GEOG 340: Day 20Presentations and First Nations

Housekeeping Items

• Today we will hear from Maya and Chrissy x 2 – her presentation on the readings and her presentation on her case study.• I also want to go back to the slides from Day 19; I

didn’t get to show you a couple of things. And we have Katie’s questions to finish.• But, first, any reactions about films and the

speaker at the Film Fest?• Here’s the schedule we have so far for the mini-

presentations on the case studies. Keep to 5-8 minutes + Q & A:

Schedule for Mini-Presentationsname date

Jesse?

Dan?

Katie?

Matt?

Maya?

Rachel?

Lau?

Chrissy today

Jeff Neden November 18th

Linda Bracken November 20th

Amanda Dahlstedt November 20th

Kate Mana November 25th

Zane Prodahl November 25th

Sarah McKenzie November 25th

Katie’s Questions• 1. What are some areas in Nanaimo where you see

spatial design that encourages social interaction? Where are some areas where spatial design encourages individuals to be private?• 2. What kinds of everyday acts can be considered

practices of human citizenship? (Urban citizenship is the right to the city, which is based on inhabiting and participating in city life through everyday practices)• 3. What Kinds of urban spaces promote feelings of

safety? Examples? Locally?[Incidentally, these are some of the issues addressed by Charles Montgomery in The Happy City.]

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• We had some lively discussion last time about First

Nations in cities, so I decided to review the chapter in the Hiller book on this topic (Chapter 9 by Evelyn Peters). • In the 1940s, almost no FNs lived in cities; today over

50% do. This growth and change began in the 1950s. While FN populations grew from 1996 to 2006, the number of “registered Indians” remained roughly the same.• Of those claiming an Aboriginal identity (1,400,690),

46.8% live in cities. Of the Métis (451,795), over 67.1% live in cities. Of First Nations [not sure what distinguishes this from Aboriginal] (851,560), 40% are urban. Of Inuit people (59,440), 28% live in cities, and 41% of Registered Indians live in cities.

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• Many urban FNs are still living within their traditional

territories, in areas from which their peoples were originally banished.• While the urban Aboriginal population has been growing

dramatically, so has the reserve population. And indeed there is a lot of travel back and forth between the two, as many FNs remain connected to their communities of origin.• The overall growth in FN populations is partly the result

of high birth rates, but also new legislation has allowed disenfranchised FNs to reclaim their status, and others – now that Native pride has been resurrected in recent years – are more willing to self-identify as First Nations, including Métis.

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP)

found, in 2006, that 73% of FNs stressed the importance of Aboriginal traditions and 80% participated in Aboriginal cultural activities. • Different academic views exist regarding the nature of

urban Aboriginal identities. One is that rural and urban FNs’ experience and culture are now part of one whole.• A second is that FNs rebuild Aboriginal pride and identity

in an urban context. The third is that they may become different there, and emphasize heritage more than a way of life. In the latter two contexts, there is the particular importance of FN organizations in cities that provide focal points for services (housing, education, social services, etc.) and cultural activities (powwows, sweats).

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• The earliest forms were Friendship Centres beginning

with the first one in Winnipeg in 1959. There are now 117 nationwide. These organizations become hubs for the sharing of ideas and innovations, not only in the cities, but on reserves.• A challenge is that a certain merger, for resource

efficiency, must occur, which leads to a certain degree of Pan-Indianism which can make it difficult for FNs who identify with a specific culture to continue following their unique traditions.• Another challenge has been getting consistent funding

since, for the most part, the federal government claims that non-reserve FNs are the responsibility of the provinces.

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• The largest populations of FNs in total numbers are

1)Winnipeg (78,400), Edmonton (61,765), and Vancouver (52,375). Prince Albert has the largest percentage (38.5%). FNs can add to the cultural vibrancy of the communities of which they are a part.• Urban FNs have difficulty gaining access to the programs

available to on-reserve FNs, the same levels of services as non-FNs, and would like access to more culturally appropriate delivery mechanisms.• Fortunately, since 1998, the federal government has had

in place an Urban Aboriginal Strategy that attempts to provide job and skill training and partnership arrangements with other levels of government, the private sector and FN organizations themselves.

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• There is evidence that FNs are more marginalized than

other groups in cities, with more than twice the unemployment rate, more than twice as many living in poverty, difficulty accessing good housing, and far fewer good jobs. However, this marginalization is much more pronounced in some cities than others.• The approach of the RCAP involved two strategies –

trying to integrate FNs better into the existing economy, and encouraging FN community economic development, examples of which already exist in a number of communities, in the form of worker-owned grocery stores, housing co-ops, daycare centres, and more.

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• Another solution is the maintenance or establishment

of urban reserves. Approximately, ¼ of all reserves exist within CMAs right now. Owning urban land gives them economic leverage to arrange financially beneficial – if sometimes, controversial – projects. It also enables FNs to approach municipalities more as equal partners, and can sometimes provide benefits to municipalities as well.• In terms of FN concentrations in specific neighbour-

hoods, only in Winnipeg has an FN population exceeded 50%. So, for the most part, Canada has escaped the widespread “ghetto” phenomenon so prevalent in the U.S., where the Black and Hispanic populations are much larger.

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• Another important phenomenon – particularly in

prairie cities like Winnipeg – is FN youth gangs.

First Nations Issues in an Urban Context• While on one level, these gangs serve the function of

providing surrogate family and asserting native pride, on the other hand their role is essentially destructive as they sell drugs to their own community members, and it’s mainly the gang lords who profit immensely from the degradation of the FN community.• While there are a lot of poor FN people, there is an

aboriginal, educated middle class, though far fewer FNs get a college education than the non-FN population, and even fewer go on to grad school.• There is also a vibrant, synthetic urban aboriginal

culture as evidenced in the music of A Tribe Called Red: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PhkzB3PkDY.