Aboriginal Issues

  • John Diefenbaker gives Aboriginals the right to vote

    *date not exact When Diefenbaker Became PM one of his first actions was to appoint a aboriginal man, James Gladstone, to his cabinet. This would later pave the way to the Canadian Bill of Rights and would grant the vote to the First Nations and Inuit peoples.
  • National Indian Brotherhood is formed

    As an effort to give Aboriginals a voice in the Government, several first nation leaders came together to form the NIB. Now called the Assembly of First Nations, the NIB were formed to protect the rights, treaty obligations, ceremonies, and claims of citizens of the First Nations in Canada.
  • Aboriginals begin Presuring the Government for Aboriginal self government

    With the creation of the National Indian Brotherhood, the leaders came with one goal in particular. Self-Governance. They were tired of having the Feds control what the Natives were doing. Self-Government would give them the chance to have themselves control their own issues with their knowledge.
  • The White Paper Proposal

    *Date not exact "Тhе Whitе Рареr 1969" wаs а Саnаdiаn роliсу рареr рrороsаl mаdе bу Рrimе Ministеr Рiеrrе Тrudеаu аnd his Ministеr оf Indiаn Аffаirs, Jеаn Сhrétiеn in 1969. Тhis рареr wоuld аbоlish thе Indiаn Асt аnd dismаntlе thе еstаblishеd lеgаl rеlаtiоnshiр bеtwееn Аbоriginаl реорlеs аnd thе stаtе оf Саnаdа in fаvоr оf еquаlitу.
  • Residential schools abandoned

    Gradually Aboriginals began to take control of their own land claims. As they took control, the leaders took education as their first issue. They would abandon the residential school in exchange for the tribal "Band School". These schools would get their students to concentrate on their language, culture and traditions.
  • The Berger Commission

    The Berger Commission was an investigation into the social, environmental, and economic impact of a proposed gas pipeline that would run through the Yukon and the Mackenzie River Valley of the Northwest Territories. This proposed pipeline became known as the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.
  • The Berger Commission makes it's case

    In the case of environment, the commission ruled that the northern Yukon was too susceptible to environmental harm. In the case of economy, the pipeline was found to have no economic benifits. Then in social issues, The commission believed that the pipeline process had not taken native culture seriously. As a result, the project was eventually trashed by the Government.
  • The NIB reorganizes into the Assembly of First Nations

    Thе NIB wаs nоt withоut its рrоblеms. Тhе struсturе оf thе оrgаnizаtiоn сrеаtеd thе mоst арраrеnt роint оf disрutе, bесаusе it wаs сrеаtеd with thе intеntiоn оf rерrеsеnting а big numbеr оf sоmеtimеs disраrаtе nоn-gоvеrnmеntаl оrgаnizаtiоns, but соuld nоt nесеssаrilу сlаim tо bе rерrеsеntаtivе оf аll thе bаnds аnd nаtiоns in Саnаdа. In rеsроnsе, thе NIB аttеmрtеd tо trаnsfоrm itsеlf intо а rеаllу rерrеsеntаtivе bоdу, аnd сhаngеd its nаmе tо thе Аssеmblу оf First Nаtiоns in 1982.
  • The Oka Crisis begins

    The Oka Crisis was a land dispute between the Native Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec. The conflict started when the town council voted to develope a piece of disputed land for a golf course. As usual, the natives were infuriated at the news and as a result, the natives decided to blockade the path to the site
  • Police assault the Oka barricades

    When the mayor got word on the barricades forming at the land. He requested the regional police force to break up the barricades on grounds of "illegal activity". The assault on the barricades led to people injured and one person killed in the fray.
  • Period: to

    The Oka crisis

  • Robert Bourassa Requests Military Assistance

    On this day Bourassa announced in a press conference that he inacted section 275 of the National Defence Act. This would give Bourassa the power to request military assistance during the crisis. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was reluctant to have the federal government and, in particular, the Canadian Army, so involved. Under the act, however, Quebec had the right to requisition the armed forces to maintain law and order.
  • The Oka Crisis ends

    September 25 witnessed the final engagement of the crisis: a Mohawk warrior walked around the perimeter of the blockade area with a long stick, setting off flares that had been originally installed by the Canadian Forces to alert them to individuals fleeing the area. The army turned a water hose on this man, but it lacked enough pressure to disperse the crowd surrounding him. This crowd taunted the soldiers and began throwing water balloons at them, but the incident did not escalate further.
  • Nunavut is founded

    Nunavut was the result of a massive land claim by the native Inuit. The creation of Nunavut resulted in the first major change to Canada's political map since the incorporation of the new province of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1949.
  • The Nisga'a Treaty is signed

    The Nisga'a Treaty, also known as the Nisga's final agreement, was a land agreement between the Nisga'a, the BC government and the Canadian Government. As part of the settlement in the Nass River valley nearly 2,000 square kilometres of land was officially recognized as Nisg̱a'a, They would also be given the right to create a municipality and their own police force. In exchange for this, the Nisga'a would give up their status as tax-exempt.