Indian Act
| Article by | The Canadian Encyclopedia |
|---|---|
| Updated by | Zach Parrott |
What is the potlatch law?
The anti-potlatch proclamation was issued in 1883; it became law January 1, 1885. It read: “EVERY INDIAN OR OTHER PERSON WHO ENGAGES IN OR ASSISTS IN CELEBRATING THE INDIAN FESTIVAL KNOWN AS THE ‘POTLATCH’ OR IN THE INDIAN DANCE ‘TAMANANAWAS’ IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR, AND SHALL BE LIABLE TO IMPRISONMENT…”
When was the Indian Act passed?
1876
While the Indian Act has undergone numerous amendments since it was first passed in 1876, today it largely retains its original form.
Why did the Canadian government pass the Indian Act in 1867?
The purpose of the act, as stated by its drafters, was to administer Indian affairs in such a way that Indian people would feel compelled to renounce their Indian status and join Canadian civilization as full members: a process called enfranchisement.
When were Indigenous ceremonies outlawed in Canada?
As part of a policy of assimilation, the federal government banned the potlatch from 1884 to 1951 in an amendment to the Indian Act. The government and its supporters saw the ceremony as anti-Christian, reckless and wasteful of personal property.
What is a potlatch in Canada?
A Potlatch is characterized by a ceremony in which possessions are given away, or destroyed, to display wealth, generosity and enhance prestige. The term ‘Potlatch’ has been taken from a Nootka Indian word meaning “gift”. The Nootka, are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada.
What did the Indian Act ban?
It forbade First Nations peoples and communities from expressing their identities through governance and culture. The Act replaced traditional structures of governance with band council elections. Hereditary chiefs — leaders who acquire power through descent rather than election — are not recognized by the Indian Act.
Is the Indian Act still in effect in Canada 2022?
Indigenous Services Canada will continue to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to determine pathways forward that reflect unique needs and choices of different communities, including different positions on the Indian Act .
What is the Indigenous Act?
An Act to recognize, protect and promote the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples, creating a National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, establishing implementing mechanisms, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purposes.
What was the original name of the Indian Act?
| Iron Eyes Cody | |
|---|---|
| Died | January 4, 1999 (aged 94) Los Angeles, California, U.S |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Other names | The Crying Indian |
| Years active | 1927–1987 |
What did the Constitutional Act of 1867 do?
This is a law issuing from the British government—the British North America Act (known since 1982 as the Constitution Act, 1867)—that created the “Canadian Confederation.” In 1867 Canada comprised only four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
Is the Constitution Act of 1867 still in effect?
The Constitution Act, 1867 was originally known as the British North America Act (BNA Act). It was the law passed by the British Parliament on 29 March 1867 to create the Dominion of Canada. It came into effect on 1 July 1867.
Constitution Act, 1867.
| Article by | Andrew McIntosh, W.H. McConnell |
|---|---|
| Updated by | Richard Foot, Andrew McIntosh |
What was the real purpose of the Indian Act?
The Indian Act was created to assimilate Indigenous peoples into mainstream society and contained policies intended to terminate the cultural, social, economic, and political distinctiveness of Indigenous peoples.
What did the Constitution Act of 1982 do for Indigenous peoples?
Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 explicitly recognizes and affirms the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. Section 35 also indicates that the term “Aboriginal peoples of Canada” includes the First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.
What was the purpose of the 1967 Indigenous referendum?
Australians vote yes to change the Constitution
On 27 May 1967, Australians voted to change the Constitution so that like all other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would be counted as part of the population and the Commonwealth would be able to make laws for them.
Where did the Canadian government put many Aboriginal children from the 1800s until the 1980s?
To accomplish these goals, a vast network of 132 residential schools was established across Canada by the Catholic, United, Anglican and Presbyterian churches in partnership with the federal government. More than 150,000 Aboriginal children attended residential schools between 1857 and 1996.
Why is it called a potlatch?
The word “potlatch” means “to give” and comes from a trade jargon, Chinook, formerly used along the Pacific coast of Canada. Guests witnessing the event are given gifts. The more gifts given, the higher the status achieved by the potlatch host.
Is potlatch still banned?
The potlatch ban was legislation forbidding the practice of the potlatch passed by the Government of Canada, begun in 1885 and lasting until 1951.
Why is potlatch illegal?
In 1885, the Canadian government outlawed potlatch ceremonies. Christian missionaries feared the pagan implications of these ceremonies, and the government felt threatened by the distribution of wealth and anti-capitalist connotations of the ceremony.
What is the first policy that impacts indigenous people?
The first of these large comprehensive agreements was the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement of 1975.
How does the Indian Act affect indigenous peoples today?
Ever since the Indian Act was assented to in 1876, the health of Indigenous Peoples in Canada has been tragically impacted. They were dispossessed of their lands, traditional economies, and the traditional foods that had sustained them since time immemorial, which compromised their immune systems.