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1763 Royal Proclamation
The 1763 royal proclamation was a document that prevented any further settlement across North America until treaties had been negotiated with aboriginal peoples. The document also recognized that aboriginals had organized nations within their own lands. The royal proclamation was also the basis for modern aboriginal land claims. -
1830 Reserve System
In 1830 aboriginal people were forced onto reservations because they were considered to be blocking future settlement of British North America. Reserves are lands that are owned and controlled by the government but set aside for aboriginal people. While the reserves are often located in areas tribes had long occupied they were much smaller. The reserves also limited aboriginal people in certain aspects of Canadian society such as the economy. -
1876 Indian Act
The Indian Act was the Canadian government's way of assimilating aboriginal people into mainstream Canadian culture by forcing them to give up their culture and traditions. The government used Residential Schools to help teach aboriginal children how to behave in white society and forget about their aboriginal heritage. The Act had some advantages such as medical care, school, hunting rights and annual treaty payments to aboriginal people. -
1960 Aboriginal Right to Universal Suffrage
In 1960 Aboriginal people finally achieved universal suffrage throughout Canada by being granted the right to vote in federal elections. -
1968 National Indian Brotherhood & Native Council of Canada Formed
The National Indian Brotherhood was a civil group for aboriginal people. The National Indian Brotherhood brought attention to issues within the aboriginal communities such as housing, health care and economic development. It established itself as a powerful voice for status aboriginal people in Canada. -
1969 White Paper
The Canadian government introduced a white paper to address the the issues in aboriginal communities such as poverty and unemployment. The white paper proposed that aboriginal people should no longer have special status or live on reserves. The idea was that equality was necessary to solve the aboriginal problems. -
Residential school system
Two primary objectives of the residential school system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, “to kill the Indian in the child.” Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country. -
Movement toward self government
Many Aboriginal people in the province and the country see self-government as a way to preserve their culture and attain greater control over their land, resources. Aboriginal groups argue they have an inherent right to self-government because they were the first people to govern Canada and did not willingly surrender their autonomy to European settlers; this argument is supported by the Canadian Constitution and was acknowledged by the federal government in 1995. -
Assembly of the First Nations
The assembly of first nations was created to represent aboriginal people in their dealings with the government. The First Nations bands were represented by their respective chiefs. The assembly eventually started to talk about self-government and this would allow aboriginals to control their education, justice system, and resources. -
Passing of bill C-31
The passing of bill C-31 allowed aboriginal band councils to decide who had the right to live on aboriginal land reserves. This is significant because this gave aboriginal bands more power. This rise of power led to people questioning what other powers should be given to bands from the federal government. -
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Oka standoff
The Oka standoff was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people who claimed the land and the town of Oka, Quebec. The dispute was between land which the Mohawk people believed belonged to them while the town wanted to expand a golf course. The dispute lasted 78 days and one officer was shot and killed. This is significant because it was the first public standoff between native people and the government of Canada. -
Nisga'a treaty
Officials of both the federal and provincial governments, meanwhile, lauded last week's tentative settlement. It would, they said, pave the way for similar deals with other natives, most of whom never signed treaties with the Crown and whose combined land claims actually exceed the total area of British Columbia. The draft deal with the Nisga'a faces intense hostility from other aboriginals and from the province's political opposition, albeit for entirely different reasons. -
Ipperwash crisis
The Ipperwash crisis was on land that was claimed by the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. There was a military base on the land and the government agreed after requests to close the camp and return the land, however, personnel and equipment remained on the land. This led to a confrontation that resulted in the death of an aboriginal protester: Dudley George. -
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Gustafsen Lake Standoff
The standoff was between the RCMP and the Ts'peten Defenders of the interior in BC. The Ts'peten Defenders claimed the land which they believed was ceremonial and lead to the standoff that lasted 31 days and resulted in the death of a dog. This is significant because it was a very costly operation to the RCMP since it involved 400 police officers. -
statement of reconciliation
the Canadian government issued a "Statement of Reconciliation" contained within a document entitled Gathering Strength – Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan. This is an excerpt from that document -
Delgamuukw case
After years of failed negotiations with the provincial government, the hereditary chiefs of both First Nations filed a land title action with the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The Indigenous nations wanted to protect the land from logging and to have the province officially recognize their title as well as award compensation for any loss of land. The two First Nations jointly launched the action against the government but they each claimed title over distinct lands. -
Creation of nunavut
the Northwest Territories divides into two territories to allow for the creation of Nunavut. The creation of Nunavut is testament to the strength of Inuit political leaders and to the flexibility of Canadian political institutions. Everything from new symbols on flags and licence plates to new buildings to house a legislative assembly to new electoral districts and election of a new governing territorial assembly has been prepared in anticipation of this moment.
