SOCIAL STUDIES 9 (ALL TOPICS)

Charter of Rights and Freedoms

laws that created constitutional protections for individual rights and freedoms, which apply to laws and governments across Canada. It is part of Canada's constitution.

Fundamental Freedoms

a variety of freedoms that are guaranteed under the Charter to reasonable limits

Constitution

a set of laws that sets out the framework for how Canada is to be governed. It is the highest or "supreme" law in Canada

Democratic Rights

the right to vote for government representatives

Mobility Rights

the right to move and work freely within Canada

Legal Rights

the right to a fair trial; free from unreasonable search or seizure; right to life, liberty, and security, etc.

Equality Rights

the right to be free of discrimination because of any individual factors

Indian Act (1876)

an act passed by parliament in 1876 that limited certain aboriginal rights without consulting first nations; it further prevented first nations from taking political action

Passenger Protect Program (No Fly List)

a list created in 2007 that restricted certain individuals from travelling by air for security reasons

Labour Union

an organization of workers that acts to protect workers' rights and interests

Universal Suffrage

allowing all citizens the right to vote regardless of their gender, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.

Internment

the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The term is used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Ukrainian, Italian, and Japanese Canadian internment are historical examples

Canada Elections Act

legislation that prevented women from voting and from running as candidates in federal elections until 1918

Bill of Rights

A Canadian federal law passed in 1960 that recognized some rights of Canadians; this law proceeded (came before) the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom.

Amend

to make changes in order to make a law fairer, more accurate, or more up-to-date.

British North America Act, 1867

one of the most important early Canadian constitutional documents. With the signing of this act in Britain, the colonies of Canada (Ontario and Quebec) were united with the colonies of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This provided the "framework" for how Canada would be governed.

April 17, 1982

the day when Queen Elizabeth II signed the new constitution; the date the Canadian constitution was patriated.

Amending Formula

A way to change the constitution; It requires the support of both houses and 7 out of the 10 provinces, representing more than 50% of the Canadian population.

Enshrine

to preserve (a right, tradition, or idea) in a way that ensures it will be protected and respected.

Indigenous Peoples

the original peoples of a land or territory

Conventions

Unwritten parliamentary traditions and practices that also form part of Canada's constitution

Pierre Trudeau

The Prime Minister responsible for patriating Canada's constitution in 1982.

segregation

the action or state of setting people apart from other people based on different characteristics.

Civil Liberties

The freedoms and rights of citizens that are protected by law.

Human Rights

Any basic right or freedom that human beings should have for simply being human. These should be recognized by all governments, and should not be limited.

War Measures Act (Emergencies Act)

an Act that gives the federal government emergency powers during wartime, including the right to detain people without laying charges

Viola Desmond

A Canadian businesswoman of Black Nova Scotian descent. In 1946 she challenged racial segregation at a cinema by refusing to leave a whites-only area of a theatre.

To Infringe

meaning to violate, trespass, contravene, go beyond recognized bounds

Section 1 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

known as the "notwithstanding clause" in the Charter. It is the section that indicates that rights and freedoms are guaranteed only to reasonable limits.

freedom of the press

freedom of newspapers and other public media to publish information without restriction, limitation, or government influence

freedom of peaceful assembly

the freedom to gather and protest peaceful

freedom of association

the right to join with others, share ideas, and work toward a common purpose

Freedom of thought and expression

the freedom to say and think whatever one believes as long as it is not intentionally targeting a person or group.

Freedom of Religion

people have the freedom to worship or not worship any religion as they wish.

Constitution Act 1982

The Act that made the constitution fully Canadian, added the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to the constitution, and established procedures for amending the constitution

Civil Marriage Act (2005)

law that legalized same-sex marriage in Canada

1969

The year Pierre Trudeau's government amended the criminal code and decriminalized homosexuality.

Daniel's Decision

This was a 2016, a Supreme Court ruling which stated that the term "Indian" was meant to include Métis and all First Nations, not just those who had since become recognized Status Indians according to the Indian Act. It also established that the Federal government has responsibility in working with these groups.

Affirm

to validate and show commitment to something

Collective Identity

the shared identity of a group of people, especially because of a common language and culture

Collective Rights

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

Metis

a term used to describe someone of mixed aboriginal and European heritage.

Patriate

to bring to a country something that belongs to the country

First Nations

the term used for the diverse Aboriginal peoples who have collective rights that are recognized and protected in Canada's constitution. They are different from other aboriginal groups, such as the Metis and Inuit.

Sovereignty

independence as a people, with a right to self-government

Residential Schools

Schools established by federal government to educate and assimilate First Nations children. These schools removed children from their families and disrupted their connections to their languages, cultures and identities.

Entrench

to fix firmly within

1982

The year Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau led negotiations to patriate Canada's constitution.

Indian Act

federal legislation related to the rights and status of First Nations peoples ("status Indians"), first passed in 1876 and amended several times

Assimilate

to become part of a different cultural group

Ethnocentrism

the belief that one's culture is superior to all other cultures

the Numbered Treaties

a series of eleven treaties signed between the Aboriginal peoples in Canada and the Canadian government. It granted the federal government large tracts of land throughout country.

Anglophone

a person whose first language is English

Francophone

a person whose first language is French

Official language community

one of the groups in Canadian society whose members speak an official language of Canada — French or English — as their first language

Official language minorities

a group that speaks one of Canada's official languages (English or French) and that does not make up the majority population of a province or territory. Eg., A Francophone living in Alberta.

publicly funded

paid for by taxes and provided by government

scrip

a document that could be exchanged for land and that was offered to the Métis at the time the Numbered Treaties were negotiated

2003

The year the Supreme Court ruled that the Métis have the right to hunt and fish, as one of Canada's Aboriginal peoples under the constitution. These rights recognize the unique relationship to the land of the Métis, based in history and their inherent rights as an Aboriginal people.

Inherent rights

As an Aboriginal people of Canada, the Métis consider rights to land rights they naturally have because they are First Peoples.

Indian Band

a governing unit or group of Indians in Canada defined under the Indian Act, 1876. Group members hold reserve land that is owned by the Crown.

Indian Reserves

a tract of land set aside under the Indian Act and treaty agreements for the exclusive use of an Indian band. Band members possess the right to live on reserve lands, and band administrative and political structures are frequently located there.

Québec Act

an act passed by Britain in 1774 that recognized the rights of Francophones to their language and identity.

Official Languages Act

Act passed by the Canadian government in 1969 that reasserts the equality of French and English as official languages of Canada, as established at Confederation.

The Manitoba Act, 1870

This act established Manitoba as a bilingual province and provided public funding for Catholic schools that served the Francophone community.

Indian Agent

Under the Indian Act, Canada's government appointed these individuals to run reserves. They had power over many aspects of the lives of those living on the reserves.

Crown Land

land that is controlled by the federal and provincial governments

Section 35 (of Constitution)

This is the section in the Constitution that recognizes and affirms existing aboriginal rights

The Royal Proclamation

First recognition by Britain of Aboriginal rights to land. Proclaimed by the monarchy after the 7 years war.

Steve Powley

a Métis from Ontario who was charged with hunting without a licence in 1993;

Section 23 (of the Charter)

the section of the Charter that guarantees minority language educational rights to French-speaking communities outside Quebec and English-speaking minorities in Quebec.

Public Schools

French or English schools funded (paid for) by the government.

Reconciliation

actions that allow two people or groups to heal or become friendly again after conflict.

Status Indian

A First Nations person who is registered according to the provisions of the Indian Act and is therefore eligible to receive specific benefits.

Enfranchise

to give the right to vote

To Cede

meaning to "give up"

Treaty 6

The treaty in which the city of Edmonton is located. It is the only treaty of its sort with a provision for health care. One clause allows a medicine chest to be kept in the home of an Indian agent for the use and benefit of the Aboriginals.

Manitoba Schools Act, 1890

This act abolished public funding for Catholic schools in Manitoba. It also made Manitoba an officially English-only province.

Sections 16 to 20 (of the Charter)

sections of the Charter that recognizes Canada's official bilingualism. It also guarantees that citizens can conduct their business with the federal government in either official language.

Intergenerational Trauma

the transmission of historical oppression and its negative consequences across generations

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings about something; generally describes the perspectives of indigenous peoples today towards the Indian Act

non-status Indian

A person of Aboriginal heritage but who does not have official status under the Indian Act

Buffalo

An important First Nation's resource used for food, shelter, and clothing. The decline of this resource saw the erosion of the traditional ways of life.

Cash payments, reserve land, hunting and fishing rights

examples of items that First Nations received as part of treaty negotiations

intergenerational

occurring between older and younger age groups

Inuit

An aboriginal group that has historically resided in Canada's arctic region

Treaty 6, 7, and 8

The treaties that make up most of Alberta today

Refugee

a person who seeks asylum in another country because of danger or persecution in their home country

Exclusion Policies

immigration policies that focuses on barring individuals from enter Canada due to their race or country of origin

Chinese Head Tax

a fixed fee every Chinese immigrant had to pay in order to enter Canada. This was used by the government to discourage immigration from China. The $50 tax was introduced as part of the Chinese Immigration Act, 1885. It was increased to $500 in 1903.

Immigration

the movement of people into a country.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (2002)

It is the most recent of many laws Canada has had about immigration. It establishes categories of who can come to Canada and it lays out the objectives of those categories

Family Class

refers to the category under which immigrants who are sponsored by family members already in Canada

Economic Class

refers to the category under which skilled workers and businesses may come to Canada

demographic

to do with the characteristics of populations

labour shortage

a shortage of workers in a particular area of the economy

Immigration policy

sets the procedures for evaluating immigrants and says how many people are allowed into Canada from year to year

Immigration law

legislation that states who is allowed into Canada

the Point System

A system that is part of the criteria Canada uses to decide who to accept as economic immigrants

Komagata Maru incident

an incident where British citizens from India were prevented from entering Canada because they did not meet the 'continuous passage law'