Melissa Major --> Canadian Aboriginal Rights Issue

The rights of native Canadians by the government is a national social justice issue.

Aboriginal Rights in Canada

--> social justice issue

--> National Issue

The government has made many piecemeal attempts to break hereditary cycles such as poverty, domestic violence, health problems and lack of education, yet all these problems stem from the same root meaning the aboriginals have not been given proper aid that they deserve and are entitled to.

Non-aboriginals can clearly see now that the treatment of these people is unequal. In our dark history, we have selfishly taken their land and leaving them to forcibly relocate to reserves with very poor living conditions sometimes resulting in death, or extreme sickness. Shelter has become a momentous concern amongst First Nations villages, because according  to 'INAC 2002' only 56.9% of their shelters were deemed passable around 1999-2000 meaning not needing major repairs. Even on the government funded reserves, spending apparently 600 million dollars on it a year, they do not have the money it would take to improve the standard of living out of what they call "third-world" conditions. Overtime we, as a Canadian culture, have oppressed their individual and unique cultural and traditions. If Canada would like to rightfully promote the fact that we are a multicultural, accepting nation, we should try to find a more tolerant and accommodating way to deal with the issues surrounding the aboriginals instead of relying on assimilation.

Of course, there have been treaties made between the Canadian aboriginal peoples and the government, but the "Indian Act" only defines how those with an Indian status can interact with the government of Canada.

“Canada is a test case for a grand notion — the notion that dissimilar peoples can share lands, resources, power and dreams while respecting and sustaining their differences. The story of Canada is the story of many such peoples, trying and failing and trying again, to live together in peace and harmony. But there cannot be peace or harmony unless there is justice. It was to help restore justice to the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada, and to propose practical solutions to stubborn problems, that the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) was established.” — page ix, A Word From Commissioners found in a National Post Article, full commission over 150 pages long.

This issue is mostly a national issue, although can be viewed on a global level, as a lot of other nations have faced or are facing similar issues.  The aboriginals have always been careful, sympathetic and nurturing with nature, animals and the planet as a whole, and when Canadians and the government took away their right to protect that, we put Canada in danger of more than just a social justice issue.

                 

                The implications on the surrounding environment is more along the lines of 'what could have been prevented' referring to destruction of habitats and endangering species. Environmental  impacts has been a main issue for the aboriginal peoples, as well as cultural while the government is mainly focused on the political and economic aspects. This has been an issue since 1892, when Christopher Columbus sailed across the ocean blue and still is a daily issue as of today. Before Canada was even considered a country, Britain acknowledged that aboriginal had been living here and therefore were entitled to land: the' Royal Proclamation of 1763' confirmed that just the British could obtain property from the First Nations, and that was normally done through treaties, which I previously mentioned.  

                There are many indigenous right organizations working toward bettering and strengthening the relationship between the aboriginal peoples and the Canadian government.

http://www.afn.ca/

http://www.abo-peoples.org/

http://www.naho.ca/

http://www.ihraam.org/

http://www.nwac.ca/

http://pauktuutit.ca/

http://www.raventrust.com/

http://www.fsin.com/