Medical Experimentation in Canada

What were the impacts of British settlement on Indigenous people in Canada during the 1670s?

British settlement led to the granting of land and trading rights to the Hudson’s Bay Company, impacting Indigenous lands and governance.

What was the objective behind the quote regarding the 'Indian Problem' in 1918? Who said this?

The objective was to absorb Indigenous people into Western culture, eliminating any distinction of an 'Indian question' or department. This quote was articulated by Duncan Campbell Scott.

What were some proposed solutions to the 'Indian Problem' as defined in the Indian Acts of 1876?

Proposed solutions included medical experimentations, residential schools, and government relief programs.

How were the bodies of Indigenous people regarded in terms of experimentation?

Indigenous bodies were viewed as experimental materials, with communities functioning as laboratories for nutritional research.

What structural causes contributed to hunger and health problems for Indigenous people?

Contributing causes included economic collapse, segregation into non-agriculturally favorable lands, and the removal to reserves.

How were medical experiments carried out without consent?

Experiments involved doctors, nutritional professionals, and other specialists conducting tests on Indigenous people without their informed consent.

What historical legacies remain due to past medical experimentations on Indigenous populations?

Legacies include

• lack of trust in government health policies

• hesitancy towards vaccines

• ongoing issues with access to clean drinking water on reserves.

What role did residential schools play in the paternalistic policies towards Indigenous people?

Residential schools aimed to 'civilize' Indigenous people through forced assimilation into European ideals, contributing to negative health impacts.

From 1840s, policies described indigenous people as a _______ _____.

Helpless race or problem to be solved

What characterized the systems and societies of Indigenous peoples prior to European contact and settlement?

Indigenous societies were diverse, complex, and characterized by rich cultural practices, sustainable resource management, and strong community governance structures.

Who said this “I want to get rid of the Indian problem. I do not think as a matter of fact, that the country ought to continuously protect a class of people who are able to stand alone… Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian Department

Duncan Campbell Scott, who served as the Deputy Superintendent of the Department of Indian Affairs in Canada.