Chapter 4- Collective Rights in Canada

Affirm

To validate and express commitment to something.

Collective Identity

A shared sense of belonging among individuals in a group, often based on common characteristics such as culture, language, or history.

Collective Rights

Rights guaranteed to specific groups in Canadian society for historical and constitutional reasons.

First Nations

The umbrella name for the diverse aboriginal peoples who have collective rights. These rights are protected by Canada’s constitution.

Indian

A term Europeans used to describe First nations peoples in North America. The term is offensive and has been largely replaced by “First Nations”.

Sovereignty

Independence as a people, with a right to self-government. It encompasses the ability of a group to govern itself and make decisions regarding its own affairs.

Assimilate

To become part of a different cultural group usually by force.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one’s culture is superior to all others. Leads to discrimination and prejudice against those who are people from different cultural backgrounds.

Indian Act

Federal legislation related to the rights and status of the First Nations people.

Anglophone

A person who’s first language is english.

Francophone

A person who’s first language is french.

Official language community

One of the groups in Canadian society whose members speak an official language of Canada

Annuity

An annual payment under the numbered treaties, annuities are mostly symbolic today.

Reserve

Land for the exclusive use of First Nations.

Entrenching

Fixing firmly within, establishing something.

Patriate

To bring a country something that belongs to the country.

Official Language minority

A group that speaks one of Canada’s Official languages that does not make up the majority of the population of a province or territory.

Publicly funded

Paid for by taxes and provided by government.

Inherent Rights

Rights with origin in fundamental justice.

Scrip

In the Metis History, a document that could be exchanged for the land and that was offered to the Metis at the time the numbered treaties were negotiated.

Autonomy

Authority to make decisions