Relection

I just want to thank my group for an excellent insight on social issues concerning Aboriginal peoples. It has been a true learning experience for me to be apart of a class with so many good representation for all groups. I believe we truly felt compassionate and these issues have brought out main issues that are close to our hearts and homes. Many of the bogs we researched impacts our lives and futures so knowing what is currently going on in the world is very important. These topics we blogged on may have not have been to the best of our ability but as future workers we know that this experience will guide us in learning more and help prepare us to continue to advocate and look at issues in many perspectives and ideologies. Some day each and everyone of us will be impacted by one or more of these issues. There are major life events and decisions  that are being made that will affect our lives for the rest of our time and a lot of people in society have no idea as to the consequences ahead.

Although, I had a hard time with my researching and documenting skills it really made me realize how my life changed throughout the past couple years. Clearly, there was a time in my life where I thought I was never going to go anywhere. Coming from a home where there was lots of inter-generational trauma, violence, insecurity and alcohol abuse, it wasn't until I went to school to fully understand why this was. We lived in a small very isolated community with no transportation, overcrowded home with a lifestyle of never knowing what the day was going to bring. With unstable parents, it was hard to go through school having to avoid or find excuses why we didn't have a healthy lunch or a lunch at all. All my siblings and I just drifted through school and later dropping out. I can really relate to the current issues regarding alot of what we covered throughout the blogs.

In order for me to fully understand all the material that was covered, I needed to read and recite all my research, three different books and lecture power points from the beginning out the course.
Prior to European contact " Each Aboriginal community has its own unique social structure, traditions, culture, language, and ways of living, thinking, and viewing the world. In contrast, European social structures were based on individualism and independence. Gender roles were based on a patriarchy model. When they sent out to colonize various regions throughout the world, Europeans brought with them a belief in the superiority of their race and cultures" (Turner & Turner, 2009, p.97).  However the first settlers relied on the Aboriginal people to guide them on their own land and showed them how to survive off the land "Ever since Christopher Columbus stumbled onto the continent, North America's Aboriginal peoples were told that Europeans held the secrets to a prosperous, fulfilling future. Settlers expected that Aboriginals would accept their point of view and embrace the benefits of Western civilization" (Erasmus & Sanders, 2002, p.11). This eventually lead to full assimilation (absorption of a culture, that takes over another one) of the Aboriginal peoples. The first piece of legislation in Canada was the Royal Proclamation, Gradual Civilization Act, The Indian Act of 1876 and between the 1850's and almost into the 20th century we had total destructive and unthinkable torture of mental, spiritual. physical, emotional and sexual abuse with major life long lasting affects.

Mean while, Canada was also going through major shifts in creating how social welfare programs and services developed. "A number of key historic events influenced the path of development of our public income security programs. Among these are confederation, industrialization, two world wars,  the Great Depression, urbanization, and the acceptance of Keynesian economic ideas in the post-World War II period" (Hick, 2007, p.1). Throughout our blogs we had to demonstrate one of the four approaches to social welfare theory. In our group we focused on the political ideology approach which is one way to look at different approaches to social welfare "These are normally divided according to conservative, liberal, social democratic, and socialist belief systems" (p.57).

In conclusion, I really enjoyed the class, the presentations, and my learning of myself and others.

Tammy

References 

Erasmus, G. & Sanders, J. (2002). Canadian History: An Aboriginal perspective. In J. Bird, L. Land, & M. MacAdam (Eds), Nation to nation: Aboriginal sovereignty and the future of Canada. Toronto: ON: Public Justice Resource Centre.

Hick,S. (2007). Social welfare in Canada: understanding income security (2nd Ed). Toronto: ON: Thomas Educational Publishing

Turner, F, J.,  & Turner, J, C. (2009). Canadian social welfare (6th Ed). Toronto:On Pearson