SWC-Chapter11_Social-Work-with-Aboriginal

SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA

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An Introduction

Third Edition

Chapter 11: Social Work with Aboriginal Peoples

Chapter 11:

Social Work and Aboriginal Peoples

Social Work In Canada

Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.


 Who Are the Aboriginal Peoples?

 The Colonial Legacy

 The Indian Act

 Residential School System

 Government Policy Objectives

 Income Security and Health Care

 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples

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 Aboriginal Social Work Practice

 Holistic Healing

 Integrating an Aboriginal Approach

 Urban Social Services for Aboriginal Peoples

 Towards Aboriginal Self-Government

 Grassroots Aboriginal Organizations

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Who Are the Aboriginal Peoples?

Aboriginal Peoples

Collective term for original inhabitants of Canada; includes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

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The First Nations

Include culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse groups of people – some examples are the

Cree, Dene, and Mi’kmaq peoples.

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Inuit

Aboriginal peoples of Canada “that have traditionally used and occupied, and currently use and occupy, the lands and waters” ranging from the Yukon, Northwest

Territories, and Nunavut to northern Quebec (Nunavik) and Labrador (Nunatsiavut).

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Métis

Refers to the descendants of the historic Métis—those whose origin can be traced back to the Red River in the early 1800s. Now located mainly in the prairies and the north, they formed a language and culture, which was a unique blend of First Nations and European cultures.

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The Colonial Legacy

Colonialism

Forced political domination of one nation over another including administrative, economic, and cultural control.

This policy was adopted by settlers and amounted to nothing less than an attempt to subjugate Aboriginal peoples.

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The Colonial Legacy

Colonialism cont’d

As a direct result, to this day living conditions and income levels for the Aboriginal communities and those living off reserve continue to be lower than for the rest of Canada.

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The Indian Act

 The Indian Act of 1876 sought strictly to define who would be considered an Indian so as to exert government authority over Aboriginal peoples.

 The Act fragmented Aboriginal populations into distinct groups with different rights, restrictions, and obligations .

 As a consequence, Canada today is one of the few countries to have separate laws for a specific group based on race or ethnicity.

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The Indian Act

Assimilationist Policies

 The social control aspects of the Indian Act placed

Canada’s First Nations firmly in the position of a colonized people.

 The Canadian government saw the Indian Act as a temporary measure to control Aboriginal peoples until they had been fully assimilated through enfranchisement.

 Assimilation refers to the absorbing of one cultural group into another.

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The Indian Act

The Reserve System

 Once land was ceded and Canadian settlements had been established, Aboriginal peoples were shunted onto small parcels of land.

 This land could not be used as collateral to develop business ventures, since that land was held “in trust” by the government.

 The federal government established the Department of

Indian Affairs to regulate and control Aboriginal movement and ways of living.

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The Indian Act

The Métis and Inuit

 Métis were given a choice of aligning themselves to certain treaty areas or they could “take scrip.”

 Scrip system entitled bearer of scrip certificate to land or money; in exchange, the person who took the scrip gave up all further claims to land.

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The Indian Act

The Métis and Inuit

 The Inuit were never formally given land for their use, nor were any treaties signed.

 Government used a disk list system for administrative purposes, assigning each Inuk a number identification rather than his or her Inuktitut name.

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Residential School System

 Established in the mid-1900s by Indian Affairs in conjunction with several Christian churches.

 Aboriginal children were removed from their communities and placed in residential schools.

 By restricting Aboriginal culture and language, residential schools sought to fulfill assimilationist policies of the government.

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Residential School System

 Children denied their language, spiritual rituals, and access to their families.

 In 2007, an out-of-court settlement between the

Government of Canada, the churches, and the Aboriginal peoples of Canada was established.

 In 2008, the federal government formally apologized to

Aboriginal peoples.

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The Sixties Scoop

Massive removal of Aboriginal children in the 1960s from their families and placement in non-Aboriginal foster and adoptive homes.

By the late 1970s, one in seven Status Indian children was not in the care of his or her parents.

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Aboriginal Child Welfare Agencies

Many Aboriginal child care agencies have adopted placement protocols that specify the following placement preferences:

1. Extended family

2. Aboriginal members of the same community

3. Alternative Aboriginal caregivers

4. Non-Aboriginal caregiver

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Government Policy Objectives

Historically, the major goals of national government public policy towards Aboriginal peoples have been:

 Protection

 Assimilation

 Christianization

 Land surrender

 Government authority

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Income Security and Health Care

 The first universal and statutory old age pension was enacted in 1927

(excluded Indians and Inuit, but included Métis)

 The first Unemployment Insurance Act was passed in 1940

(excluded Aboriginal peoples)

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Income Security and Health Care

 Health care was provided by non-Aboriginal practitioners

 Little or no sensitivity to differing cultural and social systems

 The Indian Act outlawed spiritual ceremonies

 Indigenous healing methods thought to be ineffective

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Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples

 Released in 1966

 Result of six years of research and public consultation on

Aboriginal issues

 440 recommendations

 Dealt with the rebalancing of power between Aboriginal nations and Canadian governments

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Five key themes:

1.

Aboriginal nations reconstituted

2.

Establish process for assumption of powers by Aboriginal nations

3.

Reallocation of lands and resources

4.

Aboriginal people need education and crucial skills for governance and economic self-reliance

5.

Economic development

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Initiatives to improve effectiveness of health and social service programs will need to take many forms:

 Employment equity-inspired hiring policies

 Specialized Aboriginal units staffed by Aboriginal employees

 Cross-cultural education programs for non-Aboriginal staff

 Aboriginal input into mainstream programs and decisions

 Aboriginal customary practices included in the services offered

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Aboriginal Social Work Practice

Development of an Aboriginal approach to social work practice is consistent with four key principles:

 Distinct Aboriginal world view

 Impact of colonialism

 Cultural knowledge and traditions

 Aboriginal empowerment

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Holistic Healing

 Traditionally, many Aboriginal people have used some form of “healing circle”

 Circle is representative of the fact that we are all one and that the entire universe is connected

 Another basic teaching common to many First Nations is the four sacred directions of North, South, East, and West

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Holistic Healing

Sacred directions are symbols of holistic healing embodying the four elements of whole health:

 Spiritual health

 Mental health

 Physical health

 Emotional health

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Integrating an Aboriginal Approach

Empowering communities:

The Atikamekw Nation example

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Urban Social Services

 Many Canadians think of Aboriginal people living on reserves or in rural areas

 However…a great many Aboriginal people in

Canada live in cities and towns

 Only a few urban centres offer distinct Aboriginal social services

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Towards Aboriginal Self-Government

National organizations representing and uniting

Aboriginal groups:

 The Assembly of First Nations

 The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

 The Métis National Council

 Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

 Native Women’s Association of Canada

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Grassroots Aboriginal Organizations

In addition to national organizations, grassroots organizations are taking responsibility for administration of social programs:

 Example of Anduhyaun

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Websites

 Aboriginal Canada Portal www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca

 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ap/rrc-eng.asp

 Aboriginal Policy Research Conference www.aprc-crmpa.ca

 First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada www.fncfcs.com

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Questions for Discussion

Why do you think Métis were included in the first universal and statutory old age pension in 1927, but First Nations and Inuit were not?

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What types of changes in federal policy and programming might occur if the minister of Indian and Northern Affairs were First Nations, Métis, or

Inuit?

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Describe the Assembly of First Nations. What is its purpose? What is its funding source? What are the implications for such a funding structure?

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Why is an understanding of colonialism important to Canada’s First Nations? Discuss how this translates into practice principles and action.

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Discuss three ways that the Indian Act has shaped the relationship between the Canadian government and Aboriginal people.

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