Things Ive learned this semester: aboriginal people faced inequality ever since the europeans got here they were forced to become

Things I’ve learned this semester: aboriginal people faced inequality ever since the europeans got here, they were forced to become part of them, forced to give up their culture and adapt to the culture of the europeans in hope to “erase” their history. It is mentioned in the reading, that “the Indian problem has been about the transformation of Indians into Europeans” (either British or French people) and further more they were not involved in the discussions, in which they should have because its their land, and the europeans were in their land.
When asked for equality, people never listened, they simply assumed what they wanted, as mentioned in class, Trudeau gave them the choice to eliminate the Indian act, Indian status and make all them Canadians, but that is not what aboriginal peoples wanted, they wanted to renew their original arrangement with the Canadian government. Ever since they made contact with the europeans for the fur trade, some were dependant on the traders that they are using the money for alcohol which brings violence to the family. And moreover,
they were often forced to leave their land because there wasn’t as much opportunities compared to the city, their lands were taken by the europeans. And this supports in the author’s thesis, in page 355, “the legacy of canada’s colonial Indian policy is reflected in the position of aboriginal peoples at the social, economic, and political margins: lower levels of education and income, poor housing, and poor health.”
I have also learned that despite the hardship the Aboriginal people went through, they still fought for their right in the very end, which allowed them to have a larger urban Aboriginal populations. The Aboriginal people later were able to attend universities and pursue the careers that they want. But yet, there’s more to overcome such as poverty and how find ways that they could accommodate themselves in the governance of Canada. Another point that I’d like to mention, some Canadians still believe that there Aboriginal people “have no claim to any more land in canada” but it shouldn’t be like that, since those lands were left by their ancestors, Canadians should come into new term with them and share it instead of claiming and say that those lands doesn’t belong to them.