Kontakt 2007, 9(2):331-342 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2007.051

Aboriginal People - original nations in Canada (Introduction to problems of their social position)Health and Social Sciences

Eva Davidová^*, Magdaléna Vošalíková

Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra sociální práce a sociální politiky

The problem of original nations in Canada is still an unsolved question, which is in addition insufficiently known in its roots and thus, it is not understood in many directions. The authors indicates the historical-social development of Canadian original inhabitants in association with an outline of the origination and development of the Canadian society, when immigrants of European origin came just to the territory of these original nations, which was stepwise colonized by them. They trie to introduce problems of the contemporary social position of these Aboriginals - i.e. Indians (First Nations) in Canada, also frequently referred to as First Peoples or Native People, Inuits, and Métis i.e. half-breeds of European immigrants and original inhabitants in delimitation of their groups and main tribes.
North-American Indians (First Nations) living in the territory of Canada obviously as early as from the 10th century B.C. are still most numerous of these three groups - more than 600,000 of them live there: 58% in reservations and 42% in big cities. They saved their culture to a certain extent, some traditions, faith and languages of their tribes - these are still particularly the tribes of Algonquins, Iroquiois, Mohawks, Cree and Ojibway. However, of the total number of 50 traditional aboriginal languages, only three of them have a chance to survive: Cree, Ojibway and Mohawks. There is currently a considerable difference between those living in reservations and the others living in cities, where assimilation effects are more considerable with positive as well as negative consequences.
Inuits, for centuries referred to as Eskimos, consider themselves as a nation, though if one of the smallest and most interesting ones, who reached the territory of the today Canada about 4000 years ago, inhabit extensive areas of the territory Nunavut, Northwest Territories, North Coast of Labrador and North Québeck. In a majority of their community, they still speak the language Inuktikut and many of them saved their traditional style of life though if it is recently being rapidly changed, mainly as to the way of dwelling and feeding in those, who already live in cities together with other people.
Métis are the youngest group, which was formed in the 18th century by mixing - marriages or living together of French, British or Scottish immigrants with nativel women. About 350,000 their descendants still live in certain Canadian provinces.
In the conclusive part of the contribution, the author presents suggests that a consideration should be discussed, concerning a possible comparison of problems of the current position and changing life style of Aboriginal people, mainly of First Nations and Inuits, with partially analogous problems of currently existing Romany communities in our society. In these two groups, there is not only the outstanding problem of their position in our society but also similar severe adverse effects of forceful assimilation pressures on their ethnicity and value-orientation on the part of the society in Canada and in the former Czechoslovakia, respectively, in the l950'th to 1980'th. The Canadian society is aware of the currently existing outstanding problems in this field and it searches for new approaches to their solution, which is also objectively supported by the scientific activity developed at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg over recent years.
The present article is intended as the first step to sharing knowledge in this field of interest.

Keywords: Aboriginals; Aboriginal People; First Peoples; Native People of Canada; First Nations -Inuits; Métis; Gypsies (Romany people)

Received: October 6, 2007; Accepted: November 13, 2007; Published: December 21, 2007  Show citation