Indigenous People Of Canada

Perspective of Culture Anthropology 

What is Anthropology

Anthropology is the scientific research on humans and their past and present culture, society, biology and environment.

What is Culture Anthropology 

Cultural Anthropology studies the past and present of cultures. It is related to how relationships between the society members worked now and then; how language expresses and impacts culture; how objects and tools that people use reflect who they are.

Challenges experienced by indigenous people in Canada:

  • Income

        Many of the indigenous people living in Canada have low income. They do not even get their minimum wage required. This results in struggle to sustain their family.

  • Housing

         The houses that they can afford have very minimum facilities which makes their lives to be disrupted due to lack of basic necessities. Few of them even struggle to find a house due to their low income.

  • Education:

    Indigenous people remain deprived of Educational facilities maybe as they are unable to afford the tuition fees. Also they may feel that schools do not respect their language and culture.

  • Health:

     Indigenous people would not have proper hospitals nearby them due to which they can cure minor diseases but serious illness may be a problem.

  • Ignorance from the authorities:

Pleas of the indigenous people  for their requirements go unheard by the authorities.
 

Trans Mountain Pipeline: First Nations' plea go unheard


Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has got second approval from the federal government. A group of First Nations have challenged against this pipeline to be made. But their pleas have been dismissed by the supreme court. This has marked an end of long legal challenge.

Leaders of the group say their decision will not change even after court orders. And also they are not deterred by this. 

The authorities have unheard their pleas

Traditions and beliefs:

Traditions hold great value for Indigenous people as they bring people together.
Different indigenous nations follow different practices. Sun Dance is performed by Plains indigenous people, Coast Salish people perform sacred winter ceremonies, etc.
Many indigenous communities believe in a creator, Great spirit or great mystery. According to them the world and everything in it is created by it. Today, some indigenous people follow traditional beliefs  while others  choose to become Christian. 

Ethical Issues & Controversies

The remains of the ancestors of the First Nation in a European museum

  • The two last Beotuks: Nonosabasut and Demasduit's remains were exhumed and displayed in European museums.

  • They were recently moved back to Newfoundland and buried due to protests from the First Nation group.

  • This raises a number of ethical questions and controversies

Anthropologists's view

Returning the skulls of First Nation ancestors from the museum and burying them may not be good for anthropologists.

  • Some archaeologists argue against the trend to repatriate First Nation skulls, arguing that if all remains were laid to rest, humanity will lose out on a great deal of potential intellectual and cultural research.

  • By studying these remains, archaeologists can learn a lot from them. By doing DNA testing, for example, we can learn a lot about where these ancestors might have come from. DNA studies have shown that many different groups have lived in Newfoundland throughout history. With further research, we may learn some unanswered mysteries. How did they come to live on this island? Will they cross the Beringian Land Bridge on their journey? How do they relate to other groups?

  • Some anthropologists points out that the remains are part of human history and that it would be unethical for science to send them back to Canada and bury them. Humanity will lose this knowledge forever.

First Nation perspective:

  • The First Nation believes that despite the research value of the remains, their remains are no different from those of ordinary people and should be treated equally. To put them on display just because they are the ancestors of the First Nation is an affront to their dignity and spirit.

  • At the same time, First Nation believes that it is very important to preserve the sense of ceremony and customs. On the day of welcoming the return of the ancestors' remains, they will hold a grand ceremony to transfer the remains, find a good land to bury them and set up a monument. This shows that in First Nation's mind, the dignity of the ancestors is sacrosanct. The culture of one's own nation needs to be respected.

References:

https://www.stlawu.edu/sites/default/files/culture_shock.jpg

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/beothuk-remains-scattered-1.4989738

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/IHj6BvSL4rRQI_RFR5SXL96wqjUgkr6SV3Kq4eObxdkpm-NGeXr3ER035xBTfd27xmghsJPDXWO1s6jGKPXb1F6RwEeP1bF3jbch

https://tce-live2.s3.amazonaws.com/media/new_article_images/ReservesNL/3691481695_f06a87f17d_b.jpg

http://clipart-library.com/anthropology-cliparts.html

Smith, Claire. (2008). The Survival of Indigenous Cultures.

harvardpolitics.com

http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5634232