The First Nations of Canada

By writing this paper I hope to provide the reader with an indepth understanding of the relationships between Native and non-Native people in Canada. It is my contention that the majority of non-Native individuals do not view the Native peoples as being equal persons. The reason for this is simply because the value system within which non-Aboriginal persons have been educated has subjugated their true nature to the extent that Native cultures are regarded as intruders when viewed from a Western perspective.

This does not mean to imply that individuals in both societies have a tendency to despise one another, for experience has shown me that this is certainly not the case. Yet, there is seemingly an ‘us against them’ attitude prevalent within non-Aboriginal Canadian society when issues concerning Native peoples are addressed and it is the underpinnings of this attitude which I hope to explore within the pages of this paper.

As could be expected, it is the differences in value systems which seem to be one of the contributing factors to the rift separating Western society from Native society. This is understandable to some extent when one considers that the Western world view is predominant and therefore affects the majority of Canadians in one manner or another as a collectivity of individuals, but it does not explain the indifference shown towards Native persons by the majority of the Canadian non-Aboriginal community. Are not the Native peoples a component of that collectivity even though their distinctness may invariably portray them as being different?

In this paper I hope to address the notion of changing values systems, that is to say that throughout history value systems were imposed upon individuals by both state and church. These imposed notions of what was to be considered proper value oriented beliefs and actions eventually usurped the fundamental values basic to each individual and hence to Western society collectively. It has brought us to a point where values are now, for the most part, based upon material gain and individual freedom as opposed to concern for community as a conglomerate of individuals being the predominant basis for value system construction.

The emphasis in Canada today is placed upon the accumulation of wealth and the acquisition of property, which are seemingly the foundation for the improvement of living conditions for an individual or an individual and his or her family members.

Since this contemporary ‘way of life’ demands that an individual’s attention and energy be primarily focused on employment it can be noted that this effort is taking away from valuable time spent with family members. In an exceptionally large portion of Canadian society both parents in a family are involved in providing for the welfare of the family and this leaves considerable less time to devote to children, aging parents, and close acquaintances. Moreover, this individualism seems to leave little room for concern towards issues which do not directly affect the individual, his or her immediate family, or their personal acquainances.

When Native peoples and Native issues are viewed by such individuals from this perspective it can be noted that Native peoples seem to be very low on their list of priorities. Native issues do not command the attention due them simply because non-Aboriginal persons attend very little value to these issues since the more demanding concerns of family and near acquaintances require immediate attention.

In this context, the majority of the non-Aboriginal population of Canada have no time to be concerned about Native issues. They, as a population, leave this problem in the hands of duly elected government officials and are not personally fully aware of the position of the Native Peoples of Canada.

Aboriginal peoples seem to have no position in the value system of contemporary Western society and if we consider kindness, compassion, caring, neighborliness, equality, and sympathy to be parts of this value system; we must question why it is that Native people seem to be ignored by such a system?

Why is it that Native people are regarded as having problems, which cost the Canadian taxpayer, causing problems, of concern to Canadian society as a whole, and just considered to be a problem in the minds of the majority of non-Aboriginal people?

My contention is that changing value systems have caused the majority of non-Aboriginal individuals or groups of individuals to focus their moral attention upon a very limited selection of family and close acquaintances. Very few ethical or moral considerations seem to be given to Native peoples on a societal level. Aboriginal peoples have come to be viewed very impersonally by non-Aboriginal society and until this view changes there will continue to be only insignificant advances by Aboriginal peoples in the fight to gain their rights and freedoms and the respect of Canadian society as a whole.

In contemporary times Aboriginal peoples are negotiating with the Canadian governments to gain what is their rightful due, but Canadian governments must act as duly elected representatives of the majority of Canadian society and until this same society recognizes that moral considerations must be given to Aboriginal peoples on the grounds that it is the right thing to do only superficial advancement concerning Aboriginal issues will continue to occur.

The following pages will attempt to provide the reader with a general view of the changes which have occurred in the value systems of Western society from the early Greek and Roman Empires up until contemporary times.Top