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The Harper Government, the Aboriginal Right to Self-Determination, and the Indian Act of 1876
Onderková, Kristýna ; Fiřtová, Magdalena (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
In its relatively unchanged form and effective for nearly 140 years the Indian Act of 1876 is the basic law governing the rights and responsibilities of First Nations and their status within Canada. The law protects the special status of Indigenous groups in Canadian society albeit it has been criticized as discriminatory. Voices calling for change of the legislation are growing stronger with the deepening socio-economic problems of Aboriginal peoples. First Nations primarily require the assertion of their constitutional right to self-determination in any future reform. In contrast, the current Conservative government of Stephen Harper emphasizes self- sufficiency and financial responsibility of Native peoples. Legislative actions that Conservatives rarely consult with representatives of the Indigenous peoples themselves correspond to the general priorities of the Harper Government based on the principles of market economy and do not reflect the demands for self-determination and self-government of Indigenous communities. The Idle No More protest movement founded in 2012 in reaction to some of Harper's laws pertaining to Aboriginal peoples fights for their rights and environmental protection inextricably linked with their identity. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze different perspectives on...
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The Harper Government, the Aboriginal Right to Self-Determination, and the Indian Act of 1876
Onderková, Kristýna ; Fiřtová, Magdalena (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee) ; Kýrová, Lucie (referee)
A debate on the reform of the frequently criticized Indian Act of 1876 - the basic law governing the rights and responsibilities of First Nations and their special status within Canada - has been getting more intense with the ongoing socio-economic problems of Aboriginal peoples. Whereas the previous Canadian government of Stephen Harper emphasized self-sufficiency and financial responsibility, First Nations have required the assertion of their constitutional rights to self-determination and self-government in any reform. This piece of work examines various proposals to reform the Indian Act and their potential effect on the status of First Nations. It focuses on Aboriginal policy stances of the Harper Government and the First Nations' reaction to the federal government's approach. In particular, it analyzes the ideas and demands of the Idle No More protest movement that emerged in response to some of the legislative proposals of the Harper Government. The author concludes by arguing that any effort to change the unfavorable situation of Aboriginal peoples in Canada would run into problems because of the discrepancy of ideas of the Conservative Government and First Nations on how to implement the reform of the Indian Act and how to enforce the right to self- determination.
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The Harper Government, the Aboriginal Right to Self-Determination, and the Indian Act of 1876
Onderková, Kristýna ; Fiřtová, Magdalena (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
In its relatively unchanged form and effective for nearly 140 years the Indian Act of 1876 is the basic law governing the rights and responsibilities of First Nations and their status within Canada. The law protects the special status of Indigenous groups in Canadian society albeit it has been criticized as discriminatory. Voices calling for change of the legislation are growing stronger with the deepening socio-economic problems of Aboriginal peoples. First Nations primarily require the assertion of their constitutional right to self-determination in any future reform. In contrast, the current Conservative government of Stephen Harper emphasizes self- sufficiency and financial responsibility of Native peoples. Legislative actions that Conservatives rarely consult with representatives of the Indigenous peoples themselves correspond to the general priorities of the Harper Government based on the principles of market economy and do not reflect the demands for self-determination and self-government of Indigenous communities. The Idle No More protest movement founded in 2012 in reaction to some of Harper's laws pertaining to Aboriginal peoples fights for their rights and environmental protection inextricably linked with their identity. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze different perspectives on...
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