The narratives of how Canada came to be are only now beginning to acknowledge the fundamental contributions that Aboriginal people have made to the formation of Canada as we know it. ~ Erasmus, Georges
Click on thumbnail to access the Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples
Objectives:
What are the issues facing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada today, and why should they matter to Canadians?
What are the issues of history (e.g., dishonoured treaties, theft of Aboriginal lands, suppression of Aboriginal cultures, abduction of Aboriginal children, impoverishment and disempowerment of Aboriginal peoples) as identified in the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples?
What have been the consequences of these issues (i.e., how have these issues affected the quality of life of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, as well as the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians?
Why should these issues matter to all Canadians?
Activity:
In small groups, students brainstorm a list of issues facing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. (Note: You may prompt students by providing examples of issues, such as children in foster care, suicide, diabetes, etc.) Groups present their lists to the class. On a flip chart, a master list is created including all of the ideas from each group. Students decide which three issues they feel are the most important.
Students view a video about the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) such as No Turning Back: The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples by the National Film Board. In a talking circle, students discuss their thoughts and feelings about the video. Students complete a reflection journal entry.
Click on thumbnail to access NFB Film
No Turning Back: The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
National Film Board of Canada. Directed by Gregory Coyes. Narrated by Tina Keeper. Studio One: the Aboriginal Studio of the National Film Board of Canada, 1996 (47 min 23 s).
This documentary is an introduction to the work of the RCAP. In 1990, Canada and the international community were made aware of Aboriginal issues through the events at Oka, Quebec. Seven months later, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney established RCAP, which travelled to more than 100 communities to hear submissions from over 1000 Aboriginal representatives. Through testimony from these groups and individuals, documentary and archival footage, and interviews with commission members, viewers learn of the history of the relationship between First Nations peoples and the Canadian government, and of the issues and problems that First Nations peoples are dealing with today. IRU #2082 Grade 10 (age 15) and up.