week 1
what is a minority
"self-conscious" groups that are discriminated against based on uneven power relations
why do anthropologists collect information on indigenous people
for their own benefit
constructed images and notions of "Indians"
other-ing them
when did the first encounters between indigenous and europeans start
1500 A.D.
Eurocentric perspectives began - europeans construct themselves as superior
relationships with explorers, settlers and indigenous are cooperative and conflicting
20% of the 4-7 million indigenous people live in these two areas in the US
American "Indian" areas; Alaska native villages
the members are federally recognized tribes
native nations are sovereign, but their sovereignty is subject of federal government
where was the first residential school in 1879 and what was the systems objectives
Pennsylvania; then canada in 1880s
initial intention is to help aboriginal people to adapt better to life in a white-dominated country
turns into a coercive system for assimilation and cultural destruction
at least 150,000 children passed through the system
a group that arose in the wake up nationalism
national minorities; also aspire to preserve their culture, sense of peoplehood and collective power
what are the 2 notions that Franz Boas coined to civilize the "savage"
cultural relativism; cultures have their own unique social and ethical standards, no culture can be objectively ranked better or worse
historical particularism: rejects the idea that all cultures are on the same path of development; cultures are products of their own history, there in hierarchical order
how did the logic of elimination work (3 steps)
confrontation: invasion, disease, massacre, warfare
carceration: segregation on to reservation, converting to christianity, and training in agriculture
assimilation: through education, particular policy and laws
what are the 3 indigenous groups according to the constitution act of 1982
indian (defined by Indian act); Inuit; Metis
who spoke publicly about the abuse of IRS systems in 1990
Phil Fontaine, assemble of First Nations leader
individual or group as minority
some persons within a minority category can have higher position and power
what happened after the red power movement in terms of anthropological and indigenous relationships
anthropologists start focusing on everything in terms of power centres (not just aboriginal)
third world, female, and indigenous anthropologists start challenging white male dominated western perspectives
indigenous anthropology emerges
similarities between genocide and settler colonialism
employed by europeans as "organizing grammar of race" (a hierarchical structure)
logic of elimination
"settler colonialism destroys to replace"
'doctrine of discovery' emphasized European sovereignty, doesn't recognize indigenous sovereignty
what decade were indigenous people given the ability to vote, and what were the exceptions
1960s; indigenous war veterans in 1944 or those who left status could vote
what proofs can be submitted that qualify the act as genocidal in the case of IRS system
high death rate
spread of disease with the intention of killing
forced sterilization
forced removal
*proving the intention of the policy is curial to determine genocidal acts*
UN declaration to the rights of minorities definition
no clear or agreed definition, but defined as "persons belonging to national or ethnic. religious and linguistic minorities"
how can anthropology be decolonized
take back ownership of indigenous knowledge
speak against anthropological knowledge and contraction that supported colonization stereotypes of indigenous
recognize and integrate indigenous perspectives in research
criticize the tendency to treat indigenous as "subjects"
what are examples of where indigenous spread thousands of years ago (i.e. where were they found geographically)
80,000 years ago: reached Australia via Southeast Asia and a land bridge from papa New Guinea
20,000-30,000 years ago, reached America
12-1400 C.E., Maori people in New Zealand via canoe
what is the assimilation policy
a structure to strip away their identity and aimed to reduce the difficulties in dealing with differences within indigenous people
what are the 5 factors included in the UNGC's definition of genocide
any of the following actions with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group such as:
1. killing members of the group
2. causing serious bodily harm to members of the group
3.deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction ins hole or in part
4. imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
5. forcibly transferring children of the group to another group
Name as many articles as possible on the UN declaration of rights to the Indigenous people
article 1: right to full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms
article 2: free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and right to be free
article 3: right to self-determination
more on docs
whatever you remember from exercise 1 writing (its in week 3 but we read it before so it counts as week 2) (rah)
logic of elimination: not genocidal, colonialism is the establishment of a new societal order
flawed because it overlooks the violence
settlers manipulate indigenous and then steal their things
carceration: indigenous have to policies (residential schools), must follow settler society
characteristics of settler colonialism
why doesn't Australia have an indigenous treaty
settler colonialism was wide throughout Australia, the impact of colonization was too great and wasn't recognized, making a formal treaty process impossible
Australia has little political will to address indigenous rights on a national level and the idea of a treaty wasn't widely discussed until 1990s (reluctant to pursue out of fear of compensation or change in structure of land ownership)
has notoriously denied the existence of indigenous, their trying to figure out how to integrate indigenous sovereignty and land rights
what factors during the Indian act would women lose/gain their status
Indian women who married non-indian man lost status
if she married a man from a different band, she ceased to be a member of her own; if abandoned or husband dies, she's ceased from both bands and lost status
status was removed of any woman who married a non-indian man, including American Indians and non-status aboriginal
"double mother"; Indian child would lose status if both their mother and grandmother acquired status as a result of marriage, regardless of whether their father or grandfather had status
Why can't Indigenous people bring Canadian government to international court for genocide
indigenous are not state and cannot bring it to the international court of justice
cannot petition to the UN Security Council for genocidal allegations against the government - doesn't not mean they can't seek support