Ilya.

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Class: 804

Residential
Schools.
Past:
As early as the late 1800's Canadian government and church bodies began
removing Aboriginal children from their homes and placing them in what were
referred to as Industrial schools known as Residential schools. Residential schools
were the most effective tool for destroying Aboriginal culture and identity, and for
promoting the assimilation of Aboriginal people into mainstream Canadian society.
The wide spread abuse that Aboriginal children faced at Residential schools spanned
7 decades from the 1920 to the 1980. Many of the schools employed curricula that
were centered around religious teachings and manual labor skills. Many Aboriginal
children came away from Residential schools in their teen years barely knowing how
to read. A pattern emerges that consists of a system of education that for the most
part has been in the most part has been imposed on First Nations students with
blatant disregard for First Nations languages, cultures and collective knowledge and
wisdom.
Present:
In 2001 only 8% of 25-34 age group of Aboriginal peoples had a completed
anniversary degree, while 28% of all Canadians did.
Public Government apology:
On June 11, 2008 the house of Commons gathered in a solemn ceremony to
publicly apologize for the government's involvement in the Residential schools
system and to acknowledge the widespread impact this system has had among
Aboriginal peoples. The federal government's apology was met with a range of
responses. Some people felt that it marked a new era of positive federal
government Aboriginal relations based on mutual respect. While others felt that the
apology was merely symbolic and doubted that it would change the
government's relationship with Aboriginal peoples.

Reserves.
Past:

The reserve system as governed by the Indian Act relates to First Nations people,
referred to in a legal context as Indians. In Atlantic Canada, through east of the
Appalachians, colonial officials created reserves, despite the Proclamation not
requiring it. Rather than through treaties, officials created reserves through orders
in council, or through the purchase of private lands for Aboriginal settlement. The
problem was that the government putted Aboriginals on the land which was not
good for farming and also there were no Buffalos. No one was allowed on the
reserves except for Aboriginals.
Present:
According to the UN's special reporter one in five aboriginal Canadians lives in a
home in need of serious repairs, and the suicide rate among youth on reserves is
alarming at a rate five times grater than that of all Canadians. Amidst Canada's
wealth and prosperity, Aboriginals people live in conditions asking to those in
countries that rank much lower and in which poverty abounds, "he said".
Since 2006, the federal government has spent about $1.4 billion on native housing
and, by 2013 will have spent$2.5 billion on water and sewage system. The federal
department responsible for First Nations, said it is committed to improving the
quality of life and provision of safe drinking water on reserves, but federal spending
has not kept up.
Increasingly, it has become popular for critics to characterize many reserves as
having "third world" living conditions, with blame pointed at either the federal
government corrupt band councils, or both. Firs Nations need an alternative source
of funding. This is part of the reason why many Canadian native bands are now
trying to place a grater emphasis on securing royalties from natural resources
harvested from their traditional lands, or gain traditional lands, or a cut of corporate
profits from things like oil pipelines, mines, dams or fishers from companies
operating within their tribal borders.

Aboriginal economic.
How did the reserves impact the economic activity of the aboriginals?
There was a huge economic impact. When the government putted aboriginals on to reserves, the
government expected them to live the different way which means they wanted them to become
farmers. Before aboriginals were put on to reserves they were mostly hunting and fishing for living.
When aboriginals were put on reserves they were told to farm so they could survive. Aboriginals tried
to hut but they could not because there was buffalos, so they were forced to began farming.
Aboriginals had all tools that they need to start farming. But aboriginals did not know how to farm.
What types of jobs did they have?
Before the reserves Aboriginal people were hunters and fishermens. After they were put on
reserves they tried to remain hunters but they could not because there was no buffalos. Aboriginals
were forced to be farmers. Also aboriginals worked as