Many of the readings in this course contain information about the Indigenous people of Canada. It is important that you understand some key terms before you start any of the readings in this class.

What you need to know before you start this course

Indigenous

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia^[1]

In Canada, the term Indigenous peoples […] refers to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. These are the original inhabitants of the land that is now Canada. In the 2016 census by Statistics Canada, over 1.6 million people in Canada identified as Indigenous, making up 4.9 per cent of the national population. Though severely threatened — and in certain cases extinguished — by colonial forces, Indigenous culture, language and social systems have shaped the development of Canada and continue to grow and thrive despite extreme adversity. (Parrott, 2020, para. 1)

The term Indigenous is now preferred over the term Aboriginal, which is typically used to refer to Indigenous groups outside of Canada. The terms should always be capitalized when used to refer to a group of people. The terms “native,” “Indian,” “halfbreed,” and “Eskimo” are racist terms that should not be used.

Go to the entry on Indigenous Peoples in Canada in The Canadian Encyclopedia to learn more about the history and culture of Indigenous people.

Colonialism

Colonialism involves one society seeking to conquer another and then rule over it. In Canada (colonialism) took the form of settler colonialism—where European settlers settled permanently on Indigenous lands, aggressively seized those lands from Indigenous peoples and eventually greatly outnumbered Indigenous populations^[2].

Reserve vs. Reservation

In Canada, we use the term “reserve” to refer to lands that are residences for First Nations peoples and that are governed by the Indian Act. These portions of land were set aside by the federal government specifically for the use of First Nations people who are Status Indians as defined by the Indian Act. Inuit and Metis people do not typically live on reserves.

The term “reservation” is used only in the United States. This term has no meaning in relation to Indigenous land in Canada.

Go to the entry on “Reserves” in the Canadian Encyclopedia to learn more about reserved land and the Indian Act.

Residential Schools

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Residential schools were created by Christian churches and the Canadian government as an attempt to both educate and convert Indigenous youth and to assimilate them into Canadian society. However, the schools disrupted lives and communities, causing long-term problems among Indigenous peoples. The last residential school closed in 1996” (Miller, 2020, para. 1) ^[3].

Read more about Residential Schools in The Canadian Encyclopedia or watch this TedTalk.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is about making and maintaining a good relationship. The Canadian Encyclopedia defines reconciliation as a way “to describe attempts made by individuals and institutions to raise awareness about colonization and its ongoing effects on Indigenous peoples. Reconciliation also refers to efforts made to address the harms caused by various policies and programs of colonization, such as residential schools” (Sterritt, 2020, para. 1) ^[4].

You can read more about  Reconciliation in Canada in The Canadian Encyclopedia, and you will learn more about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the chapter called “TRC and UNDRIP“.

Watch these two short videos to learn how you can participate in the reconciliation process.

Decolonization

Theories of decolonization examine, for example: the targets of decolonization (e.g. education, land, child-rearing, Indigenous self-representation, etc.); the reasons for decolonizing (i.e. the traumatizing and destructive effects of colonization); Indigenous peoples and all Canadians as treaty-holders and parties to legally binding agreements that continue to be legally-binding; and the bases on which decolonizing processes are founded (the right of representation, the right to dignified self-government as enshrined in treaties and international law, and the fundamental humanity of Indigenous peoples, too often denied)^[5].