Indigenous Studies grade 12

Reserves

Areas of land set aside by the government for Indigenous communities.

Marginalization

The process of pushing a group to the edges of society and limiting their rights, power, and opportunities.

Colonization

The act of one country taking control of another territory and its people.

Assimilation

Forcing a group to abandon their culture and adopt another (usually the dominant one).

Terra Nullius

Latin for "land belonging to no one"—used by colonizers to justify taking Indigenous land by claiming it was "empty."

Fur Trade

A major economic activity where Europeans traded goods (guns, alcohol, metal tools) for furs from Indigenous peoples.

Imperialism

The policy of expanding a country's power by controlling other lands and peoples.

Oral Traditions

Indigenous way of passing down history, laws, and culture through storytelling.

Encomienda

A Spanish system where colonists were given land and Indigenous people to work for them (basically forced labor).

The Great Law of Peace (Haudenosaunee)

The constitution of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, one of the oldest democratic systems in the world.

Intergenerational Trauma

the transmission of historical oppression and its negative consequences across generations

Cultural Appropriation

Appropriation: Taking elements of a culture without understanding or respect (e.g., wearing headdresses as a fashion statement).

Eskimo Identification Tags

Numbered tags given to Inuit people in Canada because the government didn't want to learn their names.

Mursi Lip Plates

A cultural practice of the Mursi tribe in Ethiopia, where women wear lip plates as a symbol of beauty and identity.

South America - Invasion: Christopher Columbus

• 1492: Columbus arrived, claiming land for Spain.

• Enslavement and forced labor of Indigenous peoples under the encomienda system.

• Diseases like smallpox killed up to 90% of the Indigenous population.

• Land and resources stolen, leading to colonial rule over South America.

North America - Early Contact & Colonial Shift

• Fur trade alliances between Indigenous nations and Europeans.

• Early contact was sometimes peaceful but led to conflicts and land loss.

• Shift to colonization: Europeans wanted permanent control, leading to treaties, broken promises, and forced removals

Residential Schools

Children were taken from families and forced to abandon their language, culture, and identity.

The Indian Act

A law that controlled every aspect of Indigenous life (e.g., who could be considered “Indian,” land ownership, cultural practices).

Inuit High Arctic Relocation

• 1950s: Inuit families were forcibly moved to the High Arctic by the Canadian government.

Mursi Tribe (Ethiopia)

• Government and companies push the Mursi off their lands for agriculture and conservation.

• Modern development projects (like tourism and land grabbing) disrupt their traditional way of life.

Threats to Indigenous Groups in the Amazon

Deforestation, illegal mining, and land theft threaten Indigenous communities.

Cultural Appreciation

Appreciation: Respectfully learning about and engaging with a culture (e.g., supporting Indigenous artists).

what is the purpose of the wampum belt?

The wampum belt serves as a record of treaties, agreements, and historical events among Indigenous peoples.

What is the importance of the wampum belt?

The wampum belt is important as it symbolizes the relationship and agreements between Indigenous nations, serving as a visual representation of their history and teachings.

What is important about the Hiawatha Belt?

The Hiawatha Belt is significant as it represents the Iroquois Confederacy and the principles of peace and unity among the Five Nations, serving as a reminder of their collective governance and shared values.

What is the importance of Two Row Wampum belt?

It represents agreements between indigenous peoples and Europeans, showing two distinct ways of life running parallel.

What is the Doctrine of Discovery?

Doctrine of Discovery is justified European claims over indigenous lands.

What was the Royal Proclamation of 1763

They established guidelines for European settlement and Indigenous land rights, recognizing Indigenous power in certain areas.

Indian Act

The Indian Act is a Canadian federal law that governs the relationship between the government and Indigenous peoples, outlining their rights, governance, and status while often imposing restrictions on their autonomy.

What are the common threads in Indigenous world views?

Sacred relationships, Harmony with Nature, Land as Identity

Scared Relationship and its meaning towards Indigenous peoples

The land provides everything needed for survival; food, medicine, shelter and spiritual guidance.

Harmony with Nature - common thread

Indigenous communities often practice sustainable living ensuring that they only take what they need and not what they want.

Land as Identity - Common thread

The land is deeply tied to cultural identity because their land is intact with their languages, diverse nations and way of life, when they were removed from their lands they lost no just their homes bu also a vital part of their identity.

How did Colonial Practices Impact Indigenous peoples?

Forced assimilation, Abuse and Trauma, Intergenerational Truama.

what happened during the Colonial Shfit? 1700s-1800s

As more European settlers arrived, indigenous peoples were pushed off their land through war, treaties and government policies.

What impacts did contact and colonization have in the places we now call the Americas?

Residental Schools, Indian Act, Inuit High Artic Relocation, Mursi Tribe, Threats to Amazon Indigenous Groups.

South America invasion - Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus arrival was in 1492 it marked the beginning of European Colonization in South America and the Caribbean.

What did Christopher Columbus’s Arrival lead to?

it lead towards Mass deaths (diseases)

Forced labor and slavery (Encomienda System)

Loss of land (Spanish settlers imperialized indigenous land)

What were the impacts of Residential schools 1800s-1996

• Cultural Genocide

• Physical & Emotional Trauma

• Family Separation

• Loss of Identity

What were the Indian Act Impact (1876 - Present Canada)

• Restricted Rights

• Enforced Assimilation

• Woman’s righs being discriminated

What were the Inuit High Arctic Relocation Impacts?

• Forced Displacement

• Harsh Living Conditions

• Emotional & Cultrual loss

What was the interference with the Mursi Tribe of Ethopia?

• Land Disruption

• Tourist Exploitation

• Loss of Cultural identity

What were the Threats given to the Indigenous groups in the Amazon?

• Deforestation

• Forced Relocation