John Wooden Legs, Cheyenne

"Our land is everything to us... I will tell you one of the things we remember on our land. We remember that our grandfathers paid for it - with their lives."

Native Peoples Barriers :(

In Quebec and the Maritimes, the French and British formed military alliances and partnerships with First Nations. The Europeans depended on the allies to maintain the fur trade. ( also during military conflicts such as the Seven Years' War. )
The Royal Proclamation of 1763, made Britain the only agent for land transfers between the Native peoples and settlers. It also meant they could be surrendered only to the Crown's representatives at public meetings. "Magna Carta"---> the only important legal document left that recognizes Native people as nations.
The government of Canada concluded the series of land agreements with Native peoples living on Western Canada... PURPOSE: to force peaceful removal of native peoples from their lands to make way for European settlement.  THUMBS DOWN ! :(
IMPORTANT !
The Indian Act, passed by federal government in 1868. It declared that Native men who married non-Native women kept their Indian status, while Native women who married non-Native men lost theirs. BOOOOOO! :(                    
Not until 1960's the government gave money to the Christian churches to operate residential schools for Native children. This was a horrific moment for the children because they got taken away from their families and boarded at the school. They would face punishment if they spoke their own language. Most of the children were physically and sexually abused! :O
The Prime Minister Trudeau released its White Paper. ( this document emphasis on individual rights over collective rights.) Meaning : Native peoples had NO special status and called for the withdrawel of the Indian Act and existing treaties. Proposed : "to enable the Indian people to be free to develop Indian culture in an environment of legal, social and economic equality with other Canadians. IN RESULT : made Native people more eager to fight ! >:(

Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color.  ~Author Unknown

Do YOU know the meaning?!

Pay Equity ;
The priniciple of equal payment for work of equal value. It is the law. 
In 1983, women were not equally paid the same as men. In 1998, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled that these female employees have been discriminated against over so many years and ordered the federal government to pay billions of dollars back in wages. Men and women should be paid equally and no discrimination should be held against women!

Employment Equility ;
The principle of equal treatment of all employees based on their abilities. 
In 1995, federal government passed the Employment Equity act to correct discrimination by certain groups.  Mostly aimed to protect women, Native peoples, people with disabilities and members of visible minorities. The Canadian military is an example of an organization that has not accepted women easily.

World War II

After some research i found out that during World War II, 45 000 Canadian women joined the army. Their jobs included nurses, drivers, firefighters and radio technicians. They were paid 20% less than men who held the same rank. ( OUTRAGEOUS! ) >:(
In 1960, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker passed the canadian Bill of Rights, the first human rights legislation in Canada. It helped pave the way for the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In 1982, protection of women's rights was set forth in the Charter. Section 28: "equally to male and female persons."

Women Elected to the House of Commons

Year                           Number of Women Elected
1979                                         10
1980                                         14
1984                                         27
1988                                         39
1993                                         53
1997                                         62
2000                                         56

The Famous Five

These five Alberta feminists wanted to know the true meaning of "persons" who qualified for appointment to the Senate included women. The five determined women appealed this decision to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Britain. In 1929, the British court overruled the Supreme Court of Canada's decision and said that women were indeed legal "persons" who qualified for the appointment to the Senate. In 1930, Carine Wilson became the first woman to be appointed to the Senate. By 2001, 34 of the 105 Canadian senators were female! :)


Nellie McClung ; Influencial politician who fought for "equal pay for equal word."


















Emily Murphy ; First female judge to be appointed in Canada (1916). Writer, politician, and advocate for women's rights.















Irene Parlby ; Elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 1921 and appointed to the cabinet. Canada's representative to the League of Nations in 1930.















Henrietta Edwards ; Expert on the legal status of women and children in Canada. Fought for Mother' Allowance (government money to help families raise children.)

Louise McKinney ; In 1997, the first women to be elected to a provincial legislature. ( Alberta)

Did you know ?

Important words ; 

Suffrage- the right to vote

Feminist- a person that believed that women should have the same rights as men. ( Example: Dr.Emily Stowe, established the first suffrage organization in Canada.)

Collective rights- rights that come from having occupied Canada for thousands of years as distinct nations.

Assimilated- absorbed
Employment equity- the principle of equal treatment of all employees based on their abilities.

Guaranteed annual income ( GAI)- guaranteed income is a set amount of money that all Canadian adults would receive.

Social housing- inexpensive housing for low-income Canadians.

Important facts ;

• Manitoba was the first province to give women the right to vote in 1916.
• The courts have played a major role in defining Aboriginal rights.
• First Nations leaders' goal is Self-government.
• The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 2001, replaced the Immigration Act, 1976.
• Estimation of 5 million Canadian live in poverty.

Women ;

• Not allowed to vote or run for political offices.
• Excluded from universities and professional schools.
• Working class women worked beside their husbands in factory.
• Middle class women stayed at home to take care of husband and children.
• Few career opportunities for middle-class women.