The Aboriginal Story: A History

A brief history of the aboriginal peoples was given by Darren Thomas, an aboriginal from the Six Nations Bear Clan. To a student audience, Thomas makes it clear that “unless you want to learn about aboriginals, you will learn nothing.” To learn about them, an opportunity must come forth where you know an aboriginal personally such as an old friend, or a neighbour.
Thomas continues the lecture by going back to the late 1700s and explains the various laws enacted against the aboriginal peoples. One such law is the Indian Act. This act gave way to a status for aboriginals and rules that come with the status. To hold the status and be granted residence on reserves, aboriginals were not allowed to have an education.
Having an education meant that an aboriginal was civilized, and no longer a “savage Indian.” One may have also lost status by joining the army. Thomas describes one such moment in history, that when aboriginals went to fight overseas for Canada, they came home to find that they no longer had their status.
Violations of the Indian Act were met with tough consequences such as a jail term from six months to two years. The act could be violated when an aboriginal was found with alcohol on the reserve, or if an aboriginal did not have their status card with them when venturing out of the reserve.
To obtain more information in an effort for better understanding of the aboriginals, one can read the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP).