Treaties & Governments
What was the purpose of treaties signed between the Crown and Indigenous groups in the early 1700s?
To promote peaceful cooperation in trade and military support.
What was the main goal of the Indian Act?
To assimilate Indigenous peoples into European Canadian society.
What was the purpose of residential schools?
To assimilate Indigenous children by eliminating their culture and traditions.
True or False: Residential schools helped preserve Indigenous languages.
False
Define “treaty.”
A formal agreement between the Crown and Indigenous groups, often concerning land and rights.
What government is referred to by the term “the Crown” in Canadian history?
The British and later Canadian federal/provincial governments.
In what year was the Indian Act first passed?
1876
When did residential schools operate in Canada?
From the 1880s to the 1990s.
True or False: The British initially saw Indigenous people as important allies.
True
What does the term “assimilation” mean in this context?
Forcing one group to adopt the culture, values, and practices of another.
What did British colonists consider more valuable than Indigenous alliances by the 1800s?
Farmland for settlers and westward expansion.
Has the Indian Act ever been changed since 1876?
Yes, particularly since the 1950s to remove discriminatory elements.
Who ran residential schools in partnership with the government?
Christian churches and missionaries.
True or False: The Crown only refers to the British monarchy.
False – it also refers to Canadian federal/provincial governments.
What does “residential” mean in “residential schools”?
Children were required to live at the school, often far from home.
What event made the British view Indigenous peoples as burdens instead of allies?
The end of the War of 1812 and the decline of the fur trade.
Name one area of life the Indian Act gave the government power to control.
Education, politics, culture, or community structure.
Name two ways Indigenous children were stripped of their identity in residential schools.
They were forbidden to speak their language and practice their cultural or spiritual beliefs.
True or False: Treaties were always honoured by the Canadian government.
False
What does “reconciliation” mean today in relation to this history?
A process of acknowledging harm, seeking justice, and rebuilding respectful relationships.
What role did immigration play in how the government treated Indigenous peoples in the Prairie Provinces?
They were displaced to make room for European settlers and farmland.
True or False: The Indian Act was designed to protect Indigenous culture.
False
What major harm resulted from the poor conditions in residential schools?
Thousands of children died due to neglect, abuse, and disease.
True or False: The residential school system ended before 1950.
False – the last school closed in 1996.
What is the “Crown-Indigenous relationship” meant to reflect?
A historic partnership based on mutual respect and treaty obligations (often broken by the Crown).