Anthropology 100 Notes November 27, 2018

Ethnic Politics; types of intergroup relations:

Pluralism, assimilation, legal protection of minorities, population transfer, long-term
subjugation, genocide

Colonialism: Domination of a territory and its people by a foreign power for an extended period
of time.

Colonialism domination
Residential schools represented an effort of the Canadian federal government to “improve”
Indigenous peoples.

Roots of Ethnic Conflict:

Genocide: elimination of group through mass murder
Cultural: destruction of an ethic group’s cultures.

(Cultural?) Genocide in Canada

o Destroy political & social institutions
Persecute religions/spiritual leaders
o Ban language use
o Outlaw culutural practices
o Restrict population movement
o Disrupt families, especially by removing children
(Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report, 2015)

Last Residential School closed in 1996. Not Canada’s past. Part of Canada’s present. It has an
impact on our day-to-day lives. Higher rates of poverty in some indigenous communities and
access to resources can be problematic (drinking water) Approx. 50% of children in our foster
care systems are indigenous children. Victims of abuse and murder. Hard to be successful in a
society that keeps building barriers.

Truth & Reconciliation. Lost value in unwillingness to engage in the myriad of indigenous
cultures and knowledge bases in Canada.

Watch Ted Talk: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a single story. (2009)