Introduction/Background The goal of this paper is to talk about the conflicts between the First Nations and mining companies in Canada; to describe the current situation they are in and also examine the various outcomes of this situation. First Nations refers to Status and non-status Indian peoples in Canada. Historians have grouped the First Nations in Canada according to six main geographic areas. First Nations within these six areas are characterized by similar cultures and largely shaped by an environment. The six groups are Woodland First Nations, Iroquoian First Nations, Plains First Nations, Plateau First Nations, Pacific Coast First Nations and the First Nations of the Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins. Prior to contact with the Europeans, …show more content…
British Columbia mining laws provide some safeguards for First Nations and the environment, but they favor the industry they are intended to regulate and do not adequately institutionalize the special protections First Nations are entitled to under international and domestic law. Although some First Nations have benefited from mining, they still bear an unfair burden at every point in the mining process; from the registration of claims to exploration, production, and abandonment of closed sites. The province’s mining laws are seen as a problem according to the Takla Lake First Nation in northern British Columbia, based on their experiences with mining companies. Although Takla has good relations with some mining companies, the people have doubted the companies’ new projects. This is as a result of how community members feel they are not been carried along in the process that reviews proposals with mining claims and projects on their traditional territory. Takla has several abandoned operations, major exploration sites and mine has seen the range of harms caused by different stages of mining. The community members have reported destruction of habitat, a decrease in wildlife, and a fear of health problems as a result of contamination. Due to the damage done to their environment, some had to relocate to other places. As a result of the new environment they were …show more content…
In exchange for their environment, the companies agree to provide jobs like laborers, managers and traders; education; financial payments; business and economic development. This makes the First Nations to take up leadership roles in their communities, the mining sector and the society at large. Also, First Nations makes these mining companies to respect and recognize their rights and titles. The companies also provide environmental protection. By consulting the First nations first before using their lands and providing benefits, they will be no conflicts between the mining companies and First
The Canadian government has great control of where the aboriginals are situated and what resources and services are made available to them. In 1876 the Indian act was created by the Canadian government (Indian Act). “The Indian act is a Canadian federal law that governs and matters pertaining to Indian statuses, bands, and Indian reserves”(Indian Act). A part of the Indian Act made the government give some crown land to the Aboriginals; the
Thousands of indigenous tribes live off the earth, the source of their sustenance and for centuries, it has been their priority to protect and care for it. The years after are congested with concepts of assimilation and infantilization that compromise rights to be stewards of the land. Dr. Stan Louttit states, “Ontario and the federal government came to an agreement that one of the soul purposes of wanting to enter into a treaty with the Crees of Northeastern Ontario was that they wanted the land, they wanted the resource and they could see that in the future there
Since the colonization of Canada First Nations people have been discriminated against and assimilated into the new culture of Canada through policies created by the government. Policies created had the intentions of improving the Aboriginal people’s standard of living and increasing their opportunities. Mainly in the past hundred years in Canadian Society, policies and government implemented actions such as; Residential schools, the Indian Act, and reserve systems have resulted in extinguishing native culture, teachings, and pride. Policies towards the treatment of Aboriginal Canadians has decreased their opportunities and standard of living because of policies specified previously (Residential schools, the Indian Act, and reservation systems).
In 1976 the Fraser government passed the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Several state governments passed their own Land Rights Acts, which recognised aboriginal and Torres Strait islander claims to land and guaranteed them royalty payments from mining companies working there. Some laws enforced by the government became challenging for most indigenous people to abide by. Through the analysis of this information we understand the impacts the government and its laws had towards the indigenous society of
On the reserves, there is a lack of education and Natives are forced to move from place to place to find a job and live a stable life – something that their reserve cannot provide. In the history of Canada, before the Europeans have arrived to the North America, the Aboriginals struggled with their individual form of government with a steady economy. Hence the fact, if the country were to allow them to form their own government, they would be able to create and keep their sovereignty. Within past, the Natives became familiar of using the easiest style of society, called a hunter-gatherer society. Using this out-of-date form of civilization they were repetitively considering for new regimes and food. Accordingly, they were being forced to endlessly travel from momentary reserves.
Although the Canadian government has done a great deal to repair the injustices inflicted on the First Nations people of Canada, legislation is no where near where it needs to be to ensure future protection of aboriginal rights in the nation. An examination of the documents that comprise the Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms reveal that there is very little in the supreme legal documents of the nation that protect aboriginal rights. When compared with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples it is clear that the Canadian Constitution does not acknowledge numerous provisions regarding indigenous people that the UN resolution has included. The most important of these provisions is the
The first paper by Ladner and Orsini, (2003) gives a detailed account, review and analysis of the First nations governance act. The paper reflects on the act and provides arguments supporting the fact that it is an example of a gentler, subtle form of colonialism that is still in practice today. It argues that although the government has well researched the problems affecting the first nations, it has not efficiently advocated the involvement of these people in their own welfare and improvement.
The First Nations people of Canada have a long list of treaty rights, as well as many undefined aboriginal rights, from their right to hunt and fish on their land to housing and annuities. However, it’s not all gift-giving and sunshine; while the government of Canada is supposed to respect their rights to hunt on their land and the right to hold title to their land, there are many disputes such as the Ron Sparrow case and the Oka Crisis that show that the Aboriginal peoples’ inherent rights are not always respected, with cases such as that of Don Marshall that show that the government might not exactly be on the First Nation’s side.
The Attawaspiskat Cree and Ojibwa are a first nations group living in parts of Canada, mainly northern Ontario. The main languages spoken by these first nation groups are Mushkegowuk Cree and Ojibway. I will compare and contrast the experience of the Attawapiskat Cree to Ojibwa in relation to the Canadian Government. This will include analyzing the treaties introduced by the government towards the Cree and the Ojibwa: in particular, treaty 9 will be discussed. In addition, to these treaties the government has divided the first nation community into two different groups: status-Indians and non-status Indians. Within these two groups further division has been accomplished by the allocation of lands know as reserves to status-Indians and
The first relation should be between the natives and their land in connection with the potential petroleum production and the world. This issue is global in scope as 95% of Canada and 12% of the world's oil is in Alberta. A secondary relation is not only in terms of domestic resources, but the global effects of extraction, as NASA supports that the domestic and international effects would be catastrophic with twice the amount of CO2 being emitted from this Canadian extraction than all of the oil used in history (McCreary & Milligan, 116.) As stated initially, the merit of this article focuses on the actions taken by First Nations and their supporters. Enbridge's proposed pipeline project has initiated research in Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge to supposedly help guide them through a means of working with protesting groups. The findings of this research ultimately leaned towards ways of rerouting maps due to regulatory requirements. Enbridge is an example of a corporation that does not recognize the authority of First Nations groups. A neo-colonial relationship is produced and practiced in territory and development (McCreary & Milligan, 117.) There is very little mention on the media about the improvements of First Nations rights. Though there have been triumphs in aboriginal rights, indigenous development according to McCreary are deeply political/material advancements that not only coincide with the events, but are dependent on returns of resource extraction and consumption (McCreary & Milligan,
The Canadian Government has been faced with a decision that could destroy an already delicate relationship with the Indigenous Canadians. There have been several pipeline expansion proposals to increase the production and extraction of oil throughout Canada and the U.S. The primary factor delaying the Canadian Government from starting these projects is the Indigenous people. With promises by the newly elected federal Liberal government and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it has outlined the importance of the Indigenous peoples’ rights when it comes to natural resource extraction that affects their land.
Mistreatment of first nations (post french and indian war) Canada’s true historical identity began in 1763 when britain became canada's colonising country after the french and indian war commonly known and associated as the seven year war. British settlers in 1763 are responsible for the mistreatment of first nations. First Nations were not allowed/encouraged to practice their religion, culture, and European settlers brought diseases. European settlers in 1763 believed anyone who did not practice christianity was useless to them, first nations were one of them.
There has been a great deal of contention over Aboriginal Rights in Canada. Much of this conflict can be said to stem from the differences in both the philosophy and cultural systems of Aboriginal and non-aboriginal people, with much of it originating from the time of the original European settlement of Canada (UBC Law, 2009). The focus of this conflict has been primarily on the rights to land, sea and resources, as well as how the law is to apply to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada (UBC Law, 2009).
The Britannia Mines has played such a major role in the building blocks of British Columbia’s economic development and early history. Behind the unforgotten community that once flourished with 60,000 miners of different races and religions, lies a rich history that captures the hearts of many who pass by one of the most successful copper sites of its time. With that being said, the legend behind the discovery of affluent minerals in Britannia Mines is by a doctor who was searching for gold in the year, 1888. After many failed attempts to set up a mining industry, the Britannia Mine and Smelting Company Ltd. took interest in this discovery and developed operation systems and communities. The Britannia Mines in the 1920s became such a successful
This article is relevant to Canadians because these problems are happening in Canada. These are the problems that Canada has been involved in since 1701 when people from Britain had promised a peaceful relationship between First Nations people and others. Yet the First Nations are not receiving the peace they were