SOCIOL 2UU3 midterm

modules 1-5, study material only

settler colonialism (Wolfe)

a structure not an event, it’s an ongoing process (operating through laws, policies, and culture) where a structure of colonialism is formed in society that privileges certain groups and destabilizes others

contact hypothesis (Denis)

when 2 groups come in contact w ea other over a sustained period of time, the initial stereotypes that have formed will eventually be alleviated

contemporary Indigenous-Canada relations

• treaty making (1600-now)

• restrictive policies (Indian Act 1876)

• reconciliation (TRC Calls to Action in 2015, PM Trudeau’s commitment to reconciliation 2015)

• 231 Calls to Justice

Canada’s Dark Side

summarizes policy and social movements in history and present (ie. Idle No More, Indian Act, residential schools, TRC, 94 calls to action in 2015) of Indigenous-Canada relations, the interventions Indigenous ppl have made to the status quo of Indigenous-Canada relations

Wab Kinew’s 5 things we need to stop saying about Indigenous People

talks abt stereotypes that ppl have of Indigenous ppl; the underlying truth is that Indigenous ppl need the funding from gov bc their pop is equivalent to a province yet they receive less, they just want to remember/also want Canada to remember what has been done to their ppl, and are still waiting for the Canadian gov to deliver promises made in treaties which involves sharing the land w Indigenous ppl

Denis’s study

recent study on Jackpine (small pulp-and-paper mill town) where sustained contact between Indigenous peoples and whites has been present, ultimately concluded that racial stereotypes about Indigenous peoples continue to persist, and that the perception of racial superiority among whites remains dominant   

key finding of Denis’s study

contact reduces old-fashioned prejudice (overt hostility, crude stereotypes) but does not remove whites' sense of group superiority or support for unequal policies. 

Deloria’s “Vanishing Indian”

there’s this desire to capture it, less advanced societies should disappear in the presence of more advanced societies

how is the “Vanishing Indian” operationalized in Parker’s work? what is it manufactured by?

a deliberate, ongoing policy outcome caused by gov choices—a social and psychological condition produced by white conquest, not a natural fate 

• 3 gov policies: extermination in the early colonial period, segregation in the reservation era, and absorption (Dawes Act of 1887 - to make them “citizens”)

Wilson’s 5 stages of Aboriginal-centered research in the academy

• terra Nullius phase

• traditionalizing phase

• assimilationist phase

• early aboriginal research phase

• recent aboriginal research phase

terra nullius phase (1700-1900)

Aboriginal research was contextualized by imperial desires to control land

• characterized Indigenous ppl as “sub-human” to help normalize the removal of Indigenous ppl from land

traditionalizing phase (1900-1940)

cont’d the discourse that Aboriginal ppls were subhuman, eugenics + “noble savage stereotype

assimilationist phase (1940-1970)

research transitioned from a focus on physical characteristics to the identification of social and kinship structures

• advanced the “preservation” of a vanishing race

• research dedicated to providing to solutions to “Aboriginal problems.”

• during this, Aboriginal research becomes increasingly popular and profitable for both businesses and academics

early Aboriginal research phase (1970-1990s)

Aboriginal researchers began to emerge, but Aboriginal-focused research continued on a trajectory of welfarist research, with subject matter focusing on linguistics, religion, education and health. Academics, professionals, and researchers in this phase were seen as the mediators of Aboriginal dependency.

recent Aboriginal research phase (1900s-2000s)

the emergence of Indigenist research, wherein space for more collaborative research begins to take hold

indigenist phase (now)

Indigenous ways of knowing are being significantly integrated into Indigenous-based research. Further, Indigenous Studies as a discipline is gaining momentum in the academy, as are Indigenous scholars within this field.

damage-centered research (Eve Tuck)

documenting the pain or loss in an individual, community, or tribe; a way to center Indigenous ways of knowing and epistemologies in order to understand Indigenous ppl and societies

• goal is to hold those accountable and win resources or reparations

“amodern” narrative

the idea that Indigenous ppl must be dependent on settler colonialism to achieve their own salvation and civility

political mobilization

the 60s and 70s Indigenous ppl and lobbyist groups in both Canada and US

• Canada: organizing against White Paper policy that would assimilate First Nations into all Canadians, risking treaty obligations and land reserved for Indigenous ppl

• White Paper thrown out 1970, increase in activism led to formation of orgs such as National Indian Brotherhood

• 1982: Constitution recognizes and affirms Aboriginal and treaty rights (section 35)

Idle No More movement

movement began in 2012, in response to Bill C-45 under Harper gov that violated treaty held lands under Navigable Waters Act.

• had a national and international response by activists, politicians, and academics

report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal ppl

400 recommendations on how to right the relationship w Indigenous ppl

epistemology

the theoretical structure of how we come to know things. More specifically, it contains theories and methods for how we come to have a justified belief about a thing that extends beyond just an opinion.

• the study of how we can accumulate knowledge to understand this “stuff.”

ontology

study of the nature of the thing itself, and can relate to a material thing or an event

• the study of “stuff” of the world

what does it mean when someone says indigenous methodologies are highly relational?

ontological and epistemological commitments within Indigenous methodologies must include this. This is between people, between people and communities, or between people and other-than-humans; and crucially, this determines how knowledge is gained and/or created.

• esp important for researchers who may have kinship w the communities they are working in

• knowledge is always this, it never changes when researcher is involved

OCAP principles

establish how First Nations’ data and information will be collected, protected, used, or shared

Absolon’s flower analogy

the relationship between the researcher and Indigenous knowledge is like the growth of a flower (roots, flower center, leaves, steam, petals, environment)

roots

these contain the foundational elements of how to begin with an Indigenous methodology, including the grounding of an Indigenous ethos, paradigms, and worldviews.

flower center

the self as central to research—that is, the researcher must situate themselves in the research (social location [Indigenous, non-Indigenous?], motivations, responsibilities).

leaves

the journey, process, and transformation. Research processes cause transformation of both the researcher and the peoples and/or communities being researched.

stem

the methodological backbone and supports. Indigenous methodologies help to write and re-write the telling of our histories and realities—they help to steer the research process.

petals

the diverse ways of searching for knowledge. Indigenous methodologies have particular protocols, as well as linguistic and cultural traditions—this depends on the Indigenous community and/or nation.

environment

Be aware of the academic context around your research and be prepared that your research may be received harshly or antagonistically. 

ownership

a community or group owns information collectively in the same way that an individual owns his or her personal information

control

First Nations, their communities, and representative bodies are within their rights to seek control over all aspects of research and information management processes that impact them.

access

First Nations must have access to information and data about themselves and their communities regardless of where it is held

possession

the physical control of the data, by which ownership can be asserted and protected