Trudeau in order to address systemic inequalities between the Aboriginals
• Was intended to replace the Indian Act
• Create equality through assimilation
• Treating Aboriginals the same as everyone else
• Meant to terminate treaties
• Terminate Aboriginal Land Claims
• White paper was abandoned later, Aboriginals saw it as an attack on their identity

Allows the government to control most aspects of Aboriginal Rights

• Indian Status
• Land
• Resources
• Education
• The Inuit and Metis were not governed by this law

Aimed to assimilate First Nations

• People who earned a university degree would lose Indian status
• This also applied to women who married non status men

Residential Schools created to assimilate First Nations childrens

• Abuse
• Forgotten culture and language
• Poor conditions

• The Inuit and Cree people in Northern Quebec were given $225 million and hunting and fishing rights as a result to surrenduring their lands to the provincial government
• Quebec wanted large portions of the land for the purpose of building hydroelectric dams

• In 1958 James Gladstone became the first Native senator
• In 1960, non-enfranchised Aboriginals were allowed to vote in federal elections

1985:

Bill C-31

1982:

Constitution Act

1987-1992:

Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords

2007:

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• This bill was introduced as an amendment to the Indian Act

• It officially provided Indian Status to:
• The Metis
• All enfranchised aboriginals living off reserve land
• All Aboriginal women who had lost their status by marrying a non-Aboriginal man

• Section 25 of the charter of rights guaranteed the rights and freedoms of all Aboriginals.

• Section 35 also provides constitutional protection to the Aboriginal and treaty rights of Aboriginal people in Canada

• Meech Lake accord was meant to gain acceptance of Quebec
• Aboriginals were upset because it perpetuated that the english and the french were the founding nations in Canada
• Fear of reduced services available to Aboriginals
• Aboriginal MLA's were able to prevent this accord from being enacted
• In 1992, the Charlottetown Accord was created. It was also meant to gain Quebec's acceptance under the constitution. However, the federal government also listened to Aboriginal requests.
• Inherent right to self-government
• Recognition of Aboriginal government
• Senate representation

• Adopted by general assembly on September 13th 2007
• 144 states in favour
• 4 states against (Canada was one of them)
• 11 Abstains
• The declaration was not legally binding
• Declaration sets a standard for survival, rights and well being for the Indigenous people
• Outlaws discrimination against indigenous people
• Addresses cultural and Identity rights
• Canada later switched sides to supporting the declaraction as a non legally binding document