Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This toolkit creation has been supported by the Government of Canada and Alberta Human Rights
Education and Multiculturalism Fund.
Dominique Clement
Claire Edwards
Salma Lakhani
Raffath Sayeed
Roxanne Ulanicki
Portions of this toolkit have been adapted from the One Nations, Many Beliefs:Talking about Religion in a Diverse Democracy
pilot version toolkit developed by Everyday Democracy. www.everyday-democracy.org/resources/one-nation-many-beliefstalking-about-religion-diverse-democracy
CONTENTS
4 Introduction
Why should we talk about Canadian
heritage and identity?
Democratic Dialogue for Change
How this Guide works
Session-by-Session Review
The Facilitators Role
Working on Common Cross-Cultural
Communication Challenges
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
canada150.gc.ca
The Charlottetown Conference
Source: Library
and
3
Livernois/C-006350
Archives
Canada/Jules
I.
Public Domain
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Goals
to help people get to know each other
to establish some guidelines for their discussion
talk about how they are connected to the
issues.
Advance Preparation
1. Meet with your co-facilitator ahead of time to
prepare.
2. Create two parking lots on flip chart paper.
Label one, Action Idea Parking Lot. Participants
may come up with ideas how to address the
problems they identify early on. These wont be
discussed until Session 4, but you want to make
sure you preserve good ideas.
3. Label the second parking lot, Terms Parking
Lot. Sometimes, language can be confusing or
lead to misunderstanding. Keep a running list of
terms that come up during the dialogue - terms
that the group may want to define or explore
in more detail (e.g., conservative, indigenous,
marginalization). At the end of each session,
give an optional homework assignment that
invites participants to look up terms between
sessions.
4. Write Guidelines for Dialogue on a flip chart
paper.
5. For the Perceptions activity, write up the list of
items on flip chart paper. Keep covered until
the activity is ready.
6. For the Timeline activity, have all the materials
printed and cut out in advance with the start
and end point posted on wall a fair distance
apart.
10
12
Discussion Questions
What have you heard or learned today that
surprised you?
How did it feel to participate in this
conversation?
How did this conversation go today? What
worked well and what would you like to
change for the next session?
For Next Time:
Return to Terms Parking Lot your group may have
created during the discussion. If there are no terms,
ask, Are there any terms that you can anticipate
coming up in our dialogue that you might want to
define?.
Invite participants to divide up the list or to take
the entire list home. They can jot down their
own definition or look it up in a dictionary. Ask
participants to come to the next session prepared
to discuss these terms.
Understanding Treaties 4
Treaties between the First Nations peoples and the
British Crown are the building blocks in the creation of
the country of Canada and provide for peace and good
order for all people in Canada.
These treaties are agreements, voluntarily entered into
by both parties, which provide for peaceful relations
between the two nations. They are more than a simple
written document; they are sacred agreements between
the First Nations peoples and the British Crown with
the Creator as witness. They are living, permanent,
foundational agreements based on the synthesis of two
worldviews: the oral traditions (values and common
laws) of the First Nations peoples and the written
traditions (laws) of the Crown, who represented the
newcomers.
The treaties were based on the First Nations peoples
principles: Miyowicehtowin (getting along with
others); Witaskewin (living together on the land); and,
Pimaciowin (making a living). Treaties were to provide
both sides with the means of achieving survival and
socio-economic stability, anchored on the principle of
mutual benefit.
Treaties were entered into by the British Crown to
fully acknowledge the First Nations title to the land.
The Creator was considered a witness to the treaties
as it was to the Creator that the promises were made,
therefore the agreements were considered sacred. One
of the primary objectives of the treaty process was to
have the First Nations peoples relationship with the
Creator recognized and affirmed.
13
14
Goals
Learn more about other peoples perspectives
and experience with this issue.
Talk about what we value about our community
and about Canadian democracy.
Advance Preparation
For Where Do You Stand exercise, you will
need to set up the room in advance. Bring
masking tape, two 8x11 pieces of paper and
markers. You will need to rearrange the chairs
and create an open space so people can walk
back and forth across the room. Divide the
room in half by taping a line down the middle.
Post on opposite wall signs that say: Strongly
Agree OR Strongly Disagree. Place chairs
nearby for people who cannot stand for a long
time.
Hang the Action Ideas and Terms Parking
Lots and your groups Guidelines.
Reconnecting (5 minutes)
Remind the group how the Parking Lots work
and remind them of the session goals.
Discussion questions
Lets look at the guidelines we established
when we first met. Do we need to change or
add any?
Does anyone have a reflection to share from
last session?
15
16
17
Goals
Discussion Questions
Advance Preparation
Write on newsprint the question, why are there
tensions among different religious and cultural
groups?
Hang the Action Ideas and Terms Parking Lot
and the Guidelines.
Hang on the wall the Values List created in the
last session.
Getting Started (15 minutes)
Discuss the following questions:
Lets look at the guidelines we established
when we first met. Do we need to change or
add any?
Does anyone have a reflection to share from
last session?
Lets look again at the list of values we created
last session. Is there anything on this list that we
all agree we need to change?
What is the nature of the challenges we face?
(60 minutes)
Ask for volunteers to read the following viewpoints
aloud. Consider allowing participants some time to
think about the perspectives or jot down some
notes.
18
19
20
Goals
Advance Preparation
If you are going to have participants vote for
the categories they want to work on using
stickers, prepare a sheet of flip chart paper
with the categories of the Report Card listed.
Prepare two sheets of flip chart paper; one
entitled Successes and the other, Challenges.
Bring stickers for people to use to vote on the
categories in the Report Card.
Hang the Action Ideas and Terms Parking
Lots and the Guidelines.
Reconnecting (10 minutes)
Welcome the group back and explain the session
goals for the day.
Discussion Questions
Are there any reflections since our last session?
Do you have any questions about our task for
these last two sessions?
21
Statement
In our community, there are no tensions because of religious, ethnic,
Climate
racial or cultural diversity.
Everyone in our community feels welcome, regardless of their religious,
Acceptance
ethnocultural, racial, or socioeconomic background.
Religious
People in our community are free to practice their faith and free to
and Cultural adhere to non-religious views. They are free to practice their cultural
Freedom
traditions.
Religious
In our community, religious and cultural symbols and practises are at
and Cultural the level we think is best in our public spaces (schools, public parks,
Symbols
libraries, etc).
Demographics Our community reflects the level of diversity we want.
Interpersonal In our community, people know how to solve problems and engage in
Relationships conversations, even when they disagree strongly.
Interfaith and
Our faith and cultural communities work together to help solve local
Intercultural
problems.
Collaboration
Theres a high level of acceptance in our schools. Students from
Education
different religious, racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds are
treated fairly.
The social services system in our community (e.g., welfare, job training,
Social Services healthcare) meets everyones needs, regardless of their diverse
backgrounds.
In our community, people have equal opportunities for employment,
Employment
regardless of their diverse backgrounds.
Local media offers fair and full coverage of people from all different
Media
kinds of religious, ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds.
Elections
In our community, no-one faces barriers to voting.
Community Community leaders encourage a respectful and accepting public and
Leaders
political climate.
At the local, provincial, and national levels, our elected officials
Elected
demonstrate a high and exemplary level of interfaith and intercultural
Officials
tolerance, respect, and cooperation.
The justice system in our community provides equal access to
Justice
justice and fair trials and tribunals for all members of the community
regardless of their diverse backgrounds.
Grade
Discussion Questions
23
24
With government
25
Goals
Review the actions ideas that came up in
Session 4.
Talk about the assets we have in our community.
Choose a small number of ideas for action.
Plan an Action Forum to jump start action.
Advance Preparation
Meet with your co-facilitator ahead of time to
prepare.
For Part 1, prepare the questions for pair
discussion on flip chart paper.
For Part 3, prepare a flip chart labeled
Community Assets.
For Part 4, prepare a flip chart labeled Priority
Action Ideas and Other Ideas.
For Part 5, bring stickers. You will need three
different colours and enough of each colour for
everyone in the group to have three.
Hang the Action Ideas and Terms Parking Lots
and the Guidelines.
Hang on the wall the Values List and Action
Ideas created in the last session.
Reconnecting (20 minutes)
Welcome the group and explain the goals for the
day.
Ask the participants to turn to their neighbour
and talk about the following:
What common concerns do you have with
others that are different than you?
Explain:
Discussion Questions
Probing Questions
What are some things you know a lot about?
What are some talents or skills of other
members in this dialogue? How about other
people in the community?
What groups do you belong to? How can they
help?
What organizations, groups, or government
agencies, or individuals in the community are
already working on the issues weve identified
as important? How can they help?
What assets do we have - like land, buildings,
space, tools, or even money?
Connecting Action Ideas with Community
Assets (15 minutes)
26
27
28
Places
Institutions/
Organizations
Other
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
29
Step 3
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
30
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
MILESTONES:
Pre-European Contact: Turtle Island (North America) was home to millions of people living in thousands
of distinct, self-governing societies that formed hundreds of nations. The many distinct nations of Turtle
Island were fishing, hunting and farming societies, with their own language, culture and traditions - their own
customary laws, distinct institutions and systems of governance. These nations interacted with each other,
economically and militarily. They traded and shared gifts. They learned to resolves clashes and disputes over
lands through treaty making. Diverse as these groups were, they shared many things in common. Their
relationship to the land defined who they were as peoples. All of their needs - food, clothing, shelter, culture,
spiritual fulfillment - were met by the land. They took seriously their collective responsibility to serve and
protect the land.
1497: Commissioned by King Henry VII of England in 1497, John Cabot sailed across the Atlantic Ocean
and ventured upon what is now Newfoundland. He claimed the land for England and returned.
Cabot would make one more journey to the New World, but would perish in the Atlantic on the
way home. However, the other boats in his fleet did return to England, confirming to the European
powers that there was a new continent worth exploring across the ocean.
1534: Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who made his first of three expeditions to Canada, looking for
a route to the Pacific Ocean through North America. He paved the way for the French exploration
of what is now Canada and, after being given directions by Huron-Iroquois for a village called
Kanata, named the entire region Kanata.
1608: Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, founded Quebec City in 1608. This was the first official
trading post in Canada, beginning Canadas highly lucrative fur trade industry which, for nearly 150
years, would play a formative role for evolution of Canada. The fur trade paved the way for the
further exploration and settlement of Canada, allowing for traders and missionaries to establish
social, economic and colonial relationships with the First Nations people already living in Canada.
1763: The Royal Proclamation of 1763, a document which established guidelines for European settlement in
North America, was signed by King George III of Britain. It set forth a process for establishing treaties
between the British Crown and the Aboriginal peoples in North America. The Royal Proclamation
was issued to officially claim British territory in North America, after Britain won the Seven Years
War. As such, the Proclamation granted ownership over North America to King George. However,
it also explicitly stated that Aboriginal title to the land existed and all land would be considered
Aboriginal land until ceded by treaty. It forbade settlers from claiming land, unless it was first bought
by the British Crown and then sold to settlers.
31
1788: The first Chinese immigrants came to Canada in 1788, to assist in the building of a trading post on
Vancouver Island. Chinese immigration began in earnest in 1858, when Asian gold prospectors came
to British Columbia and drastically increased when approximately 15,000 Chinese men came to
Canada to assist in constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1885, the Government of Canada
passed the Chinese Immigration Act which forced all Chinese immigrants to pay a $50 fee, known
as a head tax.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1791: To assist in its fight against the United States in the American Revolution, Britain enlisted thousands
of former slaves, offering them freedom if they fought for Britain and terming them Black Loyalists.
When Britain began realizing that it would lose the war, it evacuated more than 2000 Black Loyalists
to Nova Scotia. Here, they formed one of the largest settlements of free Blacks outside of Africa but
conditioned to live on poor wages in harsh conditions. In 1791, a British company offered land to
these Loyalists in what is now Sierra Leone and many left with the hopes of a better life. Conditions
gradually improved for those who stayed behind and many fought for Canada against the Americas
in the War of 1812.
Canada played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, a secret network of safe houses and
routes that helped African American slaves escape from the United States. Many slaves travelled
on the Underground Railroad to Canada, where they found freedom from slavery. Many of these
former slaves settled in communities in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario, where they were
forced to attend segregated schools until 1964.There were also a significant number of former slaves
who immigrated to Alberta in the early 1900s where they took up farming and cattle ranching.
1812: War of 1812 was a war against American trade and expansionism. The British supported both
American and Canadian Indigenous nations against the Americans. Indigenous nations were valuable
allies and fought to maintain alliances, power and autonomy. End of the war saw the Birth of
Canada and the dissolution of Indigenous Peoples relevance - saw the Birth of the Indian Problem.
This historical milestone marks a fundamental change in the relationship with Indigenous Peoples in
Canada.
1820: Beginning in 1820, the federal government removed Indigenous children from their homes, families
and communities and placed them in church-run boarding schools, often far from their homes. In
most cases the children were not allowed to speak their own languages. Most of the children stayed
at school for 8-10 months, while others stayed all year.
32
While some report having positive experiences at the residential schools, many Aboriginal people
suffered from the impoverished conditions and from emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Many
more lost family connections and the opportunity to learn their culture and traditions from their
elders. Raised in an institution, many never gained parenting skills. Some students died at residential
school. Many others never returned to their home communities, or were shunned if they did.
1850: An Act for the Better Protection of the Lands and Property of Indians in Lower Canada and An
Act for the protection of Indians in Upper Canada from imposition, and the property occupied or
enjoyed by them from trespass and injury, which were passed by the Province of Canada (then a
British colony). These statutes are important in that they represented the first attempt to define
Indian and who would receive the rights and duties of Indian status. Under the acts, the term
Indian was defined broadly to include the following: 1) any person deemed to be Aboriginal by
birth or blood; 2) any person reputed to belong to a particular band or body of Aboriginals; and 3)
any person who married an Aboriginal or was adopted by Aboriginals (Indian and Northern Affairs
Canada, 1991). While the definition was broadly construed, it is important to note that it assumed
for the government the responsibility for deciding who was an Aboriginal. In other words, Aboriginal
groups themselves were not given the power to define their own communities. This power, instead,
lay in the hands of non-Aboriginal authorities.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1854: In 1854, Agnes and James Love of Scottish descent, were the first Muslims to immigrate to Canada.
Many more Muslims travelled to Canada in the late 1800s to build lives of peace and prosperity.
1857: The Gradual Civilization Act is passed by the Legislature of Upper Canada, permanently disenfranchising
all Indian and Metis peoples, and placing them in a separate, inferior legal category than citizens. It is
at this point that the strategies of civilization and assimilation begin their legislative existence, with
colonial authorities encouraging Aboriginals to forgo their Indian status and be drawn into the larger
colonial society as regular citizens (and, hence, become civilized).
Under the Act, only Aboriginal men could seek enfranchisement. In order to do so, they had to be
over the age of 21, able to read and write in either English or French, be reasonably well educated, free
of debt, and of good moral character as determined by a commission of non-Aboriginal examiners
(Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996). Once enfranchised, the person was
entitled to receive up to 50 acres of land from the reserve on which they lived and a per capita share
of treaty annuities and other band monies. Enfranchisement was to be fully voluntary by the man
seeking it. However, an enfranchised mans wife and children automatically lost their Indian status,
regardless of whether or not they so desired.
1860: Indian Lands Act - important element of this Act was the centralization of control over Aboriginal
affairs for the colony. The Act created the office of the Chief Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and
transferred all authority for Aboriginals and their lands in the Province of Canada to this single
official. Moreover, the Chief Superintendent was given very broad discretionary powers over reserve
Aboriginals.
1864: The Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences: In 1864, prominent politicians from Nova Scotia,
Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland organized a conference in Charlottetown,
PEI to discuss a union among themselves. After various presentations outlining the economic and
national benefits of a union, as well as establishing the legal structure, the conference attendees
decided that they wished to expand their union beyond the four Maritime provinces and begin talks
of including the Province of Canada (what is now Quebec and Ontario) in their union.
The delegates of the Charlottetown Conference met again one month later in Quebec City to
formalize the details of a union. Here they developed federalism as the governing structure of their
new union, granting powers to a central government but allowing the provinces to retain powers
of their own. After convening for three weeks, the Quebec Conference concluded with a basic
constitution, known as the Quebec Resolutions, which outlined the union of the Province of Canada
and the Maritime provinces.
1867: In 1867, the British Parliament passed the British North America Act, establishing the Dominion of
Canada as a new self-governing federation, consisting of the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia, Quebec and Ontario (formerly the Province of Canada). The BNA Act established the
distribution of powers and responsibilities for each level of government in Canada, as well as the
rights of its inhabitants.
33
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Along with establishing Canada as a new federation, the BNA Act specified how Canadas
indigenous peoples were put under the protection of the British Crown. It provided the legal base
for the treaties and emphasized the new federal governments central priorities of assimilation,
enfranchisement and civilization. The British North America Act made Indians and land reserved for
Indians a federal responsibility. This Act gave legislative authority over Aboriginals and their lands to
the federal Parliament, removing it from the provincial legislatures.
1869: The Government of Canada passed An Act for the gradual enfranchisement of Indians, the better
management of Indian affairs, and to extend the provisions of the Act 31st Victoria. This Act is
significant in that it was the first to introduce the notion of self-government for Aboriginals on
reserves. Under the Act, Aboriginal tribes or bands were permitted to elect chiefs and band councils
for the purpose of general administration on reserves. These elected officials were granted limited
bylaw powers, and were elected to terms of three years. It is important to note many Aboriginal
groups did not engage in democratic practices at the time. Consequently, the Act granted the
government the power to impose democratic institutions on them, regardless of what Aboriginal
groups desired. Furthermore, Aboriginal women were excluded from voting for band chiefs and
councils.
In addition to a mechanism for Aboriginal self-government, the 1869 Act included other key
provisions. It prohibited the sale of alcohol to Aboriginals, on the grounds of protecting Aboriginals
from themselves. Furthermore, the Act instituted a compulsory enfranchisement provision. Under
the 1869 Act, however, Aboriginal women who married non-Aboriginal men automatically lost
their Indian status, regardless of whether or not they so desired it. Moreover, any children resulting
from the marriage would also be denied Indian status. This provision continued with the strategy
of assimilation, as many Aboriginal women, and their children, forcefully lost their Indian status and
gained Canadian citizenship.
1869: In 1869, the new Canadian government bought Rupertsland, the northern and western territories of
Canada, from the Hudsons Bay Company, a company which played a significant role in Canadas fur
trade and settlement. Afraid that this new purchase would push them off of their traditional territory,
the Metis people of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers seized Fort Garry, a trading post in what is now
Manitoba. This is known as the Red River Rebellion. Their demands were successful and the province
of Manitoba was created with the assurance that the Metis would not lose their land.
1876: In 1876, all laws pertaining to Indians were gathered together and put into the Indian Act. The
Indian Act is still enforced today and was last updated in the 1980s.
34
The Indian Act pertains only to First Nations, not Metis or Inuit. The effect of the Indian Act on
First Nations people was to transform independent First Nations into physically marginalized and
economically impoverished bands and individuals into wards of the state. Through the Indian Act,
the federal government denied the basic rights that many Canadians take for granted and established
the reserve system.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1877: Japanese immigrants began to arrive in Canada between 1877 and 1928. Until 1907, when Canada
limited the number of Japanese male immigrants to 400 per year, almost all of these immigrants were
men.These men often settled along the West coast, assisting in fishing, pulp-mills and mining. Despite
their contributions to the Canadian economy, they were often scapegoats of a growing recession
and increasing rates of unemployment, with members of the discriminatory Asiatic Exclusion League
blaming them for job loss among Caucasian Canadians. After 1907, most Japanese immigrants were
women coming to join their husbands in Canada.This immigration ceased during World War II when
Japan allied with Nazi Germany and increased again during the 1960s.
1881: Between 1881 and 1914, the first Ukrainian immigrants came to Canada. Escaping social discrimination
and economic hardships at home, many Ukrainians answered Canadas call for farmers to assist in
strengthening the countrys agricultural development. Many Ukrainian immigrants settled in western
Canada, where they contributed to strengthening the western economy and still have a strong
presence today.
1882: Lebanese immigrants began arriving to Canada as early as 1882. Many were fleeing the Ottoman
Empire and settled in Montreal. The Arab Canadian community began to increase between 1981
and 1901, when growing numbers of Syrian immigrants began settling in Montreal. An average of 150
Arab immigrants arrived each year, growing to approximately 7,000 by 1911, until it was interrupted
by the Continuous Passage Act.
1884: Legislation is passed in Ottawa creating a system of state-funded, church administered Indian
Residential Schools.
1884: The Indian Act was revised to prohibit of several traditional Aboriginal ceremonies, such as potlaches.
Every Indian or other person who engages in or assists in celebrating the Indian festival known as the
Potlatch or the Indian dance known as the Tamanawas is guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be liable
to imprisonment for a term not more than six nor less than two months in any gaol or other place of
confinement; and, any Indian or other person who encourages, either directly or indirectly, an Indian or
Indians to get up such a festival or dance, or to celebrate the same, or who shall assist in the celebration
of same is guilty of a like offence, and shall be liable to the same punishment.
The ban was not lifted until 1951 and severely limited First Nations people from not only celebrating
their culture but retaining important practices and passing them along to future generations.
1885: General Middleton introduced the Pass System in western Canada, under which Natives could not
leave their reserves without first obtaining a pass from their farming instructors permitting them to
do so. While neither the Indian Act nor any other legislation allowed the Department of Indian Affairs
to institute such a system, and it was known by government lawyers to be illegal as early as 1892, the
Pass System continued to be enforced until the early 1930s.
35
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1885: Louis Riel led the North-West Rebellion in 1885, seizing a parish church in Batouche, Saskatchewan
after believing a petition the Metis people sent to the federal government was not being taken
seriously. Unlike his previous Rebellion, Riels demands were not met and he was hanged in November
of 1885.
Frog Lake Massacre of 1885 is one of the most influential events associated with the North-West
Resistance. The massacre was incited by hunger and frustration. A break-away element of the Plains
Cree murdered nine white men on the morning of April 2nd. While Chief Big Bear sought for
peaceful resolution of concerns and was not part of the massacre, he was part of the largest public
hanging in Canadian history.
1894: Indian Act: Removal of band control over non-Aboriginals living on reserves. This power was
transferred to the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs.
1904: The first Sikh immigrants began arriving in 1904, as part of a Hong Kong military contingent travelling
to the coronation of King Edward VII. By 1908, more than 5000 South Asians (over 90% of them
Sikhs) had arrived in British Columbia. In 1905, the Canadian government placed a landing fee of $50
for all Sikh immigrants arriving to Canada. This fee was increased to $200 in 1908.
It was also in 1908 that the first gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) was built by the Khalsa Diwan
Society in West Vancouver. Because of the Continuous Passage Act many Indian men travelled to India
and made their way across the Canadian border by foot, taking refuge in the gurdwara.
1905: Indian Act: Power to remove Aboriginal peoples from reserves near towns with more than 8,000
people.
1905: Over one hundred residential schools are in existence across Canada, 60% of them run by the
Roman Catholics.
1907: Dr. Peter Bryce, Medical Inspector for the Department of Indian Affairs, tours the residential schools
of western Canada and British Columbia and writes a scathing report on the criminal health
conditions there. Bryce reports that native children are being deliberately infected with diseases like
tuberculosis, and are left to die untreated, as a regular practice. He cites an average death rate of
40% in the residential schools. November 15, 1907: Bryces report is quoted in The Ottawa Citizens
headline.
1908: In 1908, the Government of Canada enacted the Continuous Passage Act which required all immigrants
coming to Canada to do so on a continuous journey from their point of origin to Canada.This meant
that they were not allowed to stop in any other countries during their journey to Canada. The
Continuous Passage Act created a severe barrier for immigrants coming from Asia because trips from
most Asian countries required stops.
36
The Continuous Passage Act was created as a response to increasing immigration from India,
particular of Sikhs, which caused public fear, racial hostility and resentment from other groups in
Canada. It was in effect until 1947.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1908: Duncan Campbell Scott, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, suppresses Bryces report and conducts a
smear and cover-up campaign regarding its findings. Bryce is expelled from the civil service.
1911: Indian Act: Power to expropriate portions of reserves for roads, railways and other public works, as
well as to move an entire reserve away from a municipality if it was deemed expedient.
1914: Indian Act: Requirement that western Aboriginals seek official permission before appearing in
Aboriginal costume in any public dance, show, exhibition, stampede or pageant.
1914: In 1914, a Japanese steamship called Komagatu Maru, carrying 376 passengers from Punjab, British
India arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia.The vast majority of the passengers, 340, were Sikh while
the others were Muslim and Hindu. The passengers were not allowed off of the boat and spent two
months living in its poor conditions. They survived off of food given to them by mainland Canadians.
Komagatu Maru was eventually ordered back to India and only 24 of its passengers were allowed to
remain in Canada. Upon arrival in Canada, approximately 19 of the passengers were killed in what is
now called the Baj Baj Massacre.
1914: On August 4th, 1914 Britain entered the First World War. As a British dominion, Canada was
automatically entered into the war but could determine its level of involvement.The next day, August
5th, the Governor General of Canada declared war on Germany. Over half a million Canadian men
and women enlisted into the war effort as soldiers, nurses and chaplains. It is estimated that close
to 3,500 Aboriginal Canadians fought for the Canadian Forces at this time, as well as numerous
Canadians of Chinese, Japanese and Black descent. The First World War lasted until November 11th,
1918.
1918: Indian Act: Power to lease out uncultivated reserve lands to non-Aboriginals if the new leaseholder
would use it for farming or pasture.
1918: An Act to confer the Electoral Franchise upon Women: Women who are British subjects, 21 years of
age, and otherwise meet the qualifications entitling a man to vote, are entitled to vote in a Dominion
election. In effect January 1, 1919.
37
Until the Parliament of Canada otherwise provides, all laws in force in the several Provinces of the Union
... shall ... apply to elections of Members to serve in the House of Commons ... [and] every male British
Subject, aged Twenty-one Years or upwards, being a householder, shall have a vote.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, several provinces allowed women property owners to
vote in municipal elections. However, many womens suffrage groups had formed to fight for the
universal suffrage of women.The first suffrage groups were established by women who were seeking
social, economic and political equality with men. Most of these women were professionals and often
pioneers in fields such as medicine where they had faced discrimination while trying to advance their
careers. These suffrage groups evolved to include women who had broad ideas for social reform,
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
advocating for changes in child labour, workplace safety, the sale of alcohol and more. These women
sought to influence political leaders through petitions, lectures, meetings with politicians and public
events.
In 1916, Manitoba women were the first in Canada to win the right to vote in provincial elections.
Several months later women in Saskatchewan gained the vote, followed by those in Alberta. The
following year, women in Ontario and British Columbia also voted in provincial elections.
After gaining the provincial vote, women were well on their way to voting in federal elections. The
first Canadian women to vote at the federal level were the Bluebirds, WWI nurses who voted
under the Military Voters Act. The War-time Elections Act, enacted soon after, gave the vote to close
female relatives of men serving in the armed forces. These acts built on the political pressure of the
suffragists to push for the universal suffrage of women in federal elections. In 1918, Canadian women
gained the right to vote in federal elections. However, this excluded First Nations women, who were
not given the right to vote in federal elections until 1960.
1919: Despite an escalating death rate of Indian children in residential schools from tuberculosis - in some
cases as high as 75% - Duncan Campbell Scott abolishes the post of Medical Inspector for Indian
residential schools. Within two years, deaths due to tuberculosis have tripled in residential schools.
1920: Although people from numerous cultural and religious groups played a key role in shaping Canada,
there were those who opposed anyone who was, or was perceived to be, a racial or ethnic minority.
This included the Klu Klux Klan which formed in the 1920s and was active in Quebec, Ontario, BC,
Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Kanadian Klan adopted discriminatory and hateful attitudes towards
Canadians who did not fit their white, or Aryan, norm. Groups such as this still exist in Canada
although committing a hate crime or hate based incident is a serious offense under Canadian law.
1927: Indian Act: Prohibition of anyone (Aboriginal or otherwise) from soliciting funds for Aboriginal
legal claims without special licence from the Superintendent General. This amendment granted the
government control over the ability of Aboriginals to pursue land claims.
1928: Sexual Sterilization Act is passed in Alberta, allowing any inmate of a residential school or institution
to be sterilized upon the approval of the school Principal. At least 3,500 Indian women are sterilized
under this law.
1930: Indian Act: Prohibition of pool hall owners from allowing entrance of an Aboriginal who by inordinate
frequenting of a pool room either on or off an Indian reserve misspends or wastes his time or means
to the detriment of himself, his family or household.
1938: By 1931 there were over 600 Muslims in Canada and seven years later the first mosque in North
America, Al Rashid, was built in Edmonton, Alberta.
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ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1939: The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. Over 1 million Canadian citizens served in the
military effort. At this time, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany targeted and killed over 12
million people of Jewish descent and also targeted individuals who were Gypsies, Polish, homosexual,
physically or mentally disabled or Soviet prisoners of war. This era of mass murder and targeted hate
is known as the Holocaust.
During this time, the Canadia government did not allow Jewish refugees to come to Canada. A
prominent government official claimed that none is too many when discussing the allowance of
Jewish refugees into Canada. In 1939, the St.Louis a boat with over 900 refugees was turned away
from the Halifax Harbour.
The Japanese attack of Pearl Harbour also took place during World War II, signifying Japans alignment
with Nazi Germany in the war. Twelve weeks after the December 7th, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour,
the Canadian government used the War Measures Act to issue the forced removal of all Japanese
Canadians living 160 km from the Pacific Coast. Over 20,000 Japanese men, women and children
were forced from their homes and sent to detention centres throughout western Canada. Many
were Canadian citizens who lost their homes, businesses and possessions during their internment.
1960: Aboriginal Canadians were no longer required to give up their treaty rights and renounce their status
under the Indian Act in order to qualify for the vote.
1968: Homosexuality was decriminalized in Canada in 1968.
1971: Multiculturalism Act: In 1971, Canada was the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as
an official policy. By enacting this policy, Canada affirmed the value and dignity of all Canadian citizens
regardless of their racial or ethnic origins, their language, or their religious affiliation. The Policy also
confirmed the rights of Aboriginal peoples and the status of Canadas two official languages, English
and French.
1971: Following the Second World War, Canada loosened its strict and often discriminatory immigration
policies and began allowing individuals facing violence, persecution and discrimination to seek refuge
in Canada. The Immigration Act was enacted in 1971, which allowed for refugees to enter Canada.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Canada saw a rise in immigration of individuals from various countries
in Africa as well as entrepreneurs from China.
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Following the September 11th terrorist attack, and in an attempt to protect Canadas national
security, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was enacted to place restrictions on those who
could come to Canada. Immigrants required higher qualifications to contribute to Canadas economy
and tougher requirements were placed on refugees and business immigrants. While Canada accepts
newcomers from around the world, the Philippines provided the largest number of immigrants from
2006-2011.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1982: Constitution Act, 1982 helped to bring the rightful place of Aboriginal people in Canadian society into
focus. The Constitution Act, 1982 was the first constitutional document since the Royal Proclamation
of 1763 to acknowledge the distinct place of Aboriginal peoples within Canada, and section 35
recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal rights. Aboriginal people have since successfully enforced
a number of their rights through the Canadian legal system. Most notably in Delgamuukw where
the Supreme Court of Canada held that Aboriginal title to their traditional lands survived British
Sovereignty and unless clearly extinguished by federal legislation prior to 1982, still existed. Moreover,
Delgamuukw importantly held that Native oral history was admissible as evidence on par with the
European tradition of written history, thereby lifting an impossible burden of proof which had been
placed on Aboriginal claimants.
1984: The last Indian residential school is closed, in northern British Columbia.
1981: The Lovelace case went before the International Court of Human Rights, and the United Nation
condemned Canada for this discriminatory practice.
1982: The Constitution Act of 1982, enforced the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which affirms that all
Canadians, regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical
disability, have equal fundamental freedoms, rights and responsibilities. The Constitution Act was the
first constitutional document since the Royal Proclamation of 1763 to acknowledge the distinct place
of Aboriginal peoples within Canada, and section 35 recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal rights.
Aboriginal people have since successfully enforced a number of their rights through the Canadian
legal system.
1985: The passage of Bill C-31, the discriminatory clause of the Indian Act was removed, and Canada
officially gave up the goal of enfranchising Natives.
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The Indian Act, 1985 removed this discrimination by asserting that women could no longer gain or
lose Indian status as a result of marriage. Moreover, the new Act permitted the restoration of Indian
status to several groups that had been forcefully enfranchised in the past. This included Aboriginal
women who had lost status due to marrying non-Aboriginals; children enfranchised as a result of
their mothers marriage to non-Aboriginals; persons enfranchised as a result of the double-mother
provision; and illegitimate children of Aboriginal women who lost their Indian status because of nonAboriginal paternity.
In addition to removing elements of discrimination from the Act, the 1985 revision also granted
Aboriginal bands the right to determine their own membership. Under the Act, bands were allowed
to administer and update their band lists, which was a record of all persons who were recognized
as formally belonging to the band. Moreover, bands were allowed to establish their own rules of
membership in administering their band lists. This reform enabled greater Aboriginal control over
who was to be considered an Aboriginal for the purpose of the Indian Act.
1997: The court said milestone decision that aboriginals were entitled to such property rights as they
occupied land before European powers exerted sovereignty. Legal scholars say the 1997 judgment,
though, failed to make clear what aboriginals needed to do or demonstrate before they could obtain
such property rights.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
2001: On September 11th, 2001 the Islamic extremist group, al Qaeda, attacked the United States of
America through a series of devastating terrorist attacks. Because these attacks were caused by a
Muslim extremist group, anti-Muslim sentiments and Islamophobia increased worldwide and Canada
was not immune. Many Canadian Muslims, or individuals perceived to be Muslim, unfairly became the
targets of discrimination, intolerance and in extreme cases, hate based crime or incidents.
2003: In 2003, The Ontario Court of Appeal unanimously ordered the Ontario government to issue
marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Two Ontario mend became the first in North American
history to obtain a license and get married. Same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide although
members of this community continue to face discrimination.
2008: Federal Apology for the Indian Residential Schools.
2010: Canada formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
2013: In 2013, the Parti Quebecois proposed the Quebec Charter of Values which sought to ban public
employees from wearing overt religious symbols such as the hijab, kirpan, yarmulke or cross.
2013: In October of 2013, James Anaya, the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, visited Canada.
He spent nine days meeting with provincial and federal authorities as well as numerous First Nations,
Metis and Inuit groups. In his concluding statement, he said that Canada faces a crisis when it comes
to the situation of indigenous peoples of the country and explained how indigenous peoples in
Canada face high rates of poverty, suicide, dismal living conditions, among many other disparities.
He also mentioned th ehigh rates of violence committed against Aboriginal women and expressed
concern for the hundreds of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada.
2014: On October 22nd, 2014, Corporal Nathan Cirillo was fatally shot while standing guard at the
Canadian National War Memorial on Parliament Hill.
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FACILITATION TIPS
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Summarizing:
Briefly restating the main thoughts in a clear and
concise way
It seems like a few major themes have come up.
they are
Shifting Focus:
Moving from one speaker or topic to another
Thank you John. Does anyone on this side of the
room have anything to add?
Weve been focusing on themes 1 and 2. Does
anyone feel strongly about any of the other
themes?
Asking Probing or Follow-up Questions:
Using questions to assist in exploring disagreements,
understanding multiple perspective and reaching
common ground
What are the key points here?
How could we view this through a different
lens?
What would someone with a different point of
view say?
FACILITATION TIPS
Managing Conflict:
Ensuring that conflict and disagreement are
productive
Lets refer back to our ground rules
What seems to be at the heart of this issue?
What do others think?
Using Silence:
Allowing time and space for reflection by pausing
after comments and questions
Allowing time for participants to make notes and
gather thoughts before speaking
Using Non-Verbal Signals (Body Language):
Recognizing and understanding how people
communicate without using words
What signals am I sending with my body?
What signals am I receiving from others?
How do I signal encouragement and safety?
Remaining Positive
Complimenting and maintaining a positive outlook
on the group, their input and the process
Great comment
Thats an interesting idea
A Neutral Facilitator
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