NBE Key Terminology - "Micro" Terms (SHOULD Know)

Cultural Appropriation

Using or borrowing elements (e.g. symbols, artwork, practices, etc.) of a marginalized culture without the permission of that culture.

What is appropriated loses its cultural significance and is reduced to “exotic” fashion or toys by members of the dominant culture.

Cultural appropriation is harmful, diminishes the elements of the culture that are appropriated, and continues the oppression of the marginalized groups.

Environmental Stewardship

A responsible approach to the natural environment that balances protection, preservation, and conservation efforts with other human activities.

First Nations

The term used to refer to the original inhabitants of Canada, except Inuit.

The term came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the word “Indian”, which many found offensive.

The term “First Nation” has been adopted to replace the word “band” in the names of communities.

Genocide

Deliberate actions of a nation or group of people to exterminate another nation or group.

The Indian Act

The Federal law that regulates Indians and reserves and sets out certain federal government powers and responsibilities regarding First Nations and their reserved lands.

The first Indian Act was passed in 1876.

Since then, the act has undergone numerous amendments, revisions, and re-enactments.

Inuit

Original inhabitants of northern Canada, living mainly in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, northern Quebec, and northern Labrador.

The word means “the people” in the Inuit language of Inuktitut.

Inuit are not covered by the Indian Act. The federal government has entered into several major land claim settlements with Inuit.

Metis

People of mixed First Nations and European ancestry.

The Metis history and culture draw on diverse ancestral origins, such as Scottish, Irish, French, Ojibwe, and Cree.

Non-Status

Commonly used to refer to individuals to identify themselves as “Indians” and who may be members of a First Nation, but who are not entitled to inclusion on the Indian Register pursuant to the Indian Act.

Powwow

A spiritual and social gathering that takes place among First Nations, and includes songs, dances, rituals, ceremonies, and/or competitions.

In Canada, powwows were outlawed by the federal government from the late nineteenth century until the 1950s.

Revolution/Rebellion

A call to action to protect and defend elements of cultural importance (e.g. land, identity, water, artifacts etc.)

Self-Governance

A system in which a community or nation has the right to govern itself and to control the administration of its land, people, and resources.

Settler

A person who migrates to an area and establishes permanent residence, often displacing Indigenous populations.

Sixties Scoop

The removal, during the 1960s, of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit children from their homes, and their subsequent placement in the foster care system, or in the majority of cases, with non- Indigenous families, without the consent of their parents, guardians, or communities.

Victims of the Sixties Scoop are often referred to as the Stolen Generation.

Social Justice

The idea that there should be a fair and just relationship between the individual and society.

A society that is socially just gives everyone equal access to resources and opportunities, no matter what race, gender, sexuality, etc. they are.

Sovereignty

Independent control or authority over a particular area or territory.

Systemic Discrimination

When the political and social structure of a society embeds discrimination in its laws, policies, and social institutions.

Treaty

A treaty is a formal agreement made between the Government of Canada, Indigenous groups and often provinces and territories that define ongoing rights and obligations on all sides.

Turtle Island

For some Indigenous peoples, Turtle Island refers to the continent of North America.

The name comes from various Indigenous oral histories that tell stories of a turtle that holds the world on its back.

For some Indigenous peoples, the turtle is therefore considered an icon of life, and the story of Turtle Island consequently speaks to various spiritual and cultural beliefs.

Two-Spirited

An Indigenous person who possesses both a masculine and feminine spirit.

The term can also be used to identify gender, sexual, and spiritual identities outside of traditional Western definitions and binaries.