Social Work and Aboriginal Peoples

1

• 9.
• Social Work and Aboriginal Peoples

2
Who are Aboriginal People?

• The Original inhabitants of the landmass now
  known as Canada
• Up to 2 million people spoke 50 languages each
  with different cultures

3
Indian Act, 1876

• Define who is a status Indian
• Tool of colonization
• Regulates and controls every aspect of their life

4
Residential Schools

• Part of assimilationist policy
• Removed Native children from their homes to be
  placed in religious based schools

5
Children in Care

• The Scoop of the 1960 apprehended massive
  numbers of Native children and placed them in
  non-Aboriginal foster and adoptive homes
• This phenomenon is appearing again with many
  provinces reporting increasing numbers of
  Aboriginal children in care

6
Government Policy Objectives

• Protection
• Assimilation
• Christianization
• Enfranchisement
• Land surrender
• Government authority

7
Four Principles of Aboriginal Social Work

• Incorporate distinct Aboriginal worldviews
• Recognition and analysis of impact of colonialism
• Cultural knowledge and traditions
• Empowerment

8
Aboriginal Empowerment

• Emphasizes the participation of community in
  promoting self-determination and social change
• Innu of Labrador provide illustrates importance
  of this concept

9
Medicine Wheel

• Traditionally underpins First Nation approach to
  healing
• Symbol of holistic healing emphasizing spiritual,
  mental, physical and emotional health
• Can help social workers see all aspects of a
  problem

10
Royal Commission

• The 1996 Report contains five key themes
• Reconstitution of Aboriginal nations
• Reallocation of lands resources
• Education for governance and economic
  self-reliance
• Economic development