Ans the following question in-brief essay form (20 lines each) : 1. Describe the importance of the Royal Proclamation of 1763. 2. What role does terminology play in terms of understanding Indigenous P

Unit 1

The Place of Native Studies in the Curriculum

Native Studies provides students at the University of Manitoba with a broad range of knowledge related to Indigenous peoples. The purpose of Native Studies courses is to help students better understand Indigenous issues of public interest discussed at the local, regional, and national levels. In this course you will develop the skills necessary to discuss issues and participate in public discourse. Through their involvement in Native studies, you will increase your awareness and understanding of the history, cultures, world views, and contributions of Indigenous peoples in Canada and develop skills necessary to discuss these issues. This course will also provide you with opportunities to enhance your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills which are important to continued study in post-secondary education, the world of work, and your role as an active Canadian citizen. By its very nature, Native Studies is integrative or interdisciplinary. For example, when you examine the terms of a treaty negotiated by an Indigenous nation with the Crown (federal government), you are combining both Native Studies and History. Similarly when you use the works of Indigenous writers to study the theme of renewal, you are combining Native Studies and English. You should also note, this is a W rated course therefore an important part of your learning and assessment in this course is your writing.

In this Native studies course, you will examine the cultures and history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. What is currently Canada is the land of origin for Indigenous peoples, and the history of Canada begins with them. As the first people of this land, Indigenous peoples are unique in and integral to Canada's mosaic. Thus, exploration of the development and contributions of Indigenous societies is central to an understanding of the social fabric of this country.

The three Indigenous groups in Canada recognized by law (Constitution Act) are First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. First Nations people appear on the Indian register (Indian Act) in Ottawa. Each person whose name appears on the Indian register is a registered Indian, who has been assigned a registration number and is considered to be a Status Indian under the Indian Act. They may or may not belong to a band. Those who do not belong to a band are on a general list. Those who do belong to a band have their name and number on a band list. The Indian Act applies only to these people. If a non-Aboriginal child is adopted by registered Indian parents, the child legally becomes an Indian. Since 1985, if one of the parents is not a Status Indian, the child has 6(2) status, which is reduction from the 6(1) status granted to those who have two Status Indian parents. People with 6(2) status cannot pass on Indian status if their child has one non-Status parent. Those who are not registered in Ottawa under the Indian Act, are considered to be Non-Status Indians. The Inuit are recognized as Indigenous people and are registered in Ottawa, but the Indian Act does not apply to the Inuit. The Inuit do not have reserves. They have received Indigenous title to the lands in the North that are recognized as belonging to them by the federal and territorial governments.

The Métis are recognized as an Indigenous group in Canada under the Constitution. Legal recognition is so recent (1982) that the courts have not yet passed rulings on what rights apply to the Métis as a distinct group within Canada.

The Métis were originally descended from intermarriages between First Nations and Europeans in times of early contact, but many Métis today have Métis ancestors going back several generations. The Métis are a distinct Indigenous nation; when discussing the Métis, emphasize nationhood, rather than biology (e.g. "mixed-blood" or "mixedness"). A Métis may have the stereotypical appearance of an Indigenous person, or appear non-Indigenous, or have a mixture of characteristics. The Métis do not have the same status as First Nations or Inuit. The Indian Act does not apply to the Métis. However, many Métis have suffered from discrimination because of their First Nations or Métis heritage (which will be discussed in later unit 8). First Nations people belong to distinct cultural groups referred to as Nations. Some of these cultural groups or Nations are similar while others are different (we will be discussing some of the various Nations in Unit 2). Certain First Nations people may have extensive knowledge about their culture, practicing and living it daily (e.g., living by a traditional code of ethics as implied in the ancient teachings). Others may live in much the same way as their non-Indigenous neighbours, having assimilated into the culture of the majority. Individuals may have assimilated either by circumstance or by choice.

Many non-Registered Indians (Non-Status Indians) may have First Nations characteristics, and may identify with the heritage of a specific group or Nation. Though, they may not be registered Indians, they may have First Nations identified features and follow traditional ways. (They have the characteristics of First Nations people, but are not recognized as having Indian status.). A person born to Métis parents, however, may have been raised by First Nations grandparents. This individual may share the culture and appearance of a First Nations person, but would not be recognized as having Indian status. As the different cultural group members meet individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds and produce children, the possible combinations of legal, cultural, and racial backgrounds become increasingly complex.

Six geographic areas populated by Indigenous peoples of common cultures existed in what is now Canada at the time of first contact with Europeans. The areas and examples of the peoples who lived in them are:

• Northwest Coast (e.g., Salish, Haida)

• Plateau (e.g., Kootenay)

• Plains (e.g., Blackfoot, Plains Cree)

• Sub-Arctic (e.g., Dene, Swampy & Rocky Cree)

• Eastern Woodlands (e.g., Anishinaabe, Micmac)

• Arctic (e.g., Inuit)

1. Dakota

2. Anishinaabe (Ojibway)

3. Nehiyaw (Cree)

4. Oji-Cree

5. Dene

1. Metis

2. Inuit

The diversity of the Indigenous population has led to the creation of a wide variety of Indigenous political and interest groups, including the following:

• the Assembly of First Nations (representing Status Indian peoples)

• the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (Representing Non-Status Indian peoples)

• the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Representing Inuit peoples)

• the Métis National Council (Representing Métis peoples in the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta & British Columbia)

• the Native Women’s Association of Canada (Representing Indigenous women from across Canada)

Circles represent important principles in the Indigenous worldview and belief systems –namely, interconnectedness, equality, and continuity. According to traditional teaching, the seasonal pattern of life and renewal and the movement of animals and people were continuous, like a circle, which has no beginning and no end. Circles suggest inclusiveness and the lack of a hierarchy. They are found throughout nature – for instance, in the movement of the seasons and the sun's movement from east to west during the day. Circles are also used in the construction of tipis and sweat lodges; and the circular willow hoop, medicine wheel, and dream catcher are powerful symbols. Talking circles symbolize completeness and equality. All circle participants' views must be respected and listened to. All comments directly address the question or the issue, not the comments another person has made. In the circle, an object that symbolizes connectedness to the land – for example, a stick, a stone, or a feather – can be used to facilitate the circle. Only the person holding the "talking stick" has the right to speak. Participants can indicate their desire to speak by raising their hands. Going around the circle systematically gives everyone the opportunity to participate. Silence is also acceptable – any participant can choose not to speak.

TRADITION: Different but Similar

The Algonquian (Cree, Anishinaabe, Micmac, etc.) and Iroquoian (Seneca, Mohawk, Huron, etc.) groups are broad, language-based groups. Within each group, there are a number of different nations. Languages and dialects differ among the nations, depending on their location and traditional knowledge, and their ways of life may also vary slightly.

CUSTOM: Multi-Cultural

It is important for students to realize, when they are comparing and contrasting groups, that cultural groups were not and continue not to be homogeneous entities. First Nation peoples, French settlers, French fur traders, and English fur traders were as diverse within their group as they were cross-culturally. Cultural similarities were not the only factors that came into play when different First Nation groups were deciding with whom they would align. Some of the variables included, but were not limited to, geographic proximity, language, lifestyle, the degree to which First Nation groups chose to convert to Christianity, and the degree to which groups saw themselves as useful to one another's goals.

FACT: Indigenous and Mainstream Media

In the past, mainstream media have often misrepresented Indigenous peoples. Media portrayals of Indigenous peoples (such as the "Wild West Indian", "protesting warrior", and sports team mascots) can sometimes be offensive to First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Ontario. Today, Indigenous people combat stereotypes by creating their own media on radio, on television, and in print. Many Indigenous media sources, such as the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and local Indigenous community radio stations, magazines, and newspapers, attempt to paint an accurate, contemporary picture of Indigenous peoples.

TRADITION: Giving Thanks

In their thanksgiving celebrations, Indigenous people show gratefulness through prayers of thanks for the abundant gifts and provisions (animals, plants, water, etc.) the Creator has given them.

FACT: Aboriginal Contributions to Technology and Invention

People invent and discover technologies to meet their wants and needs. Indigenous people have made many contributions to Canada and the world through their invention of such things as petroleum jelly, chewing gum, the canoe, and snowshoes, and the growing of corn, beans and squash (plants that did not exist in Europe until after contact). Indigenous people's inventions have allowed them to survive in their environments for centuries, and have contributed to the contemporary world.

CUSTOM: Food Preservation

Every group of people throughout the world has developed ways of storing food for future use. While early hunters and gatherers sometimes enjoyed plentiful and nutritious food, during periods of drought and times when access to food was limited for other reasons, they experienced famine and malnutrition. Gradually they developed preservation techniques that allowed them to store food for use during times when fresh food would not be available. People learned to preserve food by drying it – a process that allowed them to maintain a stable and varied supply of food. Since dried food is much lighter than fresh food, this preservation method had the added advantages of being ideal for journeys, such as a buffalo hunt, and easier to transport for trading purposes.

FACT: Current and Historical Issues: Indigenous and Treaty Rights

As the original inhabitants of what is now Canada, First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people have a variety of Indigenous and treaty rights, including land rights and the right to maintain their culture. These existing rights are protected by the Constitution Act, 1982. Numerous Aboriginal records (such as wampum belts, oral tradition) and non-Indigenous documents (such as written treaties, acts, laws, proclamations, and agreements) outline Indigenous peoples' rights in Canada. The rights of Indigenous peoples have come into conflict with the rights of the non-Indigenous majority on numerous occasions. There are many instances, both contemporary and historical, in which Indigenous peoples' rights have been denied (e.g., loss of rights for Indigenous women; rights to land, voting, and natural resources).

(write approx. 400 words)

• What is Native Studies?

Throughout this unit, you have learned about the core concepts of Native Studies, stereotypes, differences in terminology, and a host of other topics related to the general field of Native Studies and the experiences of Indigenous peoples.  In this unit reflection, please consider what Native Studies is (beyond just reciting what Kulchyski argues in his article) and why this field may or may not be important in contemporary Canadian society.