1. Social Conflict with the
Indigenous Population
Carrie Dolson and Chloe Dupuis

2. Outline
• Social conflict theories
• Aboriginal people in Canada
• Potlatch law
• Residential school
• Sixties scoop
• Loss of cultural identity today

3. Definitions
• Aboriginal People under the Constitution of Canada are First
Nation, Metis and Inuit.
• Treaties: agreements signed between the Queen before the
creation of Canada or the Government of Canada and many
different Aboriginal Communities, in order to share the land and
resources
• Reserves: “is an area of land, the legal title to which is held by
the Crown, set apart for the use and benefit of an Indian Band”
• Conflict Theory: “differences in power, well-being and access to
resources”

4. Social Conflict Theories
• The theoretical framework that understands material inequalities
to be driving force behind many social problems.
• There are two general types of conflict theories of social
problems: Marxist and non-Marxist.
• Marxist theory focus on social conflict that are the end results
from economic inequality.
• Non-Marxist theory focus on social conflict that are the end results
from competing and interest among social groups.

5. Social Conflict: Society
• Marked by power struggles over scares resources
• Inequality result in conflict
• Social change is inevitable
• Natural state of society

6. Social Conflict: Cause of social problems
• Inequality: the dominance of groups of people over other people
• Oppression and exploitation
• Competition between groups

7. Social Conflict: Solutions
• Minimize competition
• Create an equitable system for the distribution of resources

8. Aboriginal People in Canada
• In 2011 there was 1.4 million people who identified as Aboriginal
• 60.8% First Nations, 32.3% Metis and 4.2% Inuit
• Almost ½ of the children in foster care are Aborginal
• The Aboriginal population grew 20.1% between 2006 and
2011, while the non-Aboriginal grew 5.2%
• The median age of Aboriginal people is 28, which is 13 years
younger than the non-Aboriginal population

9. Potlatch Ceremony
• The community would come together to celebrate a change in
status, such as a marriage, birth or coming of age
• It was a distribution of wealth
• The host of the ceremony would give gifts to the guests that
would coincide with their social rank

10. Potlatch Law
• In 1884, the government banned Potlatch Ceremonies and other
ceremonies such as the Sun Dance Ceremony in the following years
• For the First Nations on the west coast of Canada, the Potlatch
Ceremony was one of the most important ceremonies
• Non- Aboriginal people saw the ceremony as wasteful and
excessive
• The law was deleted from the Indian Act in 1951

11. Impact of Potlatch Law
• “This provision of the Indian Act was in place for close to 75
years and what that did was it prevented the passing down of
our oral history. It prevented the passing down of our values. It
meant an interruption of the respected forms of government
that we used to have, and we did have forms of government be
they oral and not in writing before any of the Europeans came
to this country. We had a system that worked for us. We
respected each other. We had ways of dealing with disputes.”
• Judge Alfred Scow

12. Residential School
• Between 1856 and 1996 Aboriginal children were put into separate
schools run by the Government of Canada and
Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, United and Presbyterian churches
• Over 150 000 children attended the schools
• They were punished if they spoke their native languages and were
made to learn French and English
• Some children died of disease and others died trying to run away
• The children of the schools were told to dress, talk and act like
non-Aboriginal children

13. Residential School
"I want to get rid of the Indian problem. I do not think as a matter
of fact, that the country ought to continuously protect a class of
people who are able to stand alone... Our objective is to continue
until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been
absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and
no Indian Department" – Duncan Campbell Scott
“...[I]f anything is to be done with the Indian, we must catch him
very young. The children must be kept constantly within the circle
of civilized conditions.” - Nicholas Flood Davin

14. Sixties Scoop
• Between the 1960 and 1990, the adoption of a large number of
First Nation and Metis children
• Some children were taking without the family or band members
consent
• The children were taken under the assumption that Native people
were culturally inferior and unable to take proper care of their
children
• Over 11 000 children were taken and over 70% of them were
placed in non-Aboriginal homes

15. Conflict Theory and the Government
• The government used their power over the Aboriginal communities
to change their ways of life so that they would begin to conform
to the non-Aboriginal way of life.
• By taking away their ceremonies they want the communities to
lose their culture which non-Aboriginal people at the time thought
was barbaric.

16. Loss of Cultural Identity Today
• During the time when many Aboriginal Ceremonies were banned
some communities did try to keep their ceremonies alive but in
some areas it was impossible. When children were born during the
time of the ban they were unable to take part in ceremonies and
learn the traditions of their culture. With a lack of passing on of
traditions some were lost to the past. So today some communities
are facing the loss of their ceremonies while those who remember
the ceremonies begin to die.

17. Loss of Cultural Identity Today
• When the children were taken from their community, whether it
was attending Residential School or to be adopted, the passing on
of the language and traditions became even harder. Now there are
very few speakers of the language and those who are fluent in the
language are beginning to get older.
• Today there is a lot of communities who are trying to get back
their culture and learn their language. But while some are trying
to bring back the culture, some are still in the mind set that the
culture is something to be ashamed of.

18. Conclusion
• The government has shown dominance over the Aboriginals
population by using their power to change the laws to change
Aboriginal people to conform to the government’s standards.
• With the shamming of the Aboriginal culture there was an increase
in the amount of people who were ashamed to be called an
Aboriginal person. And for some the stigma still exists today.

19. Sources
• AANDC. (2013). Aboriginal People in Canada. Retrieved from:
https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100013785/130
4467449155
• AANDC. (2014). Residential Schools. Retrieved from: http://www.aadnc-
aandc.gc.ca/eng/1302882353814/1302882592498
• Anishinabek Nation. (2013). About Indian Residential Schools. Retrieved
from: http://www.anishinabek.ca/irscp/irscp-about-residential.asp
• BC Achieves. (ND). First Nations Potlacth. Retrieved from:
http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/exhibits/timemach/galler07/frames/p
otlatch.htm

20. Sources
• Hanson, E. (2009). The Indian Act. Retrieved from:
http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/government-
policy/the-indian-act.html
• Sinclair, R. (2014). Sixties Scoop. Retrieved from:
http://www.originscanada.org/aboriginal-resources/the-stolen-
generation/
• Stats Can. (2014). Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: First Nations
People, Métis and Inuit. Retrieved from:
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-011-x/99-
011-x2011001-eng.cfm