During similar time frames of the European contact, both North and South America were inhabited by many diverse Indigenous peoples.

Indigenous people—or, as some what put it—First Nations peoples, who represent a wide range of values, beliefs, religious views, social, political, and legal systems or languages.

The Arrival of the European’s clearly defined geographic boundaries in our country. In addition to this, there was a large abundance of fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.

This was great as it allowed for many Indigenous communities to develop distinct, thriving, cultures and languages.

Each First Nation individual had their own language, culture, social structure, as well as both legal and political systems.

There were no “Indians” prior to contact with Europe and their settlers.

When the Europeans had first arrived, they come to believe that they landed in what is now India.

They began to use this name to describe the local communities in Canada. This is the background history as to how the name “Indian” formed amongst Indigenous peoples.

Along the way, the term “Indian” became a term in which was used and spread widely. In fact, it’s most common use was amongst the settlers, along with several other terms and names that altered the social nature of Indigenous culture.

Ultimately, this name served to differentiate between Indigenous peoples and the settlers, who referred to themselves as Europeans, whites, and finally Canadians.

It lumped together the entire local population, disregarding it’s extraordinary diversity.

The sixties scoop was a period in which a serious of policies were enacted in Canada that enabled child welfare authorities to take, or “scoop up” Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement in foster homes, from which they would be adopted by white families.

Similar to the effects of residential schoolsX the effects of the sixties scoop on Indigenous peoples and their families resulted in generational and historical traumas.

This negatively affected parenting skills, social values, economic conditions, and future success. This trauma has caused overwhelming rates of suicide, homicide, depression, substance abuse, alcoholism, child child abuse, domestic violence, struggles of self identity, and other social problems.

These factors, along with the damaging attitudes towards Indigenous parenting skills and a tendency to see Aboriginal poverty as a symptom of neglect or self-infliction, rather than as a consequence of failed government policies. This has resulted in cruel and unacceptable rates of child apprehension among Indigenous peoples.

The historical acts from government policies were designated for First Nations peoples as a whole, not tailored to the individual cultures of Indigenous peoples.

The 1850 Act for better protection of the lands and property of the Indians in lower Canada included a set of requirements that defined who would be considered a legal Indian.

The Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 and the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869 were both primarily aimed to “Civilize the Indian”. Agents began encouraging First Nations to abandon their traditional lifestyles, as well as to adopt more British Culture.

In 1876, is when The Indian Act came into power. The Indian Act attempted to generalize a vast and varied population of people and assimilate them into a non-Indigenous society.

This act also made it illegal for First Nations peoples to practice religious ceremonies, as well as a variety of cultural gatherings.

Residential Schools are another truth within our history where Indigenous peoples were treated as if they were all the same.

These schools were used as a tool for civilization. Through Residential Schools, children who were First Nations, were to be educated in the same manner and subject structure as Canadian children.

In addition to this, Indigenous peoples were forced to have their children taken from them, all to abandon their culture, language, traditions, religions, lifestyle, and ways of dressing.

Ultimately, the carrying Indigenous cultures were stripped down to nothing.

Regardless of cultural diversity—it is estimated that 150,00 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children attended Residential Schools.

Almost every truth from our history presents a result of the ‘loss of identity’ for several Indigenous cultures. Each of the historical truths that I had proposed all have effects on the cultural loss of Indigenous peoples.

Aboriginal peoples as a whole have had their cultures, traditions, values, identities, and life taken from them for a very long time now. This ultimately means that Indigenous cultures are being threatened with extinction.

Languages carry optimal cultural knowledge. For Aboriginal peoples, the loss of a language symbolizes the loss of culture. Not only this, but Aboriginal people's also lose connection to their own ancestors.

Research shows that both a strong culture and a strong identity will help to develop resilience within individuals. The potential of impacting the health and well being of Aboriginal peoples has been greatly increased due to this.

They did not need Canada, or its schools and hospitals to survive. They were an entity unto themselves.

Residential schools were set in stone to gear a policy to “kill the Indian” and “save the man.” These school systems were still taking place amongst the knowledge of doing wrong. Both cultural and political extinction of Aboriginal peoples were integrated functions of these school systems.

“Residential school became our cultural landscape. Inexorably, we lost our cultural roots. We did not become white, but we were no longer brown. We became lost generations.” — Mary Carpenter

Culture is the various ways of knowing, being, teaching, traditions, values, language, ceremonies, spirituality, protocols, sustainability, and connections.

For Indigenous peoples, culture is the essence of who they are, who they belong to, where they come from, how they connect to one another or one thing.

Our culture and identity should not be affordable.

Still today, is one of the most common mistakes made by non-Indigenous peoples is not recognizing the cultural diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada. These mistakes are often made when working with Indigenous communities.

There is a misconception that Indigenous peoples are one large group who share the same culture, traditions, worldviews, needs, and desires.

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“Anishinaabe, Métis, Coostal, Salish, Cree, Cherokee, we have nothing much in common. We’re all aboriginal and we all have the drum. That’s about it” — Thomas King

Thomas King wrote about a drum circle in an article called “The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America”.

To this day, several forms of media repeatedly exploit false notions of who Indigenous people are. This circulates harmful prejudice and stereotypes that are expected from this experience.

Inclusive education means that all students who enter the classroom should be welcomed, comforted, respected, and included by their teachers, classmates, and peers.

This should all be done through appropriate, regular classes and school times. Of course, out of school setting is a must as well. This should be focused on their given support to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of the school.

This is something that seems to be lacking excessively in school systems.

Too often, education systems do not respect indigenous peoples’ diverse cultures. There are few too many teachers who voice that their languages and their schools often lack basic materials.

Educational materials that provide accurate as well as fair information on the Indigenous culture and their ways varied living are particularly uncommon.

Despite the universal rights to education, do you notice how Indigenous peoples do not fully enjoy these rights? Can you see an education gap between Indigenous peoples and the rest of the students?

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Cultural and traditional discrimination at schools are major obstacles to inclusive education.

Indigenous students frequently find that the education they are offered by the state promotes individualism, which includes a competitive atmosphere, rather than cultural ways of life and knowing.

They are not taught relevant survival and work skills suitable for Indigenous culture.

They often return to their communities with a formal education that is irrelevant or unsuitable for their needs on their land.

They are forced to seek employment in the national economy, leading to a traumatic cycle of social fragmentation and a lack of development. This is especially since
the jobs and salaries available to Indigenous people as a while, often will not match their educational achievements or opposing co-workers.

When Indigenous children are introduced to school systems off reserve, they are only risking the loss of part of their identity, their connection with their parents and predecessors.

Ultimately, this has Indigenous peoples are somewhat being caught in the middle in which they will most likely lose an important aspect of their identity. They are doing this while not even fully becoming a part of a new, respective society.

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Results of these outcomes have been rich for the wide range of Indigenous cultures. This has all been seen to cause poor performance and higher dropout rates for Indigenous peoples.

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Here is an excellent source for educators to use in their classroom — Creating an Inclusive School Climate for Aboriginal Learners

Do we learn enough about Indigenous history than other different histories?

I believe that personal knowledge is subjectivity important ingredients to understanding and producing respectful history of Indigenous cultures.

Knowing the historical and social context of one’s background is crucial to appreciating the multiple perspectives of specific cultures, or especially how one can be viewed in a society.

However, more Indigenous education is definitely needed in our school systems. Our typical History class does not exploit nearly enough.

Teaching Indigenous languages in schools could help Indigenous children feel that their identity is secure and respected.

We could be facilitating and encouraging a new generation of children to speak the languages in which were stripped and threatened from our contributing cultures throughout the country.

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We Are History As One

Indigenous history is our collective history, it's not a separate history. We cannot split the history of our Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in this country, because it's our history together.

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Indigenous history is a topic that is relevantly important to several Indigenous peoples. To many, history establishes our sense of identity and belonging.

We understand who we are and how we came to be because of the stories told by our elders.

Indigenous studies is an interdisciplinary field that creates a complex, but respectful understanding of Indigenous peoples, and their diverse cultures.

Students in course of Indigenous Studies often learn about the language, politics, and structures of indigenous groups, as well as their artistic and intellectual traditions.

"Culture is a shadow," she says. "It's something that follows you everywhere, and part of culture is language, which connects me back to my land. It disconnects a person if you don't have your language. You feel it, that loss." —Dianne Biritjalawuy

Promoting awareness about indigenous people isn't just about their culture and wellbeing. Often, it's about saving their lives.

Like other vulnerable groups, Indigenous peoples face many challenges. This includes a lack of political representation, economic marginalization and lack of access to health, education and social services.

Indigenous people differ so much that it is obvious many topics can be incorporated into teaching.

Indigenous studies is an important subject. It's about broadening the our history, and ensuring all cultures are recognized equally. It is also an excellent choice for students who want to play their part in creating a safe and more prosperous world for all peoples.

Indigents people in Canada have a higher employment rate, and lower levels or educational attainment than non-Indigenous people. The loss of culture and language, social and political inequalities, intergenerational trauma, and economic barriers are all examples of situations where the limits of opportunities and life changes are lowered for Indigenous peoples.

In order to get and keep good jobs, basic essential skills are needed. Many Indigenous youth and adults do not graduate high school, or they graduate without essential literacy and numeracy skills.

There are many reasons for this…

- chronic under-funding of quality on-reserve education

- the challenge of acquiring reliable internet in remote conditions

- effects of growing up in households disproportionately impacted by residential school syndrome.

Indigenous peoples cite a lack of jobs, educations, training and work experience as reasons for employment. Even at higher numeracy and literacy levels, First Nations peoples have a significantly lower probability of employment than non-Indigenous Canadians.

Even the lower skilled, Indigenous peoples have a higher chance of employment than First Nations people. Meanwhile, workplace bullying and discrimination are causes for some Indigenous peoples to leave employment.

Indigenous people are over represented in the Canadian criminal justice system. Although non-Indigenous perception of this is simply that Indigenous peoples are the same. They are also viewed as criminals of some sort, which is why are underlying factors that contribute to this misconception.

In 1996, the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples found that the greatest contributor to overrepresentation were the colonial values underlying Canadian criminal laws that have had negative impacts on Indigenous peoples.

First off, colonialism has led to cultural alienation, territorial dispossession, intergenerational, trauma caused by polices. This could be things such as the residential school system, removing Indigenous children from their families during times of the 60’s scoop, or even the ongoing child welfare practices.

These have all evidently affected relationships and contributed to the erosion of family or communities. This has resulted in high rates of serious physical health problems, issues with mental health, suicide, both physical and sexual abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, family breakdown, and lastly, involvement both as victims and survivors, as well as accused and convicted persons in the criminal justice system.

Secondly, systemic discrimination throughout the criminal justice system, including policing, the courts, and in corrections has been identified as a serious issue by the Supreme Court.

Although there is currently no data that is available, Indigenous peoples are believed to be a common target by police, which leads to more contact with courts than non-Indigenous peoples.

At the same time, studies have found that biases have led to Indigenous people being seen as less worthy victims from the police. This ultimately has their credibility questioned, and their requests for assistance ignored or else not adequately supported.

Finally, cultural differences is another example of higher crime rates within the diverse Indigenous culture.

The Canadian criminal justice system is based on western values of justice. These values differ in the perceptions of wrongly doing, or the harmful approaches taken to justice between Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures.

“The downfall of Indigenous people in Canada and many other colonial countries is their alienation from their original justice system. The justice prescribed to them is not that if their own culture or customs.

What has been imposed on them is western justice, a retributive justice system that has been used to colonize and marginalize Indigenous people.” (Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba, 1999. Sutherland.)

In order to ensure that there is understanding, respect, and appreciation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, both need to meet, work together, and learn about each other. If not, non-Indigenous people may learn about the opposing culture only from sources in which are often invalid.

Learning about the real history and contemporary reality of Indigenous peoples will assuredly assist with coming to grief on some very negative stereotypes amongst this group. Proper knowledge can also help with healing some of the damage and harm done to the culture as a whole.

The future generations of children in our country have high expectations. Several individuals have already got a head start on ensuring that this group of children will receive more accurate and recent views of the Indigenous culture. In addition to this, it sounds like a more truthful proposal towards the accurate views of Indigenous Peoples in relation to Canadian history will be provided in their education.

Here is my thoughts and acknowledgment towards the topic of Reconciliation;

The "calls to action" are divided into two parts: legacy (1 to 42) and reconciliation (43 to 94.)

I found several of the 94 calls to action to resonate back to my overall topic of the misconception that Indigenous peoples are all the same.

Here are the calls that I believe acknowledge this specific myth.

Legacy:

—Education

7 – “We call upon the federal government to develop with Aboriginal groups a joint strategy to eliminate educational and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.”

11 — “We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education.”

12 — “We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Aboriginal families.”

—Language & Culture

This relates …

13 — “We call upon the federal government to acknowledge that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language rights.”

16 — “We call upon post-secondary institutions to create university and college degree and diploma programs in Aboriginal languages.”

17 — “We call upon all levels of government to enable residential school survivors and their families to reclaim names changed by the residential school system by waiving administrative costs for a period of five years for the name-change process and the revision of official identity documents, such as birth certificates, passports, driver's licenses, health cards, status cards, and social insurance numbers.”

—Health

20 — “In order to address the jurisdictional disputes concerning Aboriginal people who do not reside on reserves, we call upon the federal government to recognize, respect, and address the distinct health needs of the Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve Aboriginal peoples.”

22 — “We call upon those who can effect change within the Canadian health-care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and Elders where requested by Aboriginal patients.”

24 — “We call upon medical and nursing schools in Canada to require all students to take a course dealing with Aboriginal health issues, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, and Indigenous teachings and practices.”

—Justice

27 — “We call upon the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to ensure that lawyers receive appropriate cultural competency training, which includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations.”

28 — “We call upon law schools in Canada to require all law students to take a course in Aboriginal people and the law, which includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations.”

30 — “We call upon federal, provincial, and territorial governments to commit to eliminating the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody over the next decade, and to issue detailed annual reports that monitor and evaluate progress in doing so.”

31 — “We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to provide sufficient and stable funding to implement and evaluate community sanctions that will provide realistic alternatives to imprisonment for Aboriginal offenders and respond to the underlying causes of offending.”

36 — “We call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to work with Aboriginal communities to provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence, and overcoming the experience of having been sexually abused.”

Reconciliation:

—Equity for Aboriginal People in the Legal System

50 — “In keeping with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal organizations, to fund the establishment of Indigenous law institutes for the development, use, and understanding of Indigenous laws and access to justice in accordance with the unique cultures of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.”

—Church Apologies and Reconciliation

58 — We call upon the Pope to issue an apology to survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church's role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools.

59 — “We call upon church parties to the settlement agreement to develop ongoing education strategies to ensure that their respective congregations learn about their church's role in colonization, the history and legacy of residential schools, and why apologies to former residential school students, their families, and communities were necessary.”

—Media and Reconciliation

84 — “We call upon the federal government to restore and increase funding to the CBC/ Radio-Canada, to enable Canada's national public broadcaster to support reconciliation, and be properly reflective of the diverse cultures, languages, and perspectives of Aboriginal peoples.”

—Sports and Reconciliation

87 — “We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.”

88 — “We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel.”

89 — “We call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples.”

90 — “We call upon the federal government to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples”

—Newcomers to Canada

93 — “We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with the national Aboriginal organizations, to revise the information kit for newcomers to Canada and its citizenship test to reflect a more inclusive history of the diverse Aboriginal peoples of Canada, including information about the Treaties and the history of residential schools.”

Several podcasts with Indigenous themes are continually being released during todays day. This is a perfect chance to learn about both appreciating and acknowledging the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in our country.

The Government of Canada is working hard and sufficiently in terms to advance reconciliation. This has to do with renewing the relationship with Indigenous peoples as a whole, based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership.

For former Residential School survivors, there are several mental health supports available.

On September 1, 2020, the Government of Canada announced the designation of the Residential School System as a National historic event under the National Program of Historical Commemoration.

The Government of Canada recognizes this as a tragic event in our shared history. However, with Indigenous peoples and communities who are ready to do so, is committed to raising awareness of the experiences of children who attended these schools.

This is to ensure that this specific history is acknowledged and better understood by all Canadians.

Steps non-Indigenous Canadians can take to support the diverse Indigenous cultural—

— Read the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

— Develop an understanding of what culture means to Indigenous peoples.

— Develop an understanding of the historical background of Indigenous peoples and their cultures.

— Support Indigenous peoples by attending local, provincial, or national, cultural events.

— Contribute to the construction and/or maintenance of community cultural centres.

There are three distinct groups of Aboriginal peoples - First Nation or Indian, Métis and Inuit —as defined by the Constitution Act, in 1982.

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“Anishinaabe, Métis, Coastal Salish, Cree, Cherokee. We have nothing much in common. We're all aboriginal and we have the drum. That's about it."

Thomas King wrote this about a drum circle in "The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious and Account of Native People in North America"

Indigenous peoples in Canada differentiate immensely when it comes to language.

The 2011 Census of Population recorded over 60 Aboriginal languages grouped into 12 distinct language families—an indication of the diversity of Aboriginal languages in Canada.

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In BC alone there is an amazing diversity of First Nation culture and language - there are over 200 First Nation communities in the province - each with its own unique culture, traditions and history.

These 200 communities represent 60% of the First Nation languages spoken in Canada.

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Speaking of language, did you know that outside of Quebec, English is becoming the common language of Aboriginal people in Canada?

We must know the facts.

There is a substantial amount of facts that coincide the myth of all Indigenous peoples
being the same.

Indigenous peoples across Canada are very diverse.

Indigenous peoples have a wide range of cultural practices and traditions.

They are composed of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people.

Indigenous peoples speak over 50 different languages.

Both status and non-status Indians are considered Indigenous peoples.

Currently, 40% of the world's countries contain Indigenous cultures and nations.

Not recognizing the cultural diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada is one of the most common mistakes non-Indigenous people make when working with people and communities.

Stercotypes do great harm. Whether you are Indigenous or non-Indigenous, you will often hear negative stereotypes about Indigenous peoples.

However, you might not always have enough information to see past the misconception and find the truth.

It is so crucial to insure that us all, non-Indigenous Canadians, know the truths, the facts, and the calls for reconciliation.

The responsibility is not on the Indigenous people to do the education. It's for us to reach out and connect with one another. And we each have our parts to contribute.

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My goals for integrating Aboriginal perspectives for Aboriginal students are:

- To develop a positive self-identity through learning their own histories, cultures, traditional values, contemporary lifestyles, and traditional knowledge

- To participate in a learning environment that will equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to participate more fully in the unique civic and cultural realities of their community

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The goals of integrating Aboriginal perspectives for non-Aboriginal students are:

- To develop an understanding and respect for the histories, cultures, traditional values, contemporary lifestyles, and traditional knowledge

- To develop informed opinions on matters relating to Aboriginal peoples.

The Canadian school system has contributed to these stereotypes, as very little is taught about Indigenous peoples and their real history.

Indigenous stories and histories in the mainstream media have normally been told from a non-Indigenous point of view.

This can lead to misunderstandings that can harm the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Indigenous Studies compromises of a good basic understanding to what it is we need to know about the Indigenous culture and their ways of living and being.