Kin 306 - Introduction to Course

Public Health Agency of Canada (determinants)

1) income and social status
2) employment/working conditions
3) education and literacy
4) childhood experiences
5) physical environments
6) social supports and coping skills
7) healthy behaviours
8) access to health services
9) biology and genetic endowment
10) gender
11) culture
12) race/racism

determinants of health

- understanding of health (and wellness) are often dominated by individualistic and biomedical approaches to medicine (idea that we can fix it based on a check-list)
- consideration for the social determinants of health provides greater perspective to consider health inequities (how we're socialized into health)

full range of health determinants

- three key points
1) colonialism needs to be fully accounted for as a significant determinant of health
2) social determinants of health impact Indigenous peoples in unique ways (and thus should be considered independently of general social determinants of health discussions in a way that prioritizes Indigenous knowledges, experiences and voices)
3) much research/writing about determinants of health and Indigenous peoples continues to be carried out by non-Indigenous peoples (should be in partner with Indigenous people)

cultural competence

- focused on outcomes; mastery of knowledge
- pertains to learned knowledges and skillsets needed to manage cross-cultural relationships
- suggests that learning is finite
- can cause prejudice
- does not consider personal experiences
- often "pan-indigneization"

cultural humility

- process-oriented approach (not start and end, only a start and continuation)
- takes into consideration who you are, your experiences, how you live the world, and how you view the world through your own identity (self-reflexiveness)
- requires humility
- considers power imbalances; seek to develop mutually beneficial partnerships
- posits that learning is a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique (it's okay to be wrong, but not purposely racist)

indigenous peoples

- a collective term for the original peoples of North America and their descendants
- lived in Canada long before this country was formed

Section 35

- recognizes three groups of "aboriginal peoples of Canada"
- First Nations (legally identified as Indian), Inuit, and Metis peoples of Canada
- three distinct peoples with unique histories, languages, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs
- great diversity within groups

first nations, inuit, and metis

- the three main groups of peoples who are the traditional inhabitants of this land, Turtle Island
- significant cultural differences influences greatly by the regions occupied between the three groups:

First Nations

- historically lived and many continue to live on Turtle Island, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and below the Arctic oceans

Inuit

- historically lived and many continue to live along the coastal edge and on the islands of Turtle Island's far north

metis

- were descendants of First Nations of Europeans

the first peoples

- many Nations and communities have names for themselves and neighbours
- names hold lots of meaning, including serving as a communication tool - names can identify where a group is located and contain important information about that place
- names tended to be closely linked to the land, location people came from, food they ate, or specific behaviours
- with arrival of settlers, many names were changed to suit settler needs

Indigenous

- often refers to the original peoples of the land
- peoples who originate from their ancestral lands and are connected to their cultural heritage and community

aboriginal

- legal term in Canada, referring to First Nations (status and non-status Indians), Metis, and Inuit peoples as defined in Canada's Constitution Act

1.67

More than __.___ million people in Canada identify as Indigenous
- 4.9% of the population

Indigenous Peoples in Canada

- communities defined not only by geographic locations, but also larger networks that link people together
- may be geographically dispersed yet strongly connected through sense of belonging
- Indigenous communities can be (and often are) in rural and urban contexts (rural = reserve communities)

Turtle Island

- the original name of Canada made by the Indigenous peoples
- named from the shape of the land

1857

What year was the Gradual Civilization Act passed to encourage assimilation of Indigenous peoples to Euro-Canadian values?

1869

- What year did the Red River Resistance lead to the formation of provisional Metis government and negotiated entry of Manitoba into the Confederation?

1871

When was the Treaty 2 first signing?

1874

When was the Treaty 4 first signed?

1875

When was the Treaty 5 first signed?

1876

When was the Treaty 6 first signed?

1876 (Act)

When was the Indian Act is passed on the premise that economic, social, and political regulation of First Nations peoples (and lands) would facilitate assimilation

1883

When did the Prime Minister John A. MacDonald authorizes the creation of Residential Schools to force Indigenous children to assimilate to Euro-Canadian culture and practices?

1885

When was the North-West Resistance led by Louis Riel to protect the rights of Metis peoples (he was compared and executed)?

1899

When was Treaty 8 first signed?

1906

When was the Treaty 10 first signed?

1939

When did the Inuit peoples become "Indian" under S. 91 (24) of the Constitution Act 1867

1982 (Section 35)

When was the Canadian Constitution is patriated, and thanks to the advocacy of Indigenous peoples, Section 35 recognizes and affirms Aboriginal title and Treaty rights?

1982 (Assembly of First Nations)

When was the Assembly of First Nations formed out of the National Indian Brotherhood to promote the interests of First Nations in the realm of self-government, respect for Treaty rights, education, health, land, and resources

1983

When was the Metis National Council founded?

1996

When was the final report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples is published, recommending a published, recommending a pubic inquiry into the effects of Residential Schools and calls for improved relations between governments, Indigenous peoples, and non-Indigenous Canadians

2015

When did the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission issues its final report, documenting the experiences of ~ 150,000 Residential School students and survivors?

2016 (2007 UN)

When did Canada officially sign the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which recognizes Indigenous peoples' rights to self-determination, cultural practices, land, and security?

2016 (Metis)

When did Metis become "Indians" under s.91 (24) of the Constitution Act 1867, as part of the SCC findings in Daniels v. Canada?

treaties

- constitutionally recognized agreements between the Crown and Indigenous peoples
- legally binding agreements
- most describe exchanges where Indigenous nations agree to share some interests in their ancestral lands in return for various payments and promises
- the 11 numbered treaties occurred between 1871-1921
- Crown viewed them as massive and complete land surrender brining Indigenous peoples under Crown law

treaty 6

- signed in 1876 at Fort Carlton and Fort Putt by Cree, Assiniboine, and Ojibwa leaders and Crown representatives

numbered treaties (indigenous)

- agreements made between sovereign nations
- shared usage, rights, and responsibility for the lands (rather than complete surrender of the land)
- sacred covenants

land acknowledgements

- more common, especially in urban spaces
- recognition of reconciliation
- emphasize continuous Indigenous presence
- caution to not become formulaic "box ticks"
- what needs to be done once we're aware of Indigenous spaces and presence?