Grade 7 Social Studies: Aboriginal Societies

Aboriginal Societies

• Culture refers to a way of life or being shared by a group of people.
• Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own ethnic group is better than others.
• Canada is a pluralistic society, valuing all cultures.
• Worldview refers to a way of looking at the world that reflects one's core values.
• Aboriginal societies refer to the descendants of the original inhabitants of North America.
• The politically correct terms to use are First Nations, Metis, and Inuit.
• There are over 600 First Nations across Canada.

Haudenosaunee, Anishinabe, and Mi'kmaq

• We will be studying these three First Nations societies.
• Similarities among them include:
  • Matrilineal society, with Clan Mother as head of the household.
  • Clan Mother selected leaders and was involved in decision-making.
  • Clan system was used to make decisions.
  • Women contributed to the economy.
  • Grand Council represented each district, and women voiced concerns in all areas.

Historical Perspective

• Historical perspective is a viewpoint that uses history to understand why things are the way they are.
• History helps understand why things are the way they are.

Key Terms

• Stereotype: a widely held and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person.
• Consensus: an agreement reached by a group as a whole.

Haudenosaunee and the Role of Women

• Haudenosaunee society was matrilineal, with the head of each longhouse being a woman (Clan Mother).
• When a marriage took place, the husband went to live in the wife's longhouse.
• Women owned all possessions in the house and had the power to decide if men went to war.

Economy

• Economy refers to the way people meet their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter.

Colonization and Natural Resources

• Colonization: the process of claiming and controlling new lands and territories for one’s homeland.
• Natural Resources: parts of nature that people can use, including fish, land, trees, water, oil, and minerals.

French Colonization

• France established New France in North America.
• The French king, Louis XIII, wanted to build a colony in North America to access abundant furs and gain a military advantage in Europe.

Coureurs de Bois and Voyageurs

• Coureurs de Bois: Canadian traders who paddled on long journeys into the wilderness to trade for furs with the First Nations.
• Later, they became known as voyageurs.
• Many married First Nations women, becoming the parents of the first Metis.

Farms and the Seigneurial System

• The French and Metis divided farmland in river lots, allowing families to live closer together and access water for travel.

British Colonization

• Britain invested heavily in its colonies overseas, unlike France.
• The British established the Thirteen Colonies, which grew slower than New France due to climate and economic differences.

Mercantilism

• An economic system where an imperial country becomes rich by selling resources taken from its colonies.

The Hudson's Bay Company

• In 1670, King Charles II granted a monopoly to the Hudson's Bay Company, covering all lands drained by rivers flowing into Hudson's Bay.
• They called it Rupert's Land, and the company was interested in trade, not building a colony.

Competition for Trade

• The fur trade was initially a partnership between European traders and First Nation hunters and trappers.
• The First Nations valued European goods like pots, knives, and axes, while Europeans wanted furs, especially beaver felt.