Indigenous Peoples In Canada Research Articles

Canada’s contemporary policy on Aboriginal education

The article analyzes the process of transformation of the educational system of the Indigenous peoples, the key factor of which is the policy of the Canadian government. Based on the analysis of documents and materials of the federal government of Canada and regional authorities, qantitative and qualitative characteristics of the modern educational status of Aboriginal peoples have been identified. Canada's Aboriginal education system has gone through a difficult path from destructive forms of education for culture, family and personality, to humane and careful attitude towards students, their national roots and traditions. The policy of compensating for the damage done in the past and supporting the Indigenous peoples in the field of education goes in several directions. Among them there are payments to those Aborigines who have suffered physically or mentally in boarding schools in the past; equalization of education levels of Indigenous peoples and other Canadians, support of Aboriginal languages and culture. The main tools in the implementation of modern government policy are increased funding for the education of the Indigenous population and the collaboration of the authorities with public organizations and Aboriginal communities.

Cumulative Effects of Industrial Development and Treaty 8 Infringements in Northeastern British Columbia: The Litigation Yahey v. BC (S151727) – Case Comment

On June 29, 2021, the BC Supreme Court issued the verdict of the Yahey v. British Columbia litigation (S151727). For the first time in Canadian legal history, a First Nation Band (BRFN – BlueBerry River First Nation) sued a provincial Government for the cumulative effects of industrial development intertwined with Treaty 8 infringements. The proceeding lasted for six years (2015–2021), with more than 160 days of trials and dozens of hours of affidavits sworn, and it resulted in a ground-breaking verdict. The Court recognised that in authorising industrial development, the Province had been unable to consider and deal with the cumulative impacts that projects had on the traditional lifestyle of BRFN members, besides breaching its obligation to BRFN under Treaty 8. This comment argues that by recognising that the Province cannot continue to authorise activities that breach Treaty 8 and Section 35 of the 1982 Constitution, the verdict may pave the way to a real implementation of the FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) in the BC legal framework. The ruling provides that the BC Government and the Band engage in meaningful consultation and negotiation to enforce mechanisms to assess and manage cumulative effects on the BRFN traditional territory. The parties were given six months to negotiate based on the litigation outcomes. On October 7, 2021, a preliminary agreement between the BRFN and the BC Province was signed. Important issues had been addressed throughout the trial. From confidentiality and the duty to consult in good faith to the constitutionality of Court hearing fees and the possibility to obtain other kinds of injunctions until the trial; the outcomes of this litigation may well be considered as a milestone to advance the Canadian legal framework, further recognising essential rights of Canadian Indigenous peoples in terms of Constitutional, social, and environmental justice.

Assessing the representation of species included within the Canadian Living Planet Index

To effectively combat the biodiversity crisis, we need ambitious targets and reliable indicators to accurately track trends and measure conservation impact. In Canada, the Living Planet Index (LPI) has been adapted to produce a national indicator by both World Wildlife Fund-Canada (Canadian Living Planet Index; C-LPI) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (Canadian Species Index) to provide insight into the status of Canadian wildlife, by evaluating temporal trends in vertebrate population abundance. The indicator includes data for just over 50% of Canadian vertebrate species. To assess whether the current dataset is representative of the distribution of life history characteristics of Canadian wildlife, we analyzed the representation of species-specific biotic variables (i.e., body size, trophic level, lifespan) for vertebrates within the C-LPI compared to native vertebrates lacking LPI data. Generally, there was considerable overlap in the distribution of biotic variables for species in the C-LPI compared to native Canadian vertebrate species lacking LPI data. Nevertheless, some differences among distributions were found, driven in large part by discrepancy in the representation of fishes—where the C-LPI included larger-bodied and longer-lived species. We provide recommendations for targeted data collection and additional analyses to further strengthen the applicability, accuracy, and representativity of biodiversity indicators.

Examining dynamic risk and strength profiles for Indigenous and non-Indigenous young adults

ABSTRACT Young adults are particularly at risk for involvement in the justice system relative to older adults. Little research specifically examines age-related differences in salience of dynamic risk and strength factor scores on recidivism (e.g. Spruit, A., van der Put, C., Gubbels, J., & Bindels, A. (2017). Age differences in the severity, impact and relative importance of dynamic risk factors for recidivism. Journal of Criminal Justice, 50, 69–77) and no research specifically examines this question in Indigenous Canadian adults. To address this gap, the current study examines the predictive accuracy and calibration of a risk-needs assessment tool, the Service Planning Instrument (SPIn), by age group and examines age-related differences in prevalence and salience of dynamic risk and strength scores on recidivism for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous male adults. The authors obtained SPIn assessment data completed over a 6-year period and recidivism data with a fixed 3-year follow-up for justice-involved male adults on community supervision in a single province in Canada (N = 16,596). Risk and strength profiles for Indigenous and non-Indigenous young adults were relatively similar. Age moderated the relationship between several dynamic risk and strength factor scores and recidivism for non-Indigenous individuals; no factors were moderated by age for Indigenous individuals.

How Alberta Education’s First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Policy Framework influence students attitudes towards the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

For decades, Indigenous education in Canada has implemented policies that provide a more culturally relevant curriculum for Indigenous students. It is thought that such a curriculum will improve morale and academic success in Indigenous students. Despite these efforts, a gap still exists between Indigenous students and their counterparts. Little attention has been given to the role that race and racism plays in the lives of Indigenous students. This study examines whether a need exists for race and racism to be addressed in the public school system. Using an Indigenous research methodology, a survey was administered to elicit non-Indigenous attitudes towards the Indigenous peoples of Canada. It was found that in the absence of an antiracist education, nonIndigenous students held negative perceptions of Indigenous peoples, as well as lacked an understanding of racism and its significance.

Safe Food, Dangerous Lands? Traditional Foods and Indigenous Peoples in Canada

There is a deep and troubling history on Turtle Island of settler authorities asserting control over traditional foods, market-based and other introduced foods for Indigenous peoples. Efforts to control Indigenous diets and bodies have resulted in direct impacts to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of Indigenous peoples. Food insecurity is not only a symptom of settler colonialism, but part of its very architecture. The bricks and mortar of this architecture are seen through the rules and regulations that exist around the sharing and selling of traditional or land-based foods. Risk discourses concerning traditional foods work to the advantage of the settler state, overlooking the essential connections between land and food for Indigenous peoples. This article explores the ways in which the Canadian settler state undermined and continues to undermine Indigenous food sovereignty through the imposition of food safety rules and regulations across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions.

Northern Rural and Indigenous Canadian Children’s Responses to an Open-ended Writing Task: Comparisons of Children in First and Second Year of Kindergarten

In this study, we offer a unique perspective of time spent in kindergarten and young children’s writing by presenting a multi-dimensional analysis of the writing of 72 children (5-years-old) living in northern communities in two Canadian provinces. We administered the Drawing, Writing, Talking Task (DWTT), a research-based classroom tool, in the fall and spring to children attending kindergarten in seven (six rural and one First Nations) schools. We assessed their writing in terms of their use of letters to write words, their spelling stage, and their intended content. Although the fall writing samples of children in their first year of kindergarten were significantly less developed than those of similar-aged children beginning their second year of kindergarten, by spring, the children’s writing was comparable. Our research adds to the literature on children’s learning and time spent in kindergarten by focusing on characteristics of young children’s writing, rather than test scores. Key words: writing assessment; early literacy; junior and senior kindergarten; Indigenous children’s literacy; rural children’s literacy Dans cette étude, nous offrons une perspective unique du temps passé à la maternelle et de l'écriture des jeunes enfants en présentant une analyse multidimensionnelle de l'écriture de 72 enfants âgés de 5 ans vivant dans des communautés nordiques de deux provinces canadiennes. Nous avons administré le Drawing, Writing, Talking Task (DWTT), un outil de classe basé sur la recherche, à l'automne et au printemps à des enfants fréquentant la maternelle dans sept écoles (six écoles rurales et une école des Premières nations). Nous avons évalué leur écriture en fonction de leur utilisation des lettres pour écrire des mots, de leur stade d'orthographe et du contenu visé. Bien que les échantillons d'écriture de l'automne des enfants en première année de maternelle étaient significativement moins développés que ceux d'enfants d'âge similaire commençant leur deuxième année de maternelle, au printemps, l'écriture des enfants était comparable. Notre recherche s'ajoute à la littérature sur l'apprentissage des enfants et le temps passé en maternelle en se concentrant sur les caractéristiques de l'écriture des jeunes enfants plutôt que sur les résultats des tests. Mots clés: évaluation de l'écriture; littératie précoce; maternelle et jardin d'enfants; littératie des enfants autochtones; littératie des enfants en milieu rural

The Structural Violence of Indigenous Suicide Prevention Policies in Canada

Indigenous peoples in Canada suffer from very high suicide rates of which there are various state-created programmes and efforts to combat. However, the variety of these programmes may be limited in their conceptions of Indigenous suicide. I predicted that by analysing existing suicide prevention policies and frameworks, I would find that they systematically place Indigenous peoples in vulnerable positions through the enforcement of Western ideals of health and suicide, thus providing inadequate support towards preventing suicide. This would constitute structural violence. I used a content analysis to analyse and code themes in suicide prevention policies in Canada. I found that suicide prevention policies perpetuate structural violence as these policies overwhelmingly conceive suicide as an outcome of poor mental health, based on colonial knowledge, which is economically self-serving to the state.

ICRE Top Research Abstracts

ICRE Top Research Abstracts

The True North Strong and Free? Casting Shadows on Whose History Students Learn in Canadian Universities

Race-based discrimination in Canada exists at the institutional and structural level. While acknowledging its existence is a crucial first step in eradicating this particular form of discrimination, an essential second step includes implementing structural changes at the institutional level in Canadian universities. In an effort to disrupt the Eurocentricity of knowledge production this commentary argues that the Canadian government’s official historical narrative that depicts Canada as being born of the pioneering spirit of British and French white settlers fails to capture the actual history of the country. Rather, it fosters the continuation of the supremacy of whiteness thereby causing significant harm through the perpetuation of racial bias. We argue that the history and contributions of Indigenous, Black, and Chinese Canadians, all of whom were in this country prior to confederation, should be told in a mandatory university course. Our findings indicate that while a number of universities have individual courses, usually electives and some graduate degrees on Indigenous, Black, and Chinese history, there is little offered from the Canadian context and certainly nothing that is a mandatory course requirement. In addition, we suggest compulsory university staff-wide anti-racism training; the ongoing hiring of professors and sessional instructors who are racially representative of the population of Canada; and community outreach, mentorship, and counselling programs that are designed to help students who are underrepresented in Canadian universities. In our opinion, we believe that these changes have the potential to provide a lens to disrupt settler colonial spaces, mobilize race in academic curricula, and encourage social justice actions that can offer a more inclusive learning environment.

Vaccine Hesitancy Is a Barrier to Achieving Equitable Herd Immunity Among Racial Minorities.

Introduction: Racial minority groups have been disproportionately affected by the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Vaccine hesitancy may be a major barrier to achieving equitable herd immunity and must be addressed to reduce the excess morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in disproportionately affected communities. This study aimed to determine if COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and its factors vaccine complacency and confidence, are more prominent among disproportionately affected racial minority groups.Methods:We collected data from participants aged 18 years or older from the four most populous U.S. states, including New York, California, Florida, and Texas, and Canada. Data were collected using a web-based survey platform. Data are available at http://www.covid19-database.com.Results:Data from 4,434 participants were included [mean (SD) age = 48.7 (17.2) and 50.4% women]. Vaccine hesitancy was higher in Black, Indigenous (Native American and Indigenous People of Canada, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis), and Latinx compared to White participants, while no difference was found between East Asian and White participants. The group differences in vaccine hesitancy for Indigenous and Black compared to White participants remained after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Determinants of vaccine complacency were equivalent between disproportionately affected racial groups and white participants. Vaccine confidence (i.e., trust in vaccine benefit) was generally lower in all racial groups compared to White participants. Differences in vaccine mistrust comparing Black and East Asian to White participants remained after controlling for sociodemographic factors.Discussion:Disproportionately affected racial minorities may have higher vaccine hesitancy and lower confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Public health and other relevant government services should address vaccine hesitancy among racial minorities using a culturally sensitive, community-centered approach to attain equitable herd immunity.

An integrative review of Indigenous informal caregiving in the context of dementia care.

To appraise the empirical literature on the needs of Indigenous informal caregivers caring for people living with dementia in Indigenous communities. Whittemore and Knafl's updated approach to integrative reviews, PRISMA guidelines, and CASP checklists for narrative analysis were followed. A systematic search of published empirical literature from January 2010 to August 2020 was undertaken in six databases. Fifty-one studies met the research question and the inclusion criteria. Five themes describe the findings: Decolonizing Western perspectives on dementia, the centrality of cultural safety, caregivers' experiences, pre-dementia community education and family and community-centred care emerged from the thematic analysis. Most of the studies used quantitative methodologies, and few studies were conducted using community-based approaches. This review shows that Indigenous caregiving represents an emerging field in nursing and health sciences in a context of a global crisis. Researchers need to focus on Indigenous values and voices to adapt care and support informal caregivers. Our review emphasizes that working with Indigenous communities will likely translate into new care delivery models, policies and practices to support Indigenous informal caregivers and address the specific social determinants impacting caregivers' roles and tasks. This review highlights the necessity of having community and family-based discussions on enhancing the delivery of dementia care for Indigenous peoples in Canada and worldwide. Decolonizing Western perspectives of dementia translate into culturally safe approaches that aim to integrate Indigenous cultural perspectives of holism, reciprocity, wisdom, respect of older people and relationality into nursing practice. The support of Indigenous informal caregivers requires future studies to address the stigmatizing Western views of dementia.

‘Frog’s umbrella’ and ‘ghost’s face powder’: the cultural roles of mushrooms and other fungi for Canadian Indigenous Peoples

This paper describes the importance of fungi to Canadian Indigenous Peoples. Based on collaborative research with Indigenous knowledge holders and a review of literature, approximately 30–40 fungi are documented as having cultural roles for Canadian Indigenous groups. Some peoples have not eaten mushrooms traditionally, whereas others have a history of harvesting, cooking, storing, and trading mushrooms for their diets. Perennial tree fungi have application as tinder, fire starter, and for carving masks. They also have a range of medicinal uses, some being consumed as medicinal teas, and others applied externally, in some cases by moxibustion to relieve underlying pain. Puffballs also have a range of material and medicinal applications, especially for stopping haemorrhages. Fungi are widely known for spiritual or sacred associations and play key roles in rituals, ceremonies, stories, and beliefs, which are also reflected in the names of some species. The antiquity of peoples’ relationships with fungi is likely very deep, extending back to ancient Asian or European ancestors of Pleistocene times, whose descendants on those continents have used them in similar ways. Fungi continue to play important roles for Indigenous Peoples today, with some being harvested commercially, and many still used in traditional ways.

“I Think of my Classroom as a Place of Healing”: Experiences of Indigenous Students in a Community-Based Master of Education Program in Saskatchewan

An increase in the number of Indigenous teachers and education administrators is an important way to help improve Indigenous educational outcomes. However, while Indigenous teacher education programs in western Canada are registering increasing enrolments, master of education programs that prioritize Indigenous perspectives and pedagogies are rare in Canada. Using conversational method, this study examines experiences of six Indigenous students in a community-based master of education program that is a first of its kind in western Canada. The program is delivered by an Indigenous institution in partnership with a public university. The study is grounded in an Indigenous paradigm, namely, the Nehinuw (Cree) concepts of teaching and learning. Content analysis of data revealed five themes and sub-themes: (a) self-doubt; (b) a feeling of guilt as a result of family-work-school conflict; (c) self-advocacy; (d) re/connection with self, culture, and heritage; and (e) professional transformation. In general, a master of education degree is a requirement for educational administration positions including vice principal, principal, and superintendent. Understanding and acting upon the kinds of strategies that could enhance the success of Indigenous students in graduate programs is a key policy step in addressing the existing gaps in educational attainment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

Who are the “Aboriginal Peoples of Canada”? Case Comment on R. v. Desautel, 2021 SCC 17

This Case Comment was first published on the First Peoples Law website at https://www.firstpeopleslaw.com/public-education/blog/who-are-the-aboriginal-peoples-of-canada-case-comment-on-r-v-desautel-2021-scc-17. This and more than forty other essays will be included in Bruce McIvor’s forthcoming book Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It (Harbour Publishing).

R. Aída Hernández Castillo, Suzi Hutchings & Brian Noble (dir.), Transcontinental Dialogues. Activist Alliances with Indigenous Peoples of Canada, Mexico, and Australia

Transcontinental Dialogues es un potente libro publicado en el 2019, potente no solo porque reune y reconstruye las alianzas establecidas en tres paises (Canada, Mexico y Australia), entre activistas indigenas, antropologos no-indigenas y antropologos de origen indigena, en torno a los derechos humanos, apuntando fuertes convergencias transnacionales, asi como las diferencias que caracterizan a cada uno de los contextos historicos y geopoliticos analizados. Potente tambien porque la identidad...

Prevalence of and risk factors for excess weight gain in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study using survey data.

Background:Maternal weight gain during pregnancy is required for fetal development; however, excess gestational weight gain is associated with increased maternal and neonatal morbidity. We aimed to determine the proportion of Canadian women who gained excess weight during pregnancy and to identify risk factors for excess gestational weight gain.Methods:Self-reported data on maternal weight gain were collected from the 2015/16 and 2017/18 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), a cross-sectional population-based survey. We included females aged 15 to 54 years with data on height, prepregnancy weight and gestational weight gain. We defined excess gestational weight gain in terms of preconception body mass index (BMI) according to the 2009 guideline of the US Institute of Medicine. We used logistic regression to evaluate potential risk factors for excess gestational weight gain.Results:Of 1 335 615 Canadian women (weighted from approximately 9300 survey respondents), 422 043 (32%) gained excess weight during pregnancy. Women with obesity had 33% lower odds of gaining excess weight relative to women with overweight (odds ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.48–0.94). Risk factors for excess gestational weight gain were lower education level, white or Indigenous identity, smoking, mood disorder, anxiety disorder and Canadian citizenship.Interpretation:One-third of Canadian women in this survey had excess gestational weight gain during pregnancy, and women with obesity had lower odds of gaining excess weight during pregnancy relative to women with overweight. Strategies are needed to reduce the proportion of Canadian women who gain excess weight during pregnancy, regardless of preconception BMI.

Barriers to Including Indigenous Content in Canadian Health Professions Curricula

Indigenous peoples in Canada continue to face health care inequities despite their increased risk for various negative health outcomes. Evidence suggests that health professions students and faculty do not feel their curriculum adequately prepares learners to address these inequities. The aim of this study was to identify barriers that hinder the inclusion of adequate Indigenous content in curricula across health professions programs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 faculty members at a university in Canada from various health disciplines. Employing thematic analysis, four principal barriers were identified: (1) the limited number and overburdening of Indigenous faculty, (2) the need for non-Indigenous faculty training and capacity, (3) the lack of oversight and direction regarding curricular content and training approaches, and (4) the limited amount of time in curriculum and competing priorities. Addressing these barriers is necessary to prepare learners to provide equitable health care for Indigenous peoples.
 Keywords: Indigenous health, health professions, curricula, faculty perspectives, barriers, Canada

Graphic Reminders: Confronting Colonialism in Canada through Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story

David Alexander Robertson’s 2015 graphic novel Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story connects non-Indigenous Canadians to the racial realities of Canada’s intentionally forgotten past. Robertson translates Helen Betty Osborne’s biography into the accessible format of the graphic novel which allows for a wide range of readers to connect present day racial injustices to the past, generating new understandings surrounding violence against Indigenous peoples in Canada. Helen Betty Osborne, a young female Cree student was abducted and murdered in 1971, targeted for her race and gender. The horrors Betty experienced reveal the connection between her story and the contemporary narrative of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada. Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story deconstructs Betty’s life from the violence she is subjected to, personifying a historical figure. The graphic novel allows for a visual collision of past and present to express the cycle of colonial violence in Canada ignored by non-Indigenous Canadians despite its continued socio-economic and political impact on Indigenous peoples. As an Indigenous author, Robertson preserves the integrity of Indigenous voice and revives an integral gendered and racialized historical perspective that is necessary to teach. This close reading of Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story explores how Robertson uses the graphic novel to revive history and in doing so, demonstrates connections between past and present patterns of racial injustice against Indigenous women in Canada today.

Truth and reconciliation in Canada's health system

The discoveries in 2021 of the remains of children on the grounds of former Indian residential schools across Canada has unearthed a truth about these schools that has long been known by Indigenous peoples in Canada. Many non-Indigenous peoples, including health-care providers, were shocked by the horrific findings and have a new understanding of the urgency for reconciliation.