aboriginal perceptions facilitated by: candy j. palmater, llb

Aboriginal Perceptions

Facilitated by:Candy J. Palmater, LLB

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Agenda

• Introduction

• Historical/Cultural Context

• Contemporary Mi’kmaq

• Perceptual Screens

• Child Rearing

• Languages & Meaning

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Historical / Cultural Context

• The Seven Traditional Districts of Mi’kmakik

(See Handout)

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Early Lifestyle

• No concept of land ownership

• Traditional hunting/fishing territories

• No formal system of band membership

• Small camps: 1 or 2 families – Nomadic

• Law of Nature

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Early Lifestyle (con’t)Gender Based Roles

Men• Hunt

• Fish

• Made bows, arrows

• Made cradle boards

• Tobacco pipes

• Knew how to prepare food, clothing and shelter

Women• Carried game back to camp

• Transported camp equipment

• Moved and set up wigwams

• Prepared and preserved the food

• Made birch bark dishes

• Wove mats from rushes

• Made clothing

• Corded snowshoes

• Fetched water

• Took care of children

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Early Lifestyle (con’t)Medicine

• Entirely plant and animal based• Sweat lodge• Body massage

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Early Lifestyle (con’t)Grand Council

• Three levels of leadership– Local chief

– District chief

– Grand chief

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Early Lifestyle (con’t)Local Chief

• Council of Elders

• Village affairs

• Supplies (dogs, canoes, etc.)

• Hunting skills

District Chief

• Each of seven districts

• Eldest male

• Council of local chiefs

• Conflict resolution

• Consensus

Grand Chief• Grand Council• Hereditary• Hunting/fishing• Treaty decisions

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Early Lifestyle (con’t)

Traditional Line of Inheritance• Eldest son in family

• Last hereditary chief, Grand Chief Denny Jr. (Died April 12, 1918)

• Gabriel Sylliboy, First elected Grand Chief

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Qualities of an Effective Chief• Inspire confidence

• Generous

• Humble

• Keeper of the young men

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Role of the Grand Council• Ruling body traditionally• Consensus – strong tradition• Contemporary Grand Council focused on spiritual

needs

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Mi’kmaq Spiritual Beliefs

Traditional Beliefs• All life is created by

one being• Oral tradition• All living things have

souls• Equality of all life

Impact of Roman Catholicism

• Today over 85% of Mi’kmaq are Roman Catholic

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History 101

• Pre European Contact– 11,000 years of occupation– Travel and Trade run North - South– Oral Tradition

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History 101

• 16th Century– Meeting early 16th century– Population of the Mi’kmaq 60,000 to 70,000– Major population decline– Trade and fishing basis of Aboriginal/European

relationship

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History 101• 17th Century

– Fur trade escalates– Trade moves East - West

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– Still nation to nation relationship– Treaties signed between Mi’kmaq and British –

peace and friendship– Establishment of the Truckhouse System– Growing British interest in land– Royal Proclamation of 1763– Beginning of the Reserve System

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History 101

• 19th Century– “Indian Problem” begins– Assimilation – Christianization – Isolation– Continued decline in population– Loss of land mass

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History 1011857 – Civilization Act (Enfranchisement)

• Over 21

• Literate in French or English

• Some level of education

• Good character

• No debt

• Three year probation

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– Confederation and BNA of 1867 – Indians become responsibility of federal government

– Fishing regulations begin to appear– Land claims deemed illegal

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History 1011876 – Indian Act• Centralization Policy

(implemented in Nova Scotia in 1942)

• Indian Agents• Lands held in trust

1899 – Revision to the Indian Act

• Promoted assimilation– Minister

– Teacher

– Doctor

– Lawyer

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History 1011917

Amendment to

Indian Act• Enfranchisement for

off-reserve

• 3 years later: compulsory enfranchisement

1951

Major Revisions to Indian Act

• Removed 1884 ban against potlatches and ceremonial dances

• Removed bar ban

• Women able to vote in band elections

1960Indians granted the vote in federal elections

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– The reserve system brings sedentary lifestyle– 1920 growing population due to improved

medical services– Majority of Mi’kmaq men fought in WWI and

WWII– Introduction of frame housing– Increase in provincial school attendance

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• Indian residential schools were a reflection of the federal governments policy of “civilizing” and “assimilating” Indian children.

• The federal government adopted a policy of assimilation – a policy designed to move communities, and eventually all Aboriginal people form their helpless “savage” state to one of self reliant civilization.

• “Civilizing” and stern assimilative strategy was implemented through education.

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• In 1908, the Minister of Indian Affairs, Frank Oliver wrote

“We must elevate the Indian from his condition of savagery and make him a self supporting member of the state and eventually a citizen in good standing.”

• 1929 – Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie, NS opens its doors.

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• The Davin Report “Industrial Schools for Indians and Half Breeds”, March 18th, 1879 called for the application of the principal of industrial boarding schools – off reserve schools in civilizing Indian children. Children were moved from their homes and communities as the “influence of the Wigwam is stronger than that of the day school.”

* The Davin Report received the unqualified support of the Churches, the government and civil servants as well as that of priests and parsons.

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• These strangers, teachers and staff were to employ “every effort against anything calculated to keep fresh in the memories of the children's habits and associations which it is one of the main objectives of industrial education to obliterate.” Reed Report, Indian Affairs, 1889

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History 1011969 – White Paper• Attempted to repeal

the Indian Act • White Paper repealed

in 1971

1985 – Bill C-31• Repealed

discriminatory clause based on gender

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History 101• Modern History

– Oka Crisis– Landmark court decisions: Delgamuukw,

Marshall, Corbiere

Contemporary Mi’kmaqin

Nova Scotia

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Organizations Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq

Donald Julien, Executive Director 902-895-6385 Union of Nova Scotia Indians

Joe B. Marshall, Executive Director 902-564-4313 Native Council of Nova Scotia

Grace Conrad, A/Chief & President (Core Administration)

Cell: (902)899-1141 Native Women’s Association

Clara Gloade, President 902-897-9288

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Membertou Corporate Office Millbrook Power Centre

Contemporary Success Stories

Perceptual Screens: An Introduction

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Perceptual Screens• Perceptual screens are lenses with which we view reality and judge

what is desirable.

• Perceptual screens consist of an interwoven complexity of factors:– Position– Biological factors– Cultural factors

• Culture is the body of customary beliefs, social norms, material traits and achievements of a particular racial, religious, or social group.

• Qualities of culture are:– Cumulative– Normative– Value laden– Out of our own awareness

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Biological FactorsGENDER

TIME AND PLACE OF BIRTHGENE POOL

INTELLIGENCETALENTS AND ABILITIES

DISPOSITIONSEXUALITY

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Cultural FactorsWe are born into an already social world. We are born into a world of persons and discover ourselves as persons among persons. We build our biography, our consciousness, under the influence of the culture which nurtures us.

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Western Social Structure

• Complex and specialist• Multi-ethnic urban• Highly structured• Formal institutions• Hierarchical authority• Codified laws• Specialized agencies for control

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Traditional Social Structure• By choice or circumstances bonded to a historical way of

life• Horizontal organizational form• Subsistence oriented reality• Informal institutions• Rules and obligations are in evidence but not written• System of control stemming from primary relationships• Intervention aimed at restoration of peace rather than

justice• Mediation not confrontation• Flexibility in reaction to conflict• Lack of forensic institutions

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Language and Meaning

Structure and complexity of language

Size of vocabulary

Complexity of sentence structure

Accommodation / flexibility

Acquaintance with other language systems(Mathematics, music, art, etc.)

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EducationalDegree of Education

Type of Education

The Rational Mind

The Humanistic Mind

Total Development

Inductive or deductive reasoning

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Psychological

Temporary Moods

Motivation and Drive

Ingrained Moods

Conditioning

Desensitization

Frustration

Instability

Stress

Child Rearing Practices

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Euro – Canadian:

• Verbal Stimuli

• Mom’s talk to babies in full sentences

• Child Learns to respond to verbal stimuli

• Exposure to verbal stimuli continues through childhood & early education

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Aboriginal:

• Visual Stimuli

• Mom’s talk less and more softly

• Very frequent eye contact

• Eyes and facial expression

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Questions1. How do you learn best? By reading, by listening, by seeing and

participating in an activity

2. How do you express love and tenderness to your children?

3. How did your father express his love for you?

4. Do you expect your small children to learn by listening? Obeying your “rules”?

5. When you take your children fishing (or for that matter on any other activity), do you let them first fish? Or do you explain “how and what to do” first?

6. Are you more likely to say “don’t do that”, or instruct “this is how you should do it”?

7. Is your child allowed to learn by experience? Or is most learning by being informed orally?

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Questions Continued8. How do you feel about forcing a child to eat at predetermined

times?

9. How do you teach your child to control her/his emotions?

10. What is the subject of the more serious disagreements you have had with your parents?

11. Do you treat your female children differently? Why?

12. Do you enjoy directing (manipulating) children?

13. What factors (practices) in your childhood have influenced you most (positively or negatively)?

14. What do you regard as a desirable personality?

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Language and MeaningLanguage carries a message but various cultures interpret themeaning of words and the way they are delivered differently

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Low Context CulturesEnglish • German • Swiss • Scandinavian

Verbal Communication:• Words send most of the message• The words are extremely important• Specifics, details, facts• Explicit meanings• Structured and direct• Less emotion• Who, what, where, when, how, and

why• Linear thinking that is structured –

logical

Values:• Family structure predominantly

nuclear• Respect for independence• Importance of rugged

individualism• Self-reliance• Personal accomplishment• Competition• Reverence for constitutional rights,

laws, responsibilities• Time is critical• The schedule is as important as the

completion of the task

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Higher Context CulturesAboriginal • African • Mediterranean

Verbal Communications:• Words send only part of the

message• Words are less important• The process of communication is

just as important as the words used

• Emotion, posturing and gesturing may be part of the communication process

• Less direct or deferred eye contact

• More verbal, less direct• Interactive rather than linear• Spiral• The message that is spoken is

very contextualized

Values:• Family structure predominately extended• Family unit more important than the

individual• Collectivism is important• Group reliance and group

accomplishment• Family rules and honor are extremely

important• Saving face and dignity are important• Respect• Family and community rules may be

more determinate of values, ethics, and laws than centralized government

• Time flows and is not specific• Task is more important than completing

the task on schedule

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Associations:

• Relationships depend on trust, build up slowly and are stable• Distinguish between inner and outer circle• How things get done depends on relationships with people and attention

to group process.• One’s identity is rooted in groups, family, culture• Social structure is centralized

Interaction and Communication:

• High use of non-verbal elements• Verbal message is implicit, context is more important than words• Verbal message is indirect, one talks around the point• Communication is seen as an art form, a way to engage someone• Disagreement is personalized• Communication patterns are often criticized by Westerners as repetitious

Question Period

Certificate PresentationThank-you for your participation.

aboriginal perceptions facilitated by: candy j. palmater, llb

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