Free Anishinaabe Social Issues And Movements Essay Example

Over 630 recognized and documented first nation groups are known in the Ontario and British Columbia in Canada. Anishinaabe is the antonym or the name given to certain ethnic groups in Ontario by themselves.
They have their own unique culture and society based on their own belief system. They are decedents of one of the earliest human beings and they have developed specific social systems based on clans and practiced their own systems in communication and health.
Their first contact with the outside world came in the early 1600’s.This exposure led to a change in their thought and life process as was common with any society when it came in contact with a different culture.
Twelve years later, the germ warfare started and the Anishinaabe were treated to the earliest known biological warfare known to man, by being presented with small pox infected blankets as gifts by Lord Amherst. Some great atrocities were committed against them and they had to suffer some of the worst blowbacks in the history of mankind.
Thus the issues of the past, especially after contact with the outside world included survival as the greatest major point, but along with that protection of their land and property was also a major issue. Protection of their culture and ethnic lifestyle was also something that had to be actively preserved.
Another issue that became a social and economic issue was that the Anishinaabe have consistently refused to exploit the natural surroundings like the modern world has and admittedly is regretting exploiting it so. The image that has been stereotyped because of this is that the Anishinaabe are too lazy to make use of the resources surrounding them however this is not true as the community considers nature sacred and tends to have more of a protectionist and environment friendly outlook and behavior.
Another social issue of the past was to do with education. Earlier on they were forced to assimilate into the US system and teaching of local traditions was banned. A number of young children were forced into boarding schools .This stifling environment created many problems and the locals could not transfer their teachings to young ones. However this is one social issue which has been resolved. Now there are even college level courses in the Anishinaabe ways.
These tribes were considered as sovereign states till 1871 but this was later abolished and many of their lands were swindled away by the ‘white man’ under one pretext or another.

Later on programs such as the ‘native business and housing and the

Indian Education Act of 1972 greatly helped the native person achieve an equal footing in the land and allowed them to develop socially and culturally.
Anishinabek Education Institute (AEI) was established in 1994. Indian Movement (AIM) can easily be declared the single greatest social move of the natives. This was a red power organization which presented the modern Anishinabe’s issues. They supported tribal civil rights through force.
Change is definitely afoot, as now inter-tribal councils exist and a government system is formed on the multilayered tribal system and is working effectively. Enrolled official membership into tribes is now carried out. The way things are progressing is positive, though being done a bit late. Certain reservation areas are still fighting for home rule. The councils are proving that there can be an effective merging of the old and new and effective governance can still be done while staying true to culture and traditions.

References

Description of the AFN". The Assembly of First Nations. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
Johnston, Basil. (1990). Ojibway Heritage, p. 15. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London.