Indigenous studies 398 final

Land Acknowledgement

A formal statement honoring traditional territory and the Indigenous peoples who have inhabited it since time immemorial.

Goal of Land Acknowledgements

To honor Indigenous peoples and act as a step toward reconciliation by reflecting on shared colonial narratives.

Positionality

The personal values and location in time/space (gender or race or class) that influence how one understands the world.

Relationality

The concept that no person or thing exists in isolation; existence is defined by interconnectedness and being "in relationship".

En'owkin (literal meaning)

An Okanagan word representing liquid being absorbed drop by single drop through the mind.

En'owkin (philosophical meaning)

A gentle integrative process used to nurture voluntary cooperation and restore community wholeness.

En'owkin Decision-Making Stage 1

A process of clarification that seeks concrete information and diversity of opinion without prejudgment or debate.

The "Elders" Role in En'owkin

Individuals like-minded in protecting traditions who provide spiritual insight and a connection to the land.

The "Mothers" Role in En'owkin

Individuals concerned with daily family well-being who provide advice on policy and human relations systems.

The "Fathers" Role in En'owkin

Individuals concerned with security and sustenance who provide practical strategies, logistics, and action.

The "Youth" Role in En'owkin

Individuals with creative energy who theorize innovative possibilities and carry out change for the future.

"Roberts Rules" vs. En'owkin

Modern democratic rules focus on majority will which can create injustice for the minority whereas En'owkin seeks consensus.

Indigenous Groups in Canada

The three distinct groups are First Nations and Inuit and and Métis .

UNDRIP Article 33

States that Indigenous peoples have the right to determine their own identity and membership and institutional structures.

Pretendians

A term (from NDN POV video) referring to individuals who falsely claim Indigenous identity.

Holistic Approach to Reconciliation

A central teaching that everything is related often visualized as concentric circles rippling from the individual to the natural world.

Jeannette Armstrong

An Okanagan Indian from the Penticton Reserve fluent speaker of Okanagan, and Director of En'owkin International Writing School.

Intersectionality

A lens used to see how different social identities (race and gender and age) collide to create unique experiences of discrimination or privilege.

Sustainability in En'owkin

Demands responsibility to everything one is connected to ensuring the land is protected from depletion for future generations.

The "Group Mind"

A description of the En'owkin process where solidarity is created through a collaborative imagination and "completeness".

The Grease Trail

An ancient trade route used by Indigenous peoples in BC to transport Ooligan oil (eulachon grease) from the coast to the interior.

Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail

The colonial name for the historic Grease Trail route that stretches toward the Bella Coola River.

Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs)

Trees that show evidence of Indigenous traditional use such as bark stripping for material or food.

Eulachon (Ooligan)

A small fish highly valued for its oil which was a primary commodity in early Indigenous trade networks.

Imposed Governance System (1869)

A European-style elected chief and band council system that completely dismissed traditional Indigenous governance.

Governance Voting Restrictions (1869)

Originally only men over the age of 23 were permitted to vote in band elections.

Indigenous Women's Voting Rights (Band)

Women were not granted the right to vote in band elections until the 1951 Indian Act.

Matriarchal Authority

Pre-colonial social structures where women held significant authority over land and harvest and peace/war.

Loss of Indian Status (Marriage)

Historically Indian women who married non-Indian men lost their registered Indian status.

Bill C-31 (1985)

An amendment to the Indian Act that removed discrimination against women and allowed for the reinstatement of lost status.

Reserve Land Mass

As of 2017 only 0.36% of Canada's land mass has been set aside as reserve status.

Voluntary Enfranchisement

A process where Indigenous persons gave up their Indian status to be legally recognized as "people" with full Canadian rights.

Compulsory Enfranchisement (1880)

An amendment requiring any Indigenous person who obtained a university degree or became a clergyman to lose their status.

Expropriation of Reserves

Since 1876 the government has had the power to take portions of reserve land for public works.

Renaming Policy (1880)

A practice where Indigenous individuals were renamed with European names by the government.

The Permit System

A control mechanism that required Indians to have a permit to sell products from their farms.

Indian Agents

Government officials (pictured in historical photos) who enforced the Indian Act and managed Indigenous affairs on behalf of the Crown.

Economic Reconciliation (General Definition)

The effort to achieve economic balance and equality for Indigenous Peoples to redress social and financial harm from systematic disempowerment.

Reconciliation Canada Definition

Aiming to create meaningful partnerships and mutually beneficial opportunities based on a holistic values-driven approach.

Goal of Economic Reconciliation

Redressing fundamental social and political harm enacted through systematic disempowerment.

Community Economic Prosperity

The intended outcome of a holistic and values-driven approach to economic reconciliation.

Performative vs. Genuine Actions

A critical lens used to evaluate if an organization's reconciliation commitments truly advance Indigenous priorities or are just for show.

Indigenous Priorities

The specific needs and goals of Indigenous communities that organizational reconciliation commitments should aim to advance.

Reconciliation Statement

A formal document or policy on an organization's website outlining their commitment to reconciliation.

Walrus Talks

A platform (referenced in class) that features discussions on complex and necessary fact-based topics like reconciliation .

Chief Sharleen Gale

A leader who discusses how First Nations are on the front line of energy projects and their impacts.

Meaningful Partnerships

Collaborations between organizations and Indigenous peoples that go beyond surface-level interaction to create mutual benefit.

Indigenous Wellbeing Values

A holistic understanding of place defined by collective knowledge passed through storytelling and ceremonies and time on the land.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

A measure of economic activity calculated as: Personal/Public Consumption + Government Expenditures + Private Investment + (Exports - Imports).

GDP-Alternative Index

A measurement framework (like the one proposed for BC) that centers First Nations concepts of wellbeing rather than just financial growth.

Real Estate/Rental/Leasing

The largest industry contributor to British Columbia's GDP in 2019 at 17.6%.

Gross National Happiness (GNH)

A measurement index originated by Bhutan that prioritizes collective happiness and psychological well-being over material wealth.

United Nations Human Development Index (HDI)

A GDP-alternative launched in 1990 to emphasize that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing development.

OECD Better Life Index (BLI)

A framework that measures current wellbeing through averages and inequalities across dimensions like health and housing and work-life balance.

Indigenous Health Indicators (IHI)

A set of community-scale aspects of health integral to Coast Salish wellbeing including self-determination and natural resource security.

New Zealand Wellbeing Budget

A national fiscal plan that focuses on the long-term well-being of people rather than just short-term economic growth.

Natural Capital

A key dimension of future wellbeing in the Better Life Index referring to the stock of natural assets including geology and soil and air and water.

Yayusbid (Cultural Use)

An Indigenous Health Indicator referring to respect and stewardship and a sense of place/practice.

Talxcut (Self Determination)

An Indigenous Health Indicator focused on healing and restoration and development, and trust.

TRC Call to Action 92

Calls upon the Canadian corporate sector to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as a reconciliation framework.

Consultation and Consent

The corporate commitment to build respectful relationships and obtain free, prior, and informed consent before starting economic projects.

Equitable Access

Ensuring Aboriginal peoples have fair access to jobs, training, and education, and that communities gain long-term sustainable benefits.

Intercultural Competency Training

Skills-based training for corporate staff in conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.

Hon. Murray Sinclair

The former Senator and TRC Chair who stated, "Education is what got us into this mess, and education will get us out".

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

A federal statutory holiday on September 30 that honors residential school Survivors, their families, and communities.

Orange Shirt Day

A commemorative day led by Indigenous communities to raise awareness about the intergenerational impacts of residential schools.

The Orange Shirt Symbol

Represents the loss of culture, freedom, and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children.

"Every Child Matters"

The central theme and reminder of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Phyllis Webstad

The residential school Survivor whose personal story of having her orange shirt taken away inspired the Orange Shirt Day movement.

Sugarcane (Documentary)

A National Geographic film that investigates the tragic history and ongoing impacts of the residential school system near the Sugarcane Reserve.

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)

The permanent archive for the statements and materials gathered during the TRC.

Tea Creek

An Indigenous-led food sovereignty initiative and training farm located in Kitwanga, BC.

Jacob Beaton

The founder of Tea Creek who transitioned from a career in business/consulting to revitalize Indigenous agriculture.

Indigenous Food Sovereignty

The right of Indigenous peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods.

Mission of Tea Creek

To restore the abundance of Indigenous people through land-based programs, food production, and trade skills training.

The "Value-Added" Approach

A business strategy used by Tea Creek to process raw crops into higher-value products to increase farm revenue and sustainability.

Holistic Training Model

Tea Creek's approach that combines technical skills (like operating machinery) with mental health support and cultural connection.

Economic Self-Determination

Using entrepreneurship and agriculture to reduce dependency on external systems and build community wealth.

Kitwanga (BC)

The location where Tea Creek operates on Gitxsan territory.

Barriers to Indigenous Farming

Challenges highlighted in the documentary, including historical exclusion from agricultural land and lack of access to capital.

Trade Skills at Tea Creek

The farm provides "low-barrier" training in areas like carpentry, mechanics, and heavy equipment operation alongside farming.

The White Paper (1969)

A federal policy proposal that sought to abolish the Indian Act and eliminate "Indian" as a distinct legal status in Canada.

The Red Paper (1970)

Also known as "Citizens Plus," this was the Indigenous response to the White Paper, asserting that Indigenous rights must be maintained.

Section 35 (Constitution Act 1982)

The section of the Canadian Constitution that recognizes and affirms the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples.

St. Catharines Milling (1888)

A landmark case where the court ruled that Aboriginal title was a "personal and usufructuary right" dependent on the Crown.

Calder v. British Columbia (1973)

The first case to recognize that Aboriginal title existed in Canadian law prior to the Royal Proclamation of 1763.

Sparrow Case (1990)

Established the first legal test for Section 35, ruling that Aboriginal rights can only be limited if there is a valid legislative objective.

Delgamuukw Case (1997)

The court ruled that Aboriginal title is a right to the land itself and that oral history must be accepted as evidence in court.

Tsilhqot'in Case (2014)

The first time the Supreme Court of Canada granted a declaration of Aboriginal title to a specific area of land.

UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)

An international framework used by the TRC to apply principles and standards to corporate policy.

DRIPA (Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act)

British Columbia's provincial legislation passed in 2019 to implement UNDRIP into law.

Duty to Consult

The legal obligation of the Crown to consult Indigenous groups when a project might adversely impact established Aboriginal or treaty rights.

Reversing Course on Reconciliation

A discussion (from the National article) regarding the potential setbacks and legal challenges to the reconciliation process in Canada.

Indigenous Law vs. Aboriginal Law

Aboriginal law is the body of Canadian law regarding Indigenous people, while Indigenous law refers to the legal systems of Indigenous nations themselves.

The Indian Act (current status)

A colonial statute that continues to govern many aspects of the lives of registered "Status Indians" in Canada.

Chief Robert Louie

President of the Westbank First Nation who oversaw the 20-year transition to self-government (finalized in 2005).

1963 Separation

The year Westbank First Nation broke away from the Okanagan Indian Band to pursue independent decision-making.

Self-Government Agreement (2005)

A landmark agreement making WFN the first in Canada to achieve self-government under the federal inherent rights policy.

Hidden Creek

The specific location in the Westbank Community Forest involved in historical logging rights and management stories.

Jurisdictional Authority

The legal right of the WFN to govern its own lands, resources, and community without federal interference.