Indigenous Contributions and Issues Throughout the 20th Century

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Military Service

• Tommy Prince was the most decorated Indigenous soldier in WWII.
  
  

• He used his recognition to fight for Indigenous rights.

Environmental Stewardship

• Lands managed by Indigenous communities have higher biodiversity.
  
  

• Indigenous people practice “cultural burning” (controlled fires) to prevent large, dangerous wildfires.
  
  

Canada works with Indigenous groups to create protected areas and meet its 2030 conservation goals.

Sharing Culture

• Cultural sharing helps Canadians understand the true history of the land.
  
  

• This is a key part of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Cultural Influence on Canada

• Indigenous tourism and arts contribute over $3.7 billion to Canada and support over 50,000 jobs.
  
  

• Indigenous art, fashion, and film are some of Canada’s most recognizable cultural exports.

Legal Challenges

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   • Deskaheh used the Two Row Wampum and historical treaties to argue before the League of Nations that the Haudenosaunee were allies, not subjects of Britain or Canada.
     
     

   • A 1912 court case had recognized the Six Nations as an independent people with their own government.
     
     

The Canadian government shut down Deskaheh’s government, but his community continued resisting by boycotting forced elections.

Residential Schools

• Over 150,000 Indigenous children were removed from their families to strip away language, culture, and traditions.
  
  

• Students faced physical, mental, and emotional abuse, and many died.
  
  

• This caused intergenerational trauma that continues to affect communities today.

Sixties Scoop

• During the 1960s, over 20,000 Indigenous children were taken from their homes by child protection services.
  
  

• Children were placed in non-Indigenous homes across Canada, the U.S., and even Australia.
  
  

• Many survivors experienced abuse and identity struggles, creating lasting intergenerational trauma.

Arctic Relocation

• In 1953, the Canadian government relocated 87 Inuit from Quebec to the High Arctic to assert territorial claims.
  
  

• Families endured extreme cold, total darkness for four months, and harsh living conditions.
  
  

• In 1996, the government established a $10 million trust fund and formally apologized in 2010.

Lack of Fresh Water Access

• Many Indigenous communities lack proper water treatment despite being surrounded by freshwater.
  
  

• Long-term boil water advisories force families to rely on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
  
  

• This is a decades-long struggle in a first-world country.

Indian Act (1876)

• Gave the federal government nearly complete control over Indigenous peoples, including land use and cultural practices.
  
  

• Determined who was legally considered “Indian,” often stripping women of their rights.
  
  

• Banned ceremonies like the Sundance and Potlatch and made residential schools official government policy.

Oka Crisis (1990)

• Quebec planned to expand a golf course onto a sacred Mohawk burial ground.
  
  

• Mohawks blockaded the area, and provincial police and the army were involved.
  
  

• The crisis led to the establishment of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and strengthened Indigenous identity resurgence.