The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) is pleased to have the opportunity to present its views on priorities for the 2018 provincial budget to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. The BCTF represents 43,000 members who are teachers and associated professionals in public schools across British Columbia. The…

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) is pleased to have the opportunity to present its views on priorities for the 2017 provincial budget to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services (the Committee). The BCTF represents 41,000 members who are teachers and associated professionals in public schools across British…

France sought to assimilate Amerindians by racial intermixing as an instrument of empire. In doing so, France unwittingly prepared the way for a phenomenon which it did not want and would have disapproved of thoroughly: the development among the Metis of the Canadian Northwest of a sense of a separate identity, the spirit of the "New…

While social history has made great contributions to fur trade and native history, the article reflects upon the limitations of present approaches of recounting Canadian history. (ERB)

Following the invasion of the American Indian worlds by various European nation states, four centuries of colonization, subjugation, and intermingling have produced ample opportunity for the genesis and re-creation of bold new ethnicities and identities. An example is the Metis in the Great Lakes region. (Author/ERB)

In 1670 the British parliament granted a charter giving the Hudson's Bay Company a monopolistic right to trade furs in the lands draining into the Hudson and James Bays; this enactment would alter permanently the way of life of the native inhabitants of the fur-rich lands. The first fur trading post was Moose Factory. (ERB)

The Ombudsman for Alberta investigated five allegations raised by the Lubicon Lake Indian Band: (1) that provincial officials had deliberately allowed fires in the Band's traditional area to rage unchecked; (2) that provincial and oil company workers had been instructed to bulldoze deliberately Indian traplines and to scare game out of the area by…

The purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of legislation, federal and provincial, affecting Indian education in Canada. Throughout the paper the following developments are noted: under the British North America (BNA) Act, education was put under the jurisdictional control of the provinces while Indians were the responsibility of the…

This booklet introduces Canada's Multiculturalism Act which provides for a new government-wide commitment to the principles and policy objectives of multiculturalism. As an essential component of the Canadian identity, multiculturalism has been fundamental to nation building and has allowed Canadians to enjoy the benefits of life in a culturally…

Over half of Canadian Native elementary and secondary students attend public schools. In Ontario, legislative restrictions and the mechanics of the electoral system work against meaningful Native representation on boards of education. Legislative precedents for the provision of group representation for Native peoples are discussed. (Author/SV)

This booklet outlines Saskatchewan Department of Education policies concerning education of American Indian and Metis peoples. These policies are guided by four principles: full participation of Indian and Metis peoples in the educational system; recognition and adjustment by the educational system to cultural differences; cooperation and…

The Canadian government must move beyond its colonial mentality and provide First Nations with the tools to establish self-government as provided for under the authority of the Canadian constitution. Only then can First Nations governments properly provide for their citizens, both on and off reserve. More than half of the First Nations population…

Designed to renew the relationship between the Canadian government and the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, this action plan contains a statement of reconciliation, a statement of renewal, and four key objectives for action. First, renewing partnerships includes community-based healing to address the negative effects of the residential schools…

This book addresses the oppression and discrimination that indigenous populations face and discusses their efforts to regain basic rights to control their own cultural, economic, political, and social development. The first section discusses the social status and living conditions of indigenous populations in the Arctic (including Saamiland and…

Prepared as a working document for officials of the Alberta (Canada) government, this report reviews the Metis Betterment Act and regulations made under the Act with one goal being to ensure that any proposals for a new Act would place the major responsibility for the political, social, economic, and cultural development of the settlements firmly…