Indigenous Families in Canada Quiz

Indigenous Families

• Indigenous families in Canada have a unique history marked by colonization, cultural genocide, and oppression
• Indigenous peoples haven't always had the right to choose their family structures, shaped by past and present government laws and policies
• The legacy of residential schools continues to affect family life, passed down through generations
• Despite different historical and cultural backgrounds, similarities and differences exist between contemporary Indigenous and non-Indigenous families
• Progress is being made to improve the well-being and family life trajectories of Indigenous families

Argument: Aboriginal Policy

• Aboriginal policy aimed to eradicate Indigenous cultures and impose new values and cultural characteristics like gender roles and family structures through the Indian Act, residential schools, jurisdictional matters, child welfare, and matrimonial property laws

Gender Identities and Family

• Victorian-era Western notions of gender and family differ substantially from Indigenous perspectives, differing in public/private spheres, roles of men and women, nation-building, valuation of women, inheritance, and property laws
• Indigenous women and their (Haudenosaunee) societies exemplify the importance of valuing women's role in reproduction and relationship with the land as political acts

Indigenous Families (Page 4)

• How do you describe the powerful role of the mother and women in Indigenous families?
• How did Indigenous family structures operate before contact?
• Explain four components of family systems within Anishinaabeg societies
• Why did colonial policies attack women and families during assimilation?
• The outcome of these policies resulted in isolating individuals
• The fur trade exemplifies how Indigenous gender roles and family relationships were commodified before their significance was lost
• Indigenous gender roles and family relationships transformed into commodities when contact happened with Europeans

Indigenous Families (Page 5)

• The Indian Act and treaties impacted Indigenous peoples, dictating nearly every aspect of their lives as administered by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
• Regulations of land, spiritual practices, resources, and governance have been dictated by federal and provincial governments
• Little consensus exists on responsibilities for child welfare and other key areas

Indigenous Families (Page 6)

• Gender discrimination is embedded in the Indian Act with Indigenous women becoming Canadian citizens through this Act, thus becoming disenfranchised in their Indigenous societal context
• Indigenous women were impacted if they married non-Indigenous persons or a non-status Indian person
• Challenges to discrimination include cases like Jeannette Corbiere Lavell (1971), Yvonne Bedard, and Sandra Lovelace (1974), which resulted in changes through Bill C-31 (1985)
• Despite amendments, discrimination persists, emphasized in Figure 12.3
• Indigenous peoples sought recognition for Indigenous peoples under a discriminatory, race-based act (Bill C-3, 2010)

Indigenous Families (Page 7)

• Residential Schools aimed to “kill the Indian in the child” by separating Indigenous children from their families
• Children were removed from their families at a significant scale and timeframe
• The residential school system sought to eliminate Indigenous culture
• The “Indian problem” was viewed as a lack of whiteness
• Colonial policies severely impacted Indigenous children and families by the process of assimilation
• The induced malnourishment and health experiments that Indigenous children experienced
• The events led to questions about how to prevent such events from happening in the future and the process of settlement

Indigenous Families (Page 8)

• Issues related to jurisdiction arise, particularly on-reserve, with complex human rights implications and chronic underfunding
• Matters related to Indigenous land use entail federal fiduciary responsibility that includes, but is not limited to issues encompassing health care, education, labor, and housing, with shared federal and provincial responsibilities
• No clear agreement exists on who is responsible for particular issues
• Three categories—child welfare issues, access to health services (on-reserve), and matrimonial real property—affecting Indigenous family relations emerge
• National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates the contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples

Indigenous Families (Page 9)

• Child Welfare: The Sixties Scoop occurred after residential schools closed, when Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and placed off-reserve
• The Millennium Scoop signifies a continuation of the same issue impacting Indigenous children in care nationally
• The differences between the Sixties Scoop and the Millennium Scoop were discussed and analyzed
• First Nations agencies are responsible for child welfare but intergenerational impacts from residential schools are still relevant and need consideration
• Indigenous children are now alienated from their culture while some struggles to be parented effectively still exist

Indigenous Families (Page 10)

• Jordan’s Principle (2007), an effort to address the ongoing discrimination in child welfare, was established in 2007
• First Nations and Indigenous children faced discrimination when the Canadian government failed to fully implement the principles, in 2016, issues relating to underfunding, lack of preventative services were identified
• In 2024 a treaty was reached to compensate First Nations for the issues in child welfare, with an amount of more than 23 billion

Indigenous Families (Page 11)

• Matrimonial Real Property protects families and their interests during divorce, but Indigenous families have limited protections
• Specific examples were given for where families with Indigenous heritage are denied equitable access to property during family disputes
• The role of First Nations law-making bodies and their capacity is of importance in assisting disputes

Indigenous Families (Page 12)

• Reconciliation is like climbing a mountain
• Steps must be taken incrementally, acknowledging storms and obstacles
• COVID-19 exacerbated existing Indigenous health disparities
• Canada needs to recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the persistent health disparities affecting Indigenous peoples.
• The Indigenous peoples' experience with the pandemic provides a deeper look into the complexity of colonialism through history
• The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its 94 calls to action emphasize the necessity for decolonization

This quiz explores the historical and contemporary dynamics of Indigenous families in Canada. It covers the impact of the Residential School experience, differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, and traditional views on gender and mothering in Indigenous societies. Test your knowledge and understanding of these vital topics.