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Minor Essay - Grade: 90
Aboriginal Health and Wellness (INDG-3256EL)
Laurentian University
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Colonization & It’s Everlasting Impression on Aboriginal Peoples and Their Health Cloey Brigham 0369393 Laurentian University INDG-3256 EL- Dr. Amy Shawanda April 2, 2021
Colonization & It’s Everlasting Impression on Indigenous Peoples and Their Health
Introduction Despite continuous efforts, Canada will never be able to erase the damage caused by colonization of Aboriginal people and their culture. Colonization destroyed the lives of the Aboriginal peoples and their native homeland in Canada and all across North America. The European settlers unrightfully disregarded their existence and completely ignored their basic needs of life. The First Nations were forced to abandon all of their old ways of life and cultural practices and abide by all Euro-Canadian laws. Residential schools were implemented to de- culturize any Indigenous youth which came with severe consequences that caused physical and psychological damage. Colonization had a monumental impact of the health of the Indigenous peoples and remains to affect them today. Colonialism still occurs in our society today economically, legally and politically despite government commitments of reconciliation in hopes to compensate for all of the suffering.
An overview of colonization Prior to the arrival of Europeans to North America there were thousands of Aboriginal bands, tribes and First Nations (Waldram et al., An overview of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, p). Colonialism is a worldwide issue that has affected many people, including the first settlers of Canada (UKEssays, 2018). The first settlers were the Aboriginals who were situated on the land which we now call Canada (Biin et al, 2018). The land was unrightfully taken from them by European travellers who were in search of new land and resources. Unfortunately, the Europeans had no sympathy for anyone who was already occupying the land and were going to claim it as their own either way (UKEssays, 2018). Colonialism is the act of taking political control over another country, filling it with settlers as well as exploiting it economically.
Colonization & It’s Everlasting Impression on Indigenous Peoples and Their Health
The impact of colonization on Indigenous health In order to fully comprehend Aboriginal health, one must consider not only the relationships, but interrelated features of the structural determinants that shape Aboriginal health (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health,3). Structure can be defined as, the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p3). Over several generations, there has been an increasing consensus that colonial structure for Aboriginal peoples produces many social and material inequities that end in health variations (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p3). Various things such as addictions, social violence, chronic disease and diminished life expectancy have all been directly related to an overarching colonial structure (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p3). Analysing the interconnections of all levels of the determinants of health can all aid in the process to understanding and appreciating how these determinants influence children and youth that can often determine their health as they reach adulthood (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health p). The determinants of health can resemble the parts of a tree, the crown of a tree being the proximal determinants, the trunk being the intermediate determinants and finally, the distal determinants being the root of the tree (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p).The proximal determinants include early childhood development, education and literacy, income and social status, employment, social support networks, working conditions, gender, culture and the physical environment (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p).
Colonization & It’s Everlasting Impression on Indigenous Peoples and Their Health
Next, the intermediate determinants include healthcare, education, justice, social supports, labour markets, kinship networks and relationship to the land and so on (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p). The distal determinants, like the root of the tree, are the most deeply imbedded that include ideological, social, political, historical and economical in which all of the other determinants have evolved from (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p). Over the course of the past 400 years, Indigenous groups and families across the continent have all experienced variations of similar colonial oppression. While the details are often spared, the impacts of the colonization and assimilation into the dominant society are close to, if not entirely, universal. Unfortunately, very few Indigenous tribes have been able to avoid the extreme changes in the disease patterns that came with colonization (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p). The unsteady access to land, food and water is directly linked to the ongoing post-colonial changes in health of Indigenous people not only in Canada but world-wide (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p). In 1872, the Indian Act implemented the reserve system in Canada preventing seasonal migration of families and groups which certainly took its toll on the health of the Indigenous peoples. These reserves, while safe, were unable to sustain an adequate food and water supply for the Indigenous peoples who lived there (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p). Due to the colonial development of the Europeans in the surrounding land, the reserves lost access to potable water. This only increased the spread of diseases among families on the reserves (Greenwood, Structural Determinants of Aboriginal People’s Health, p). The quick intrusion of European settlers swept the land of its natural hunting grounds and changed them over to pastureland. This action severely decreased the Indigenous people’s access
Colonization & It’s Everlasting Impression on Indigenous Peoples and Their Health
recognised in our health care system (Greenwood, Medicine Is Relationship, p). While health disparities are well documented, society has a hard time acknowledging the fact that our health care system could possibly be designed inequitably (Greenwood, Medicine Is Relationship, p). However, there are still many barriers that remain that are even approved by the Indian Act itself. Health care providers often refuse their services unless the patients are able to pay in full. Consequently, only full status Indians receive full coverage, and often times, reserves are located extensive distances from quality health care. This poses a huge barrier for many Indigenous peoples, especially those that are not of full Indian status (Greenwood, Medicine Is Relationship, p). The major government agency in Canada that is responsible for the health services for the majority of registered Indigenous peoples, is the MSB (Medical Services Branch) (Waldram et al, The organization and utilization of contemporary health services, p). Although there is some level of accountability with residential schooling issues with the prime minister, there have been numerous reconciliation meetings that occur throughout the nation about the negative effects and overall impact of the residential school system (Greenwood, Take Care of the Land and the Land Will Take Care of you, p). Even with these efforts, colonialism is still present for the Aboriginal people of Canada today.
Conclusion Colonization of Indigenous land took place decades ago, yet the negative effects still remain. The First Nations of Canada were aggressively pushed from their homelands and were forced to adopt the ways of the European settlers. Many Indigenous people were infected by various European diseases which wiped out their populations due to the of the lack of immunity.
Colonization & It’s Everlasting Impression on Indigenous Peoples and Their Health
The European settlers forcibly reconstructed their ways of life and their culture, which has left permanent scars and resentment today. Despite the governments persistent efforts to reconcile, colonialism is unfortunately still alive and well in today’s society.
Literature Cited: Biin, D., Hodgson, C., & Wilson, K. (2018, September 05). Colonization. Retrieved April 01, 2021, from opentextbc/indigenizationfoundations/chapter/43/ Greenwood, M., De Leeuw, S., & Lindsay, N. (2018). Determinants of Indigenous peoples’ health: beyond the social (Second edition.). Canadian Scholars. Waldram, J., Herring, A., & Young, T. (2006). Aboriginal Health in Canada: Historical, Cultural and Epidemiological Perspectives, 2nd Edition. (available as an e-copy directly from the publisher). Toronto: University of Toronto Press
UKEssays. (November 2018). Effects of Colonialism to Canadian Aboriginals. Retrieved from ukessays/essays/sociology/effects-of-colonialism-to-canadian-aboriginals- sociology-essay?vref=
Minor Essay - Grade: 90
Course: Aboriginal Health and Wellness (INDG-3256EL)
University: Laurentian University
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