Oral health is very important for any person. Not only the comfortable existence of a person depends on it, but also the satisfaction of basic needs, such as eating. In America, as in many other countries, there are groups of the population that are in crisis for oral care. Native Americans suffer from the worst oral health of any population group in the United States (Tiwari et al., 2019). They have staggering rates of untreated dental caries among children and untreated caries and gum disease among adults. Native Americans suffer from toothache every day and face more severe consequences, such as unstoppable tooth decay. This problem is as acute as in other states with indigenous populations in Florida.
Oral Health Care for the Indigenous Population of Florida
There are 240 districts in Florida with a shortage of dental specialists, which provides less than 15% of the populations needs. In addition, less than 1% of dentists and dental hygienists in Florida are indigenous (Florida Health, 2021). This provides additional difficulties for obtaining dental care for indigenous people. The fact is that the dental treatment that modern society is used to is unusual for them. Such people are much more willing to go to a specialist from their culture than to a white doctor. Due to the shortage of indigenous people among doctors in Florida providing dental services, this segment of the population suffers from dental problems. Compared to white children in the United States aged 3-5 years, indigenous children have four times more cases of untreated caries (Florida Health, 2021). Untreated caries affects more than twice as many adult indigenous dental patients as the U.S. population as a whole and compared to any other racial or ethnic group. Such an epidemiological situation indicates an acute problem with dental care among the indigenous population.
Even though this problem does not increase the risk of mortality, it dramatically spoils the quality of life of the indigenous population. The topic of oral health is also mentioned in the Healthy People 2020 program. The goal of the program on this topic is prevention and control of oral diseases and making dental services more accessible. In a review in 2020, it was noted that over the past 50 years, the oral health of Americans had improved significantly (Healthy People 2020, n.d.). However, some Americans do not have access to prevention programs. The goals in this area are to increase Americans awareness of oral health and reduce differences in access to medical services. In addition, the goal is also to take adequate preventive measures to improve the oral health of Americans. To improve the oral health of Native Americans, the Government regularly applies preventive measures. Among them, first, educational events are held to convey the importance of oral care to Native Americans. In addition, programs are also being implemented to provide free consultations for this segment of the population.
Conclusion
Summing up, the problem of oral health care for the indigenous population of America is quite acute. Poor dental health not only harms appearance but also prevents the fulfillment of basic human needs. The indigenous population remains the group whose oral health is the worst of the entire population. This is due to the lack of indigenous specialists in the field of dentistry, as well as a lack of educational work. Nevertheless, government programs are actively engaged in the development of this area and improving the health conditions of the indigenous population.
Healthy People 2020. (n.d.). Oral health. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Web.
Tiwari, T., Jamieson, L., Broughton, J., Lawrence, H. P., Batliner, T. S., Arantes, R., & Albino, J. (2018). Reducing Indigenous oral health inequalities: A review from 5 nations. Journal of Dental Research, 97(8), 1-15. Web.
Knowledge of the world of children comes mainly from the experience of the behavior of their environment, primarily parents. They are strongly influenced by the life positions of those around them, and they adopt their behavior model. Children copy the behavior of their parents or caregivers and learn to navigate future relationships based on what they have learned. Sustainable coping mechanisms can be forged from efforts to avoid and/or restore anger, violent behavior, mistreatment, depression, or other problem behaviors. Trauma can develop, which has various types of manifestation and occurrence. Simple trauma can be caused by experiencing a limited traumatic event, such as an attack or a threat. There is also a complex trauma, when new traumatic events occur against the background of an already existing trauma or when a series of traumatic events occurs. Complex trauma at an early age can be detrimental to many aspects of a childs development. The Stolen Generation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descendants have been identified with chronic health problems, disabilities, and a disturbing financial and social disadvantage for the children of Stolen Generations and their families.
History of Trauma
Australia and its Indigenous peoples had a challenging, traumatic experience with the forced removal of Aboriginal children in the early to mid 20th century. For a long 60 years, from 1910 to 1970, every third child was abducted from indigenous settlements; much of the event affected the Torres Strait Islanders (Timeline of trauma, 2018). In Australia in those years, a new assimilation policy was opened, which led to the removal of indigenous children. The traumas, pain, and sadness caused by these events still worry the children and their relatives taken away from their families. Children who fell under the brutal assimilation policy were called the Stolen Generation (Trauma healing, 2020). Those who experienced the horrors of the old politics experienced tremendous grief and received a lot of psychological and sometimes physical trauma. In doing so, they lost any connection to their family, culture, and identity in general.
The survivors of the Stolen Generation policy have a harrowing experience that is still not forgotten. Still, they collectively remember the experience of being in various institutions and usage of them as unpaid domestic servants and pastoralists. For children, they created a rigid framework for assimilation into a society different from their culture. They could not communicate with their blood family, speak their native language, and even use their real name given to them by their parents at birth (Menzies, 2019). The government kept no records of the birth dates or places of birth of many children. When these children grew up, it was almost impossible for them to be reunited with their families again. In many cases, the children were taken away and placed away from where they were stolen.
Since the children were abused and neglected, they were often stressed and suffered from low self-esteem and mental illnesses. Moreover, they experienced vulnerability to various manifestations of violence, mental, physical, and sexual. It was while they were under the care of the state, non-indigenous families, or at work. Stolen children have fewer opportunities to receive even a secondary education and have a tendency to increase arrests (Hunter et al., 2006). Many studies show that these children suffer from a disadvantaged position in society.
When the children of the stolen generation start their own families today, the impact of their experiences of displacement and separation from the family is also felt. Due to the fact that children have been deprived of the experience of a normal family structure, they pass on their traumatic experiences and develop intergenerational trauma. According to the AIHW report, a large percentage of survivors (about 30%) do not have access to special services, so one in seven lives with a disability (AIHW reports, 2021). Moreover, of the poorest 30 percent of the population, survivors of the stolen generation make up the majority (66%) (AIHW reports, 2021). Separated from their families, children have lost touch with cultural and spiritual values.
Traumatic experiences were passed down from generation to generation and led to the emergence of a common intergenerational trauma. According to a study by the Healing Foundation, most indigenous peoples in Australia do not fully understand the impact of these traumatic events on their lives (Aboriginal and Torres, 2018). One of the key steps to healing is acknowledging the presence of trauma, as learning to work with it, plays an important role. Dealing with intergenerational trauma in this way will significantly impact dealing with it, not only among indigenous peoples in Australia but also among other Aboriginal people. Many factors have contributed to the development of intergenerational trauma, such as socially sanctioned racism, forced displacement and assimilation, and lack of cultural heritage and land (Andrew & Hibberd, 2022). As a result, the impact of the trauma only grows and prevents survivors from fully participating in their own social life.
Artwork Explanation
The child is torn off and isolated, and I presented this in part A of the task in my drawing. They cannot fully assimilate into a new society different from their traditions, as the then policy of Australia wanted. At the same time, they are losing the identity of their people, which is why their isolation affects their lives so much. Indeed, in the context of indigenous peoples, the intergenerational transmission was interrupted by colonization. The younger generations have to rid the older ones of the hurt caused by colonialism by helping them relive their life stories in order to bridge the gap between the past and the present. Therefore, it is important to preserve and promote Aboriginal identity and look to their internal practices to restore the balance of their culture and authenticity.
The childs violent attachment to other people only contributes to the development of a lost identity. Despite the fact that children were instilled with common life values, they still remained suspended from the whole world, without the opportunity to fully assimilate into a new culture while losing their roots. Therefore, the child in the picture and part A is depicted as vulnerable and alone. There was a loss of culture due to the realities of life experience and assimilation into a new society. It led to the fact that parents were not able to pass on hereditary knowledge to their children, that is, to teach them the cultural traditions of the natives. Grandparents and parents passed on some aspects of the culture during the summer holidays when children returned home from residential schools, but there was no consistency in this (Norris, 2008). The loss of culture-led the children to be excluded from both societies, into which they were unable to fit in as a result.
Practicing Dadirri in the Healing Process
Links between tradition, healing, and Aboriginal health are becoming increasingly popular. Research clearly shows that understanding Aboriginal culture and ethnicity affects their health and well-being (Waller, 2018). The Aboriginal worldview, together with specific cultural knowledge, brings up the healthy behavior of people. Therefore, actions toward local peoples in the process of healing should not be considered stereotyped behavior. Cultural diversity must be taken into account to increase the sensitivity of those who work with the urban part of the Aboriginals.
By using different learning modes, children can interact with culture differently using different forms. With the help of self-immersion in issues of identity and self-knowledge, they realize that they are not just someones ideas but co-emergences between themselves and the world (Norris, 2008). Authentic assessment, like authentic learning, must have students as one of its authors, so immersion in the characteristics of Aboriginal culture is essential.
Dadirris practice allows people to own their data or intellectual property rights to their stories. The dadirri principle is to watch and listen, wait and then act. Dadirri, like many research methodologies, considers ethical responsibility to be vital. Putting dadirri into practice is, in many ways, a process of learning to stay in the current of the community, in which the river of need and exchange sometimes flowed slowly and profoundly and sometimes was fast and turbulent (Stronach & Adair, 2017). The stolen generation needs to listen and stay where they were meant to go. It means to follow the direction they chose when their experiences were defined and rethought so they can find their own stories and their healing paths.
Self-awareness and other patterns of thought should be valued, as the mental worldview provides a deeper understanding of what is important for the healing of the aboriginal peoples. Recovery involves relating to them in authentic ways, with an understanding of the experience of trauma, as well as acknowledging the interconnection of the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual realms for well-being (Andrew & Hibberd, 2022). Understanding the experience of urban natives is needed, and using their traditional practices for their ways of dealing with complex mental and physical health problems.
Dealing with trauma and working to heal survivors requires a significant amount of resources that strengthen Aboriginal cultural bonds and identities. The result aims to improve peoples emotional state and raise their social status. In this way, it is possible to improve the general level of education among the natives, as well as to influence their relationships within the family positively. That, in turn, will reduce the number of children falling under the state protection system. Some schools in Australia are already doing this; for example, Murray in Queensland has coordination services aimed at therapeutic intervention and working with the families of survivors (Aboriginal and Torres, 2018). The school has created a holistic system that considers cultural diversity and brings together professionals who can help children with intergenerational trauma. Many schools and various foundations rely on the methodology of identity reconstruction, by referring to it, to help children overcome intergenerational trauma.
Conclusion
Many indigenous peoples have had traumatic experiences and experienced the collective trauma associated with colonization. As a result of the transfer of experience from generation to generation, intergenerational trauma has developed. Colonization led to forced migration from traditional settlements, eviction, locals, and forced transfer of children from their parents to boarding schools, foreign families, or orphanages. As a result, children have lost their culture, family stability, and traditional values. It stemmed from the impossibility of passing on important cultural values from parents and elders to the children who were taken away. In addition, resettlement and settlement in a new society alienated many indigenous people from their traditional way of life and prosperity. As a result, children feel disconnected from their own identity and unable to assimilate into a new environment. To overcome the trauma of the stolen generation, it is necessary to address their cultural practices to create and support the development of a healthy society.
References
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stolen Generations and descendants: Numbers, demographic characteristics and selected outcomes, overview. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2018). Web.
Norris, J. (2008). A Quest for a theory and practice of authentic assessment: An arts-based approach. LEARNing Landscapes, 2(1), 211233. Web.
Stronach, M. M., & Adair, D. (2017). Dadirri: Using a philosophical approach to research to build trust between a non-indigenous researcher and indigenous participants. Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 6(2), 117134. Web.
Studying the cross-cultural dynamics of indigenous populations is exceptionally important if people want to achieve true equality and find the most appropriate ways to minimize the effects of centuries-long oppression. It is crucial to learn about the cross-cultural concepts, which dictate the daily lives of the Native people in order to get a better understanding of the issues they face. One of the most efficient academic frameworks to examine the identities of indigenous tribes is the peoplehood matrix developed by Tom Holm, Diane Pearson, and Ben Chavis. The authors argue that a group united by a common language and having a particular ceremonial cycle, a unique sacred history, and knowledge of a territory, necessarily possess inherent sovereignty (Holm et al. 17). All of the aforementioned factors are interdependent and vital for an in-depth understanding of Aboriginal populations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between such aspects of the Native Canadian identity as language, sacred history, worldview, and ceremony in order to compare indigenous peoples real stories with their portrayal in the media.
The Context of Language
Linguistics often serves as the foundation of any basic explanation of Native identity. Due to the sense of relatedness it brings, a common language helps populations to bond. In addition, it infuses rituals, ceremonies, and other elements of indigenous peoples sacred history with meaning. According to Statistics Canada, over 60 languages attributed to 12 families are spoken among Aboriginal populations of Canada, which reflects the diversity of the region. Despite such a linguistic variety, only Inuktitut, Ojibway, and the Cree languages are in frequent use by almost two-thirds of the Native Canadian population (Statistics Canada). Survival of the remaining languages and dialects, as well as the revitalization of the lost ones, is undeniably important to get a better glimpse of an immense variety of Native identities in Canada.
It is important to understand that even when a dominant language changes, certain distinctive linguistic elements can be attributed to Native populations. Unfortunately, indigenous people of Canada lost their original languages and are forced to communicate in English, at least in public. Statistics Canada report that among the population reporting an Aboriginal mother tongue, 82.2% also reported speaking it at home: 58.1% spoke it most often and 24.1% spoke it on a regular basis. However, they incorporate slang words and colloquialisms to set themselves apart. As a result, Native groups always find a way to use certain phrases, dialects, or speech patterns to reinforce a common sense of kinship and solidarity.
The Sacred History
Another crucial element of the peoplehood matrix is sacred history, which contributes to the formation of shared memories among indigenous groups. The term sacred is used due to the fact that Native populations often consider history not just a recollection of past events but a vital aspect of their identity, which includes folklore and mythology. Such fables, legends, and creation stories shed light on Aboriginal peoples perceptions of the world in the context of their own place in it.
Nowadays, Canada is truly a multi-cultural country that prides itself in ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity. However, before the arrival and settlement of Europeans in the 16th and 17th centuries, the only residents of what is now Canada have been First Nations of Woodland, Plateau, Pacific Coast, Plains, Mackenzie, and Yukon River Basins, as well as Iroquoian First Nations (Government of Canada). Some of the aforementioned groups, including First Nations of the Plains, Woodland, and Mackenzie and Yukon River Basins, migrated on a regular basis. They all built homes, which were either portable or easily erected from materials found in their immediate environments (Government of Canada). Unlike their nomadic neighbors, the Plateau and Iroquoian First Nations built homes from bark or dugout pits (Government of Canada). The aforementioned differences in shelter constitute only a small portion of all the unique features attributed to each of the First Nations, including clothes, modes of transportation, and food resources.
Despite the significance of historical research on the origins and lifestyles of Aboriginal populations, it is crucial to examine how First Nation children learned about the creation of the world. The sacred history of the Native Canadian people would not be complete without an exploration of their mythical narratives. Stories about Sky Woman, Raven, Glooscap, Nanabush, and Sedna carried immense knowledge and raised generations of indigenous children (Canadian Museum of History). Today, these legends and creation myths remain important in the study of the Native identity since they are often reimagined by writers and actors and shared among Aboriginal populations.
The Meaning of Worldview
In order to achieve cultural harmony and find ways to support diversity, it is essential to look at the key elements of Native tribes worldviews and compare them with the established Western philosophy. The government of Canada notes that, among Aboriginal populations, one of the most important and most common teachings was that people should live in harmony with the natural world and all it contained. Hence, people were used to expressing gratitude to nature in an effort to survive and establish themselves as respected members of their communities. This explains why members of indigenous communities continue to treat the environment with the utmost respect even in the 21st century. The government of Canada also reports that strict value systems were common among aboriginal tribes, stressing Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility and Truth as the values that enable people to live in a way that promotes harmony (Government of Canada). Nowadays, these teachings remain a part of indigenous households and guide the daily lives of the Native Canadians.
The Importance of Ceremony
Ceremonies and rituals allow non-members of Aboriginal populations to learn about the ways in which indigenous people interacted with their environment and rich history. For instance, the First Nations of Canada cultivated a deep respect for nature, which was translated into songs, festivals, and other celebrations. The government of Canada mentions that a hunter would talk or sing to a bear before it died, thanking the animal for providing the hunter and his family with much-needed food. In addition, it is important to acknowledge that there was a certain cycle of ceremonies, which reflected the patterns of annual cultivating of the soil, planting the crops, and harvesting them.
The Role of Media Portrayal
For centuries, Western media has shaped the publics perception of indigenous populations. Although Canada is a relatively young country, the roots of misrepresenting and romanticizing Native people originate in Europe and the United States. Nowadays, the media, including books and movies, is full of token indigenous characters who are romanticized or stereotyped (Mohamed). Apart from the ignorant portrayal of members of Aboriginal populations as simple-minded and aggressive, the recent culture of political correctness did little to contribute to the realistic representation of such people.
Conclusion
The Native people have a rich history, a unique view of the world, and an abundance of fascinating stories to tell. All of these elements paint the bigger picture and allow outsiders to connect with indigenous populations. The simplistic characterization of such groups in media for the sake of diversity, which is often accompanied by numerous historical inaccuracies, is extremely harmful. People need to make a bigger effort in educating themselves about indigenous populations. Most importantly, media executives have a responsibility to hire more Native producers and content creators to ensure accurate representation.
According to the scientific approach, there is a lot of speculation and hypothesis regarding who are Aboriginal people? Aboriginal people themselves had no doubts about the answer to this question. While Aboriginal people may have no doubts about their origins, scientific evidence has provided us with an abundance of detailed information. As a result of discoveries made since the late 1960s, it is now generally assumed that the figure should be at least 40,000 years.
Australia’s Aboriginal culture most likely speaks to the most seasoned enduring society on the planet, with the utilization of stone device innovation and painting with red ochre shade dating to in any event 50,000 years prior. Australians never built up an ‘Iron Age’, ‘Bronze Age’, or earthenware, and the expressions ‘Paleolithic’ (Old Stone Age) and ‘Neolithic’ (new stone age) are not utilized in Australia since stone innovation didn’t advance similarly as the remainder of the world.
Reason Indigenous People Experience Health Disparities
Indigenous people groups are even called ‘Indigenous’, ‘Aboriginal’, ‘inborn’, or ‘minority groups’, or ‘peoples’. Poor definition of Indigenous identification adds to the groups’ minimization and deficient information for their numbers, wellbeing, and financial circumstances. Most nations don’t officially perceive their Indigenous groups and have incorrect or no distributed measurable information for these people groups. Along these lines, deliberate data about wellbeing, dismalness, and mortality is sparse. Most reports identify with specific conditions and little groups. Despite an extraordinary decent variety of Indigenous people groups, numerous likenesses in their wellbeing and ailments and their determinants exist.
Indigenous individuals originate from a large number of societies and are over-spoken to among poor people and burdened. Overall, their wellbeing contrasts unfavourably and their non-Indigenous counterparts. Their helplessness to illness is exacerbated by poor living conditions and water supplies, frequently with limited access to fresh and nutritious food, and inadequate health services.
Colonization affected the lives of Indigenous people groups to comprehend their wellbeing today. The effect of colonization was and is significant. Normal to numerous Indigenous groups is the incredible effects of colonization on their people and their territories by outsiders who later dominated and distanced them from their particular manners of life. This colonization antagonistically affected physical, social, passionate, and emotional well-being and prosperity in traditional societies.
Factors Influencing Health Disparities
There are some of the factors that have influenced the health disparities in Aboriginal people which are given as follows: social, economic and political.
Social Factor
The complexities of Native culture predetermine issues Aboriginal individuals can have in managing specialist organizations. For instance, nonstop eye to eye connection and addressing can make Native individuals entirely awkward and hesitant to return to assistance. Individuals in a position of power are regularly threatening to Native individuals. The Native individuals are concerned due to the shame of being marked by standard power. In the past somewhat English Australian authority has interrupted, addressed and made a decision about the Native way of life since it was not quite the same as their own.
Economic Factor
A lot of Native individuals don’t wish to work with the white Australians because of their absence of comprehension of Native culture and the insults, corresponds and jokes that are made about their life. The Native individuals will frequently feel dismissed and mortified because of the distinction in values. Native individuals can likewise be hesitant to work in standard associations, in light of the structure related to the activity, for example, starting work at recommended times, absence of adaptability to help their family responsibilities. Native individuals are hesitant to use benefits in an environment and additionally with individuals that they are new to. Truth is told they will accept any open door to maintain a strategic distance from contact with new faces. In general, Native individuals don’t look for organized ways of life thus evade organized conditions, administrations and offices, for example, grocery stores, health services and so on.
Political Factor
During the colonization of Australia, prejudice was unavoidable. Indigenous individuals had to live in missions and on reserves where freedom to hunt, associate with family members, practice customary services and wedding were limited. Isolation and assimilation strategies were presented, alongside organization and topographical limitation. In certain cases, Indigenous individuals were kept from communicating in their conventional language, rehearsing their way of life, and showing their kids their history and customs. The limitations and struggle related to colonization prompted the loss of freedoms and life and unavoidably changed Indigenous Australians’ social and social conduct. Past outrages and continued discrimination have made long-term physical and mental consequences for Indigenous individuals.
Conclusion
The Indigenous Australians have been marginalized for a long time as discussed above. Even though their idea of well-being and recuperating can be contrasted with the western biomedical well-being, social determinants have hindered the Indigenous Australians causing a perceptibly wide health gap. In any case, with a few associations and projects developing to close the gap, there is some promising finish to the present course of action.
The standard of living for many Indigenous people in Canada is very poor. They were the first people on the land we now know as Canada, yet they are being mistreated and have such a low standard of living because of the discrimination faced in the 1900s. There are many challenges they have to face every day to meet necessities in life. One significant challenge that is affecting the standard of living of the Indigenous people in Canada are terrible housing conditions. “43% of First Nations housing in Canada needs repair” (Statistics. Canada. 2015). As to me, this is an extremely high percent whereas you find the average Canadian home doesn’t need that much repairing, “as of 2016, 12.7% of homes in Canada had core housing needs” (Statistics Canada 2015). The percent of homes in Canada that need repair is well under that of the First Nations. This says a lot about the places where the Indigenous people live, and the government now needs to consider these statistics and improve their housing situations. Another issue regarding the First Nations people is their health care. “Indigenous people are more prone to diseases than that of non-indigenous people, Because of their poor living conditions, and crowded living spaces, they are at risk for respiratory problems and many other diseases” (Statistics Canada 2015). The way they live and the lifestyle, aided by the Canadian government, plays a huge impact on their health. After thorough research, I can conclude that this issue is not deepening contending loyalties felt by Indigenous people in Canada.
The Canadian Government over the years has taken steps to improve their standard of living. Some include improving their education. “Only 38% of first nations people have completed high school whereas 87% of non-indigenous people have completed high school” (Department of Finance 2016). As soon as a better education is provided for the indigenous people in Canada, that can lead to greater chances for getting jobs, making more money, and ultimately improving either their housing or access to necessities. Another step they have taken is improving the quality of water. Bad quality of water is the most common cause of diseases and sickness. The Canadian government planned to invest $141.7 that will go towards their water infrastructure, the water will be regularly tested and monitored. One common thing I can see is that they have a set limit to how much they can help. In the ‘Budget of 2016’ document (Department of Finance 2016), there was an end date to their helping. For example, water monitoring and testing will only last for 5 years. My question now is what can they do that will last in the long term and not only for such a short period.
Although it might not be talked about in a day to day conversation, many Canadians are aware of the low standard that the Indigenous people live in. Becoming more aware of this situation and doing things to help improve is exactly what is happening in Canada today. “87% of people said that more needs to be done in regards to education indigenous children” (Galloway 2018). So, that they can then go on to improve their standard of living in the future. There are also charities in place dedicated to Indigenous people and providing reconciliation. An example is the Gord Downie and Channie Wenjack fund (North Aid 2019). I think that the majority of Canadians want to help but just aren’t sure how donating money is a simple but yet effective way to give back. Back when I was in grade 8, I did a project on the awareness of First Nations issues in students. My friend and I went around our school and asked people how much they knew about first nations issues. Once we got their answers, we then informed them on their standard of living and simple challenges they faced on a day to day basis. We then asked if any of them would like to donate money, we ended up raising a little over $40 for Gord Downie and Channie Wenjack fund. This project created awareness for the issue and simple things like this should be done in schools across Canada.
The connection between Aboriginal individuals and the Canadian criminal equity framework is broken, and proof is mounting that an extreme change is essential. An October 2012 report by Canada’s Office of the Correctional Investigator found that Aboriginal individuals comprise just 4% of the Canadian populace yet 23% of the government jail prisoner populace, and that the number of inhabitants in Aboriginal individuals detained in Canada has expanded by 40% between 2001-2002 and 2010-2011. The report additionally discovered that Aboriginal individuals are condemned to longer terms, invest more energy in greatest security or isolation, are more averse to be allowed parole, and are bound to have their parole renounced (Tefft, 2013). Moreover, the Justice system goes about as the establishment of Canadian culture and it educates Canadian culture of the qualities and dispositions which support activities among individuals which accomplish equity and consideration.
To begin with, Canada has always demonstrated themselves to be very multicultural and that all race and individuals are treated equally and are trialed fairly. Moreover, based off Canadas history with the indigenous community specifically it can be determined that Canada itself still needs work and improvement with their relationship with this community. In addition, the social states of Indigenous people groups in Canada change significantly as indicated by spot of home, salary level, family and social variables and order (i.e., First Nations, Métis and Inuit). Territories of specific social concern incorporate lodging, work, instruction, wellbeing, equity, and family and social development. Moreover, the over representation of indigenous people as offenders in the system, the lack of income levels and education funding’s and also by taking a look back into Canadians history and how they implemented traumatic events for indigenous people to go through such as the sixties’ scoop and also the implementation of residential schools. Generally, the national government has been mindful and given subsidizing to about all the social projects and administrations gave to Indigenous people groups in Canada.
Canada poor treatment of Indigenous individuals has prompted Indigenous individuals of being over represented to in the criminal equity framework as wrongdoers and prisoners, and under-spoke to as authorities, officers, court specialists or attorneys. Research has appeared high criminal rate among the Indigenous populace is an aftereffect of the impacts of the private educational system, involvement in the kid welfare framework, impacts of the separation and dispossession of Indigenous people groups, family or network history of suicide, substance misuse, exploitation, lower instructive accomplishment, destitution, poor living conditions, and introduction to/enrolment in street crime. Rates of detainment among the Indigenous populace keep on expanding. In 2013, Indigenous wrongdoers represented 23.2% of governmentally condemned guilty parties contrasted with 17% in 2000– 01. Over-spoke to in government adjustments offices, Indigenous people groups make up 20% of the all-out detained populace despite the fact that they just involve 4% of the Canadian populace. For Indigenous ladies, over-portrayal is progressively articulated: 33% of ladies imprisoned in government jails are Indigenous (Sawchuk, 2011). Furthermore, based off these statistics shown it clearly demonstrates the inequality that is indirectly shown to non-aboriginal people compared to aboriginal people. In addition, the separation on these aboriginals challenges every one of the explanations that Canada has been making concerning meet rights just as them, themselves being a reasonable country. Canada fails to help make the chance and opportunity for the native people groups as they have put them in economic isolation, just as social isolation.
Furthermore, Canada has had trouble providing appropriate funding’s to Indigenous communities although they have enough economic value but yet still are unable to provide this community good levels of income and education. In contrast with non-Indigenous people groups, Indigenous people groups’ pay will in general be beneath the Canadian normal. Indigenous individuals are additionally bound to depend on social pay help. In 2012– 13, 33.6% of on-hold First Nations people groups got social pay help, contrasted with a little more than 5% of the Canadian populace (Sawchuk, 2011). Salary levels for Indigenous people groups are straightforwardly connected to instructive accomplishment levels. Moreover, contemporary research has discovered that instructive achievement rates and salary are straightforwardly related. Along these lines, Indigenous instructive projects are pivotal to shutting the salary hole among Indigenous and non-Indigenous breadwinners.
Moreover, Canada has attempted to enhance every one of the errors they have submitted over the past couple decades, as they have made some move towards the networks’ restoration, as they have shut every single private school, and by subsidizing, associations, to help improve the ways of life for the principal country and their future. Despite the fact that Canada has been sharing in every one of these activities to support them, the administration yet needs to come into acknowledgment that numerous issues region emerges from isolation.
In conclusion, the history and the present activities, for aboriginals, that Canada has been associated with, has not the slightest bit helped the lifestyle. They are as yet enduring as isolation has created numerous issues in their locale. Which likewise makes Canada a noteworthy two-timer, as they reserve no option to meddle or own any expressions on different nations square with rights treatment. For Canada to advance as a nation and make progress toward equivalent rights for everybody, they need to initially manage the issues that first country people groups manage, with the end goal for them to likewise assist different nations with providing them a good basis of equal treatment to countries such Saudi Arabia and India.
Indigenous peoples have been an important part of our society from the very beginning. Many claims that their traditions, rich history, and culture make them extremely unique. And while this claim is very true, there is another factor that is becoming more integrated into indigenous peoples in our current society. This being their interaction with the capitalist economic system through their tribal enterprises and businesses. In this paper, I will illustrate how indigenous people interact with capitalism as the seller party who engages in the free market and will analyze the economic success that the indigenous peoples have been able to have when they interact with capitalism as their means to make a profit and accumulate wealth. Moreover, for this research paper, I will convey and explain how capitalism, the economic system that allows for private ownership of a business and involvement in a free market, has affected indigenous peoples in our current society in a positive manner as evident by their economic and social success in their Casino Tourist and Gamin tribal enterprises.
Nevertheless, one must look into what capitalism is and its origins to understand its impact on our current society. Capitalism is a concept that emerged and became popular in the mid-nineteenth century due to its high rate of usage. As Faulks makes clear, the term capitalism has been used so much so that the Oxford English Dictionary cited it in 1854 (Faulks 28). It is important to notice, however, that it wasn’t until the second century that the concept of capitalism was only first accepted in German, French, and English societies as conveyed by Kocka in his book (Kocka 2). Furthermore, Capitalism is the leading mode of production, distribution, and exchange in today’s society which, as a result, has been a powerful force in shaping the lives of those who live in society, according to Lippit and his book (Lippit i). This is conveying how powerful Capitalism has become to the point where it can be argued to be essential for the continuation of the world’s economy for it leads in production, distribution, and exchange which are important for economic success. As conveyed by Keith Faulk in chapter two of the book Marx and Other Four-Letter Words, “capitalism demands as much freedom from government interference as possible” (Faulk 29). In other words, the system of capitalism offers economic freedom from government control; those who partake in the capitalist system are free to make their own economic choice as well as participate in consensual trade in the context of business relations. This point is furthermore emphasized when Faulk conveys the stipulations that capitalism takes place under “the free market, where commodities are bought and sold according to the laws of supply and demand” (Fulk 29). In other words, those who participate in capitalism are doing so in a voluntary manner where they can decide to buy goods and services for a determined price by the seller or they can refuse to buy the goods or services from the seller. In the same manner, those who are selling goods or services have the right to set a price and allow the free market to decide if people will buy or not. As previously established, there are two parties in a capitalist system. Those who are seeking a service or good and those who are buying said service or good in a free, consensual manner that allows little to no government interference to avoid governmental control. Indigenous people’s enterprises have taken the role of the party that sells a service or good, while those who interact with said enterprises are the second party that buys the goods and services.
Now that I have established sufficient fundamental context and history of capitalism, we will discuss how the indigenous tribal enterprises and businesses that participate in the capitalist system since businesses are the soul of Capitalism. One said a business that indigenous peoples have been fruitful in is the casino enterprises. Casinos have always been a major attraction for people as well as a major form of entertainment for those who possess the ability to go to one. As conveyed by Mary Lawlor, “Casinos have drawn more crowds and more media attention in recent years than any other form of Native American tourism” (Lawlor 21). Casinos continue to captivate people for they have grown in its popularity as the media engages in promoting these indigenous peoples’ enterprises. Nonetheless, major crowds that the casinos attract also produce major income and profit which encourages the casino to continue its business for it demonstrates to be economically successful for the indigenous peoples. Their economic success within indigenous peoples can be conveyed when looking at The Pequots. According to Bross and Wyss, authors of the book Early Native Literacies in New England: A Documentary and Critical Anthology. University of Massachusetts Press, The Pequots are an indigenous tribe that is currently located in Connecticut at the time of colonization, they numbered about thirteen thousand and guarded an estimated two thousand square miles of territory (Bross, Wyss 130).
The Pequots were also considered a “powerful force” within colonial New England as well as before European contact, according to Bross and Wyss (Bross, Wyss 130). Unfortunately, the Pequots have been illustrated as aggressive and brutal due to the European colonial prejudices, as conveyed by Bross and Wyss (Bross, Wyss 130). Nonetheless, they are one of the most successful indigenous tribes within the capitalist community as conveyed by the fact that they are the owners of one of the most casinos in history; The Pequots are the owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino which is located in Connecticut, where the tribe itself resides as well. According to Capitalism in America: A History. Penguin Press, The United States of America is a well-known country for having the largest economy in the entire world which is attributed to capitalism and its influence over how business and enterprises are conducted (Greenspan & Wooldridge 2). This is important to note because The Foxwoods Resort is a prime example of an enterprise that has flourished in The United States since it is being conducted under a capitalist society. To furthermore emphasize its success, the casino has become an enterprise that, due to their extreme success, have made business history since their very beginning in 1992 until the present time according to Lawlor (Lawlor 31). Naturally, it makes complete sense that this particular casino enterprise is an example of an effective enterprise under a capitalist system; evidence of this is understood through the financial sponsorship from the casino which significantly stimulates the indigenous community, visible through The Pequots tribe as we learned from Lawlor (Lawlor 32). Ultimately, The Foxwoods Resort Casino is an example of how indigenous peoples’ tribal enterprises and businesses have flourished under a capitalist society, which as a result has affected the indigenous peoples in a positive economical way.
Another way that one can see how capitalism has positively affected indigenous peoples is through their tribal enterprises of tourism in our current society. Similar to casinos, indigenous peoples have become one of the major contributors to the successful tourism industry in our current society. Tourism is illustrated to be economic aid to indigenous communities where their ways of living have been compromised by the dominant societies where they belong to, as conveyed by the article “More like Ourselves: Indigenous Capitalism through Tourism” (Bunten 285 ). These enterprises of tourism constructed by indigenous communities have been of great help in helping them with economic issues and economic barriers they have had to face. Furthermore, it also breaks them apart from the society that they have had to live under because now they get to great enterprises and get their economic success through tourism, for example, instead of having to rely on the nonindigenous society that they live in under. They get to take more control of their way of life as well as their economic well being for they no longer have to rely on outside factors; they can produce successful enterprises using capitalism and allow themselves to become economically independent from the dominant society that lives under as well grow their economic success within the indigenous communities. According to Bunten, these tribal enterprises of tourism have become increasingly successful so much so that they are growing at a rapid pace by taking advantage of the dominant political economy, once their enterprise has become a franchisee (Bunten 285). When looking for an example of a successful tourism tribal enterprise in our current society, one could look at the Australian region where one of the most successful tribal tourism enterprises resides (Bunten 285). The Saxman Village Tours and Tamaki Maori Village has is recognized as one of the most commercially and financially successful trial enterprises in our current world (Bunten 285). Furthermore, Bunten illustrates how these enterprises are also known to be part of the first “wave” of genuinely owned tourism enterprises by indigenous peoples (Bunten 229). Established in the 1970s and 1989, these indigenous tourism enterprises have continued to be early examples of two enterprises that from the very beginning took the tourism industry by a storm, is that these enterprises are highly recognized to be part of the first group of indigenous-owned tourism enterprises at the time, according to Bunten (Bunten 229). Moreover, these tribal enterprises have stood the test of time since the 1970s and have continued to become economically lucrative under the capitalist system that allowed for these enterprises to flourish in the first place (Bunten 229). The Saxman Village Tours and Tamaki Maori Village, tourist businesses managed by indigenous peoples, have both entered the business world during a heavily capitalist-centered era where the possibility of starting a business owned by indigenous commands was possible and attainable, as viewed by Bunten (Bunten 230). The capitalist system not only allowed for the possibility and opportunity for these tourism enterprises to be established in the first place, but it continued to make them successful through the hard work that the indigenous peoples put into painting these enterprises since the 1970s and 1989. The fact that these enterprises that are functioning under capitalism are not only still in business today but are still growing in economic success to this day, conveys how capitalism continued to impact the indigenous peoples in a positive form.
Nonetheless, some counter-arguments have been raised through my research on the effects of capitalism on indigenous peoples that need to be recognized and addressed as to encourage further discussions. Previously, I mentioned The Foxwoods Resort Casino as an example of how capitalism has provided positive effects on the indigenous peoples because the casino was a tribal enterprise that is being run under a capitalist system. However, the argument can be made that caissons, like The Foxwoods Resort Casino, are questionable establishments due to its commercial gambling on Indian reservations across the United States of America, as recognized by Lawlor (Lawlor 31). Lawlor discusses that because capitalism is allowing these institutions to flourish and grow, it is expanding gambling and its addiction to many on reservations where many of them are located (Lawlor 31). Thus, it can be appealing and would make sense to argue that having casinos on reservations can bring considerable negative effects to the indigenous peoples for they are then prone to gamble which can negatively impact the indigenous peoples. This counter-argument, however, is not one that holds much influence or actual power against my thesis that capitalism has positive effects on tribal enterprises. The reason being that this counter-argument is simply expressing an obvious premise that can be used with any activity in today’s society. The premise is that when one is involved in an activity in an irresponsible manner, it can lead to negative effects and consequences. In this situation, the activity is casino gambling. The issue though is that this cannot be simply blamed on capitalism. It has more to do with human actions and decisions than capitalism itself. It cannot be denied that participating in gambling can be an issue that can lead to detrimental effects on people. However, to blame it heavily on capitalism for having indigenous people gamble by making casinos a successful business for indigenous peoples themselves is not a reasonable argument to make. Capitalism has allowed for tribal enterprises, such as the casinos, to succeed and thus have positive effects on indigenous peoples by providing them with economic success. It is not forcing people to gamble or make decisions. It allows people to have the freedom of choice by allowing them what to do without forcing them to take any actions.
Furthermore, some argue that just because indigenous peoples gain great economical gain from their casino enterprise, they do not truly have freedom in choice. As mentioned earlier in the paper, one of the main components of capitalism is the freedom that it provides to decide how individuals run their own business with little to no government interference in their business, besides state regulations. However, there is the argument that some convey which denies the indigenous peoples to truly have freedom under capitalism. This is due to the state-tribal gaming compact that is required when opening a class III gaming institution in a reservation in The United States; this compact, as explained by Lawlor, is between the tribal and the state governments which allows them to come to a business agreement as to how the institution will be run within the reservation (Lawlor 32). Based on this, some people argue that this is yet another manner in which the government is taking freedom away from the indigenous peoples through their businesses and thus the indigenous peoples do not have freedom under capitalism. The idea being that because state governments are requiring the tribal governments to seek approval through a deal with the state governments, they do not have the freedom of choice that capitalism is supposed to offer. Consequently, capitalism is restricting their freedom of choice in business because it is forcing them to make contact with the state governments. However, these state-tribal gaming contracts came as a result of The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 which was created by the government to promote tribal economic development and to protect tribes from the hands of organized crime as well (Lawlor 32). Meaning that this small government interference with the indigenous peoples’ business of casinos is purely there to help protect the indigenous people’s businesses from falling prey to organized crime. Furthermore, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act also serves to establish the official recognition of federally recognized Native American tribes as sovereign entities (Lawlor 32). As Lawlor explains it, the indigenous tribes can decide for themselves if they wish to pursue gaming businesses or not (Lawlor 32). Hence, giving the indigenous peoples much more freedom rather than restricting freedom, for nobody is forcing them to get involved in the casino business nor are they being restricted from participating in casino ventures. Hence, this counter-argument that these contracts with the state governments restrict the indigenous people’s freedom in business, is simply not accurate for it lacks to recognize the fact that these contracts came as a result of The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act which was created to provide these indigenous peoples who were interested in starting casino businesses, freedom to do so with little state involvement as possible under the act as emphasized by Lawlor.
In conclusion, after presenting my argument along with its evidence, it is clear that capitalism has overall affected indigenous peoples in our current society positively as evidenced by their economic and social success through their Casino and Tourism enterprises. Capitalism has allowed for established tribal enterprises to become economically successful with the hard work of those who are managing it which then causes the indigenous communities to gain economic strength (Bunten 286). One of the examples of tribal enterprises under the capitalist system was within the casino industry where indigenous people have developed casino tribal enterprises that have been proven to be economically stimulating which was conveyed through The Pequots, an indigenous tribe located in Connecticut, who are the owners of The Foxwoods Resort Casino located in their land of Connecticut (Lawlor 32). This tribally-owned casino enterprise has become one of the most well-known casinos in our current society due to its economic success the indigenous tribe has been able to work hard to maintain and expand (Lawlor 31). Thus, Capitalism allowed the indigenous people to have the freedom to decide how they wanted to run their business without any major interference from the outside. They have the freedom to decide how they wanted to run their enterprise and because they made constructive decisions regarding their enterprise, they were able to flush under capitalism who provided them with an open and consensual market where people participated in the exchange of a service, casino gaming, for monetary value. The example of tribal tourism was then given to furthermore convey how capitalism has been producing positive effects for indigenous peoples since tribally-owned tourist enterprises have been extremely successful under capitalism (Bunten 285). Capitalism has allowed for freedom of business choice with little to no outside interference (Faulk 29). It offers a consensual market where nobody is being forced to behave in any way unless they consent. Capitalism has ultimately allowed well-built tribal enterprises to economically succeed in our current society for it does not offer restrictions but instead offers them a free market where they have been affected.
Work Cited
Bunten, Celeste Alexis. “More like Ourselves: Indigenous Capitalism through Tourism.” American Indian Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 3, 2010, pp. 285–311.
Bross, Kristina, and Hilary E. Wyss, editors. Early Native Literacies in New England: A Documentary and Critical Anthology. University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5vk5sh. Accessed 26 Mar. 2020.
Faulks, Keith. “Capitalism.” Marx and Other Four-zz Letter Words, edited by Georgina Blakeley and Valerie Bryson, Pluto Press, London; Ann Arbor, MI, 2005, pp. 28–45. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt18fsbp5.6. Accessed 6 Mar. 2020.
Greenspan, Alan, and Wooldridge, Adrian. Capitalism in America: A History. Penguin Press, 2018
Kocka, Jürgen. Capitalism: A Short History. Princeton University Press, 2016. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvc77kv8. Accessed 6 Mar. 2020.
In this assignment, you will be analyzing the information in the Indigenous Peoples in Canada supplement (booklet/document posted to blackboard) in order to better understand the issues faced by Indigenous Peoples and to apply sociological concepts to the issue.
For all information, you must either paraphrase material in your own words or appropriately quote sources and properly reference (APA format*) the textbook/Indigenous Document where applicable. Check the Library website for formatting.
Questions:
1. Define the ‘sociological imagination’ and explain how using the sociological imagination can help us better understand issues facing Indigenous People today. (hint: pg 20*)
The main concept of the Sociological Imagination is that it intertwines our personal life experience with the broader society and historical aspects that shape our society – the Sociological Imagination also helps us differentiate between our personal troubles and our public issues. Sociological Imagination plays a crucial role in our understanding of the issues that Indigenous people face today. (Washburn, Beth. “Theories”)
Indigenous people have been being treated malevolently by the European colonizers throughout the course of history. They have degraded their peaceful nature in calling them Savages and have taken their children from them by force and placing them in a residential school where they would ‘take the native out of the children’ (Fine, Sean. “Chief Justice Says Canada Attempted ‘Cultural Genocide’ on Aboriginals.”) it was there that the children were mentally, verbally, sexually and physically abused. They would not be able to develop proper parenting skills nor would they develop a sense of identity. Many of them were broken as a result and had taken their lives after a few years of freedom.
Abuse is not simply one generational thing, and it can have an impact on their significant other or future children. When one is not mentally stable it is exceedingly hard to maintain a stable career or a stable home environment. The Measure of well-being among the Indigenous people can be compared to the measure of wellness of the African-Americans and their measure of well-being is actually lower than that of African Americans which is quite alarming considering how much the African-Americans have suffered through slavery and discrimination. (Denis, Jeffrey. “Sociology of Indigenous Peoples in Canada”.)
The family contributes an important role in the well-being of the child as it sets expectations for the children, for example, if the parents are both educated than they naturally expect that their child will receive a good education. However for Indigenous people whose drop-out rate is 24 percent – which doesn’t seem like much, however, you must take into account that the highest amount of dropouts in Canada and America are Indigenous people. (“The NCES Fast Facts Tool Provides Quick Answers to Many Education Questions (National Center for Education Statistics).”
2. Define Stuart Hall’s theory of ‘representation’ and use it to analyze how Indigenous People have been represented throughout history by the colonial powers. (hint: pg 9-10)
Stuart Hall’s ideology on representation is that there is no true meaning about a person or persons or an institute and that the meaning resides in the way it is represented – sometimes it can be represented with distortion and sometimes it can contain more accuracy. The deciding factor on how cultures are represented depends entirely on the people in power. (Washburn, Beth. “Culture”)
When the colonial powers were dependent on the Indigenous people in order to survive the harsh Canadian weather the Indigenous people were seen as ‘friendly, innocent, and trusting good trading partners, and skilled survivalists,’ (Denis, Jeffrey. “Sociology of Indigenous Peoples in Canada”.) However, when greed consumed their hearts and their real purpose had come to light, it was made clear to the Colonial powers that the Indigenous peoples would not abandon their respective lands for the Colonial powers nor would they change their cultural identity so the Colonial powers resorted to malevolent acts – the image of Indigenous people had turned from ‘friendly, innocent, and trusting to ‘Savage’. (Denis, Jeffrey. “Sociology of Indigenous Peoples in Canada”.)
Indigenous people have been represented in several Media as Savages or uncivilized peoples whereas the colonial powers were the civilized ones. This has been represented in several western films including the ‘River of No return’ (“River of No Return.” Wikipedia). In the film the people in power which are the Colonizers portray innocent Europeans being attacked for no reason by Indigenous people while riding the rapids.
The representation of Indigenous people have been distorted partially due to the fact that the colonial powers to feel a sense of justification to behaving the way they have been towards the Indigenous people.
3. Why do Indigenous Women experience higher rates of violence and murder than other women in Canada? (hint: pg 23-24)
The reason why Indigenous Women experience higher rates of violence and murder than other women in Canada is partially due to the history of ‘colonialism, racism, and sexism’ (Denis, Jeffrey. “Sociology of Indigenous Peoples in Canada”.)This dark history which is embedded in the mind of many Indigenous and non-Indigenous men can cause the belief that violence against them is justified. The violence of Indigenous to another Indigenous person is ultimately the result of a violent upbringing stemming from those who were forcibly taken away from their homes and placed in a residential school. It was there that they faced verbal, physical, sexual, and mental assault. Assault is a generation prospect and cannot change without the proper education and aid. (Berube, Kevin. “The Intergeneration Trauma of First Nations Still Runs Deep.”). Violence against women were essentially brought in by the Colonizers due to the fact that in their societal norm was to treat women as if they objected and were not allowed to have a mind of their own and had to serve and obey their husbands. The Indigenous people instead had equality between men and women where women were in positions of power such as being to serve as spiritual guides, political figures, and warrior women, and had a right to divorce as well as other rights. (Denis, Jeffrey. “Sociology of Indigenous Peoples in Canada”.)
4. Explain how the following 2 concepts relate to the issue of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. In your answer, clearly define the concept (using your textbook as a reference) and apply the concept to the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada by providing an example of the concept.
Involuntary resocialization (3 marks) the definition of resocialization is adapting from one set of norms to another set of norms. An example of Involuntary resocialization could be like prison because the person is forced to give up their set of norms for another set of norms.
The main concept is that the Indigenous people were forced to adapt from one set of norms to another set of norms that were imposed upon by the Colonized power. They were taken away from their parents, their family, and their community in order to ‘take the native out of the child’. The children would experience all manner of unacceptable treatment such as physical, mental, verbal, and sexual abuse. In addition to abuse, due to insufficient government funding, the children were malnutritional and their physical and health needs were not met. Due to their inability to care for the Indigenous children ‘more than 4,000 of them died in the residential schools.’ (Saunders, Doug. “Residential Schools, Reserves and Canada’s Crime against Humanity.”) Involuntary resocialization can be compared to prison, however, it seems that for the Indigenous people and children it had been more of a death sentence and centuries of injustice. (Crossman, Ashley. “How Resocialization Can Change a Person’s Life”)
Ethnocentrism (3 marks) the definition of Ethnocentrism is essentially the fanatical mindset that one’s culture is more superior than other cultures. (Washburn, Beth. “Culture”)
This connects to the issues of Indigenous peoples is because the essential reason why the Indigenous people have been suffering at the hands of the colonial powers and continue to do so is because of the mindset of superiority that the Colonizers possessed. The colonizers believed that the European culture had been far more superior than Indigenous beliefs. I think the concept of Ethnocentrism basically sums up the other aspects such as Involuntary Resocialization, Violence against Indigenous Women, the distortion of representation – all this is due to the fact that the Colonizers had a firm belief that they were better than the Indigenous people and even though the Residential schools are closed and the government has made a public apology they are still committing underhanded acts to ensure that Indigenous people are not able to prosper in their own country something which stems from the days of the residential schools because that has left a dark legacy for future generations – the Indigenous people suffer from poorer health which is partially as a result of mental health, financial instability, and social factors. (Joseph, Bob. “8 Key Issues for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.”)
Reference:
Berube, Kevin. “The Intergenerational Trauma of First Nations Still Runs Deep.” The Globe and Mail, 12 May 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health-advisor/the-intergenerational-trauma-of-first-nations-still-runs-deep/article23013789/.
Crossman, Ashley. “How Resocialization Can Change a Person’s Life.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 28 Aug. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/resocialization-3026522.
Fine, Sean. “Chief Justice Says Canada Attempted ‘Cultural Genocide’ on Aboriginals.” The Globe and Mail, 15 May 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/chief-justice-says-canada-attempted-cultural-genocide-on-aboriginals/article24688854/.
Joseph, Bob. “8 Key Issues for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.” 8 Key Issues for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, www.ictinc.ca/blog/8-key-issues-for-indigenous-peoples-in-canada.
“River of No Return.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_of_No_Return.
Saunders, Doug. “Residential Schools, Reserves and Canada’s Crime against Humanity.” The Globe and Mail, 15 May 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/commissions-report-puts-canada-on-brink-of-a-historic-reckoning/article24825565/.
“The NCES Fast Facts Tool Provides Quick Answers to Many Education Questions (National Center for Education Statistics).” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education, nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=16.
Washburn, Beth “Culture”
Washburn, Beth “Theories”
(Denis, Jeffrey. “Sociology of Indigenous Peoples in Canada”.)
Poor health is widely recognized in Africa however the lower status and the deprived access of nomadic and indigenous tribes in Africa has rarely been acknowledged. Over many years, many efforts have been made in order to facilitate the accessibility of indigenous tribes to education and healthcare however this issue is still to be seen in this day and age. This is due to the fact that tribes are situated within remote areas which are distant and separated from modern civilization, in which the people have naturally emanated from the land protecting their traditions for many centuries. Furthermore, nomadic groups are often discriminated against by health care providers and do not receive the basic human rights every person should have and no resolution has yet to be deemed adequate to solve this issue.
Despite the efforts of international organizations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the services and programs which were attempted are too costly and ineffective. Nomadism is seen to be situated in approximately half of the African countries in which people migrate with their herds of animals either in response to the nature of the environment or periodically and for that reason causing any security surveillance data to be absent. In addition to that, the concept of globalization and modernization has been a threat to the indigenous tribes as they are coerced to abandon their previously established traditions through physical attacks and visualize the people of the tribes as second-class citizens. This is evident as a President once said:
‘How can you have stone-age creatures continue to exist in the time of computers? If the Bushmen want to survive, they must change, otherwise, like the dodo, they will perish.
By promoting and encouraging people of the indigenous tribes to acquire and gain education, can enable them to negotiate with proponents and teach them the traditional way of life in aspects such as agriculture and eradicate the sense of hatred between them and instead promote peace and tranquility. Having access to education and healthcare is a basic human right that should be available from birth to death.
Definition of Key Terms
Indigenous
Indigenous people or things are things that have originated from the place and are remained in the place in which they were found rather than being brought in foreignly
Nomadic
Nomadic is the word used to describe someone if they would migrate from one place to another instead of staying at the same place
Globalization
There are multiple types of globalization:
Political globalization
Social globalization
Economic globalisation
Political globalization is the process in which several groups interact and cooperate with each other allowing the world to be more interconnected.
Social globalization is the act of sharing ideas and knowledge between different countries, the internet and social media is a good example of a platform that enables social globalization to be available.
Economic globalization is a word used to describe the association of the different economies through trading allowing for the development of one big global economy.
Second-class citizens
A second-class citizen refers to an individual who is discriminated against and receives fewer opportunities and rights even though they are a citizen or legal resident in the country or state.
Dodo
Dodo refers to the extinct and flightless bird with a fleshy body, short wings, big head, and heavy hooked beak. The animal was often to be found in Mauritius until the 17th century.
Bushmen
An individual who is a member of one of the 1st groups to live in southern Africa particularly found in the Kalahari desert and are traditionally hunter-gatherers but are now predominantly farmers.
Background Information
The situation of indigenous tribes
Tribes very often migrate depending on seasons, the availability of high-yielding soil as well as due to the situation politically. Furthermore, there was not an individual in authority who was responsible for the tribes within the area; instead, the power and authority was spread out over many people and this was dependent on the individual’s entitlement to the land enabling them to have some form of power over the household or the tribe. In addition to that, members of the tribes were independent and built their own shelters, produced their own food, and managed their own security and safety.
Education
Previously, there was no form of an official and authorized education as it was believed that it would be of no need and no use instead gained an ‘education’ through apprenticeships by learning skills and the responsibilities of being a member of the tribe by observing older members. Usually, each individual would learn more than one skill, not including the values and responsibilities of the tribe.
Skills which the members can acquire are but are not limited to:
Dancing
Farming
Winemaking
Cooking (females would mostly do this)
The practice of herbal medicine
How to carve – stools, masks, furniture, etc.
Another significant method that played a role in the informal education of indigenous people was storytelling. Elderly members and griots would gather children and tell stories about the history of the tribe and what is expected of the children; encouraging obedience and ethical values which are vital in order to cooperate with other members of the community. In addition to that, festivals and rituals were also used to teach members about the history of the tribe however rituals were usually used to coach young adults about the responsibilities each member has such as teaching females how to care for their family as well as how to cook and clean the household whereas males are taught how to hunt and farm to provide for the family.
Obstacles that indigenous people may face are but not limited to:
Lack of respect and schooling facilities
Education systems usually ignore and do not respect the cultures of indigenous people and many teachers are not able to speak the same language. Furthermore, there are many unqualified teachers meaning students achieve lower results in standardized tests compared to schools situated in non-rural areas which can be revealed in reports made by the Northern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality. In addition to this, In one occurrence – teachers took the same test as the students, and 3/4ths of the teachers had failed.
Bullying
Many children arrive to school hungry, ill, and tired and are often bullied. This causes poor performance and increases the likelihood of the child dropping out. Indigenous girls are common victims due to gender discrimination, unfavorable school environments, and sexual abuse.
Healthcare accessibility
It is a challenge for indigenous people to receive access to healthcare due to poor infrastructure and insufficient staff. Professor James Anaya (the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) visited Congo and reported that there is no cultural adaptation in the delivery of health services and more means are required in order to improve the healthcare accessibility to indigenous tribes. Moreover, indigenous people outlined the lack of money to pay for prescription drugs and due to the villages not having any healthcare services, they are coerced to rely on healthcare facilities located in Bantu villages that discriminate against indigenous people.
Barriers that indigenous people face when accessing healthcare are but not limited to:
Belief in traditional herbs which are free – these are inexpensive and are often not as effective as modern medications to treat the patient
Language barriers – health professionals are unaware of the needs of the patient leading to misdiagnosis and wrong medications given
Inadequate number of indigenous health staff – this causes staff to be involved with multiple people and inefficient care for the patients
Major Countries and Organisations Involved
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
The forum was established on 28 July 2000 by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) after various meetings in which the idea of the creation of the forum was discussed in 1993 at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. The UNPFII is the UN’s main body in discussing and solving issues involved with the rights of indigenous people by giving advice and reporting back to ECOSOC. The mandate of the forum is to:
Deliver expert advice and provide recommendations to ECOSOC and to other agencies constituting part of the UN’s system.
Raise awareness and encourage the unification and solidarity of individuals in activities and programs relating to issues based on the situation of native and indigenous tribes/objects/people etc.
Gather and distribute knowledge based on the issues.
A two-week session is held each year at the UN’s headquarters in New York City however can also take place in other cities agreed upon such as Geneva.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)
The ACHPR is a quasi-judicial body in whose purpose is to protect human rights and group rights across Africa and also analyze the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ rights and evaluate anything which violates the charter. This consists of investigations of human rights violations, producing programs of action which act towards the uplifting of human rights as well as creating a system to enable effective communication between countries in order to get immediate information on violations of human rights.
Congo
The Republic of Congo endorsed a law in order on 30th December 2010 to promote and protect the rights of the indigenous tribes and is the first country in Africa to embrace it. Conscious of the requirement for efforts to be made on indigenous people in order to achieve the Millenium Development Goals, UNICEF have ensured authorities help improve the situation of indigenous people and have recommended the law to be adopted. This has remained as part of the history in the development for indigenous people in Africa.
Botswana
The Botswana government has attempted to address the situation of indigenous tribes by the Remote Area Development Policy of 1975 and the program recognizes the requirement of measures to improve the situation. In the program, the government “shall adopt a community-led development approach which aims to promote participatory processes and community participation in issues affecting their own development”. Measures will be introduced across a variety of sections in order to improve education and healthcare accessibility. Due to the challenges of healthcare accessibility, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples emphasized the need to develop a respect for traditional medicine as this is practiced by indigenous people but is excluded from healthcare.
Namibia
The problems arise due to poverty and discrimination, more than 80% of people live more than 80km from health facilities and are often not equipped to deal with complicated issues. In addition to that, staff are unable to speak the same language resulting in miscommunication and wrong diagnoses. The country has a high prevalence of AIDS and indigenous communities are vulnerable because of the lack of knowledge as well as treatment. The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recommends immediate measures to help reduce the effects.
South Africa
In South Africa, there is a lack of access to safe water coupled with high levels of violence causing many diseases and damaged bodies. The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recommended:
A fully equipped clinic in Platfontein that serves the surrounding areas and the introduction of safe drinking water
Services that should target specifically on indigenous communities
The introduction of safe drinking water to indigenous people
Timeline of Events
Date
Description of event
1957
ILO Convention 107 on Indigenous and Tribal Populations is established
1972
Study of the Problem of Discrimination against Indigenous Populations begins (can also be known as the Martinez Cobo study)
1982
The Working Group on Indigenous Populations is established by the UN
1984
The Study of the Problem of Discrimination against Indigenous Populations is presented to the UN
1985
The Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations is established
1989
ILO Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in the Independent States is established
1993
The World Conference on Human Rights advised for the establishment of a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
1993
International Year of the World’s Indigenous People
1994
The first International Decade for Indigenous People (1994-2004)
2000
Establishment of the UNPFII
2001
The act of a Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People is established by the Commission on Human Rights
2003
A voluntary fund is adopted by the UN to support the Permanent Forum
2005
The Second International Decade for Indigenous People is launched (2005-2015) as well as a fund to support projects
2007
The UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples is established by the UN General assembly
2007
Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is created by the Human Rights Council
2014
First World Conference on Indigenous Peoples as the UN General Assembly had a meeting
Previous Attempts to solve the Issue and Possible Solutions
Millenium Development Goals (MDGs)
The Millenium Development Goals are goals that all UN member states agreed to in September 2000. The goals were aimed to be achieved by 2015 and provided an opportunity for a focus on indigenous people. The report of the 4th session of the UNPFII stated “Indigenous peoples have the right to benefit from the Millenium Development Goals and from other goals and aspirations contained in the Millenium Declaration to the same extent as all others”. Unfortunately, the goals were not achieved and failed to address the disparities that exist upon indigenous people.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
The UNDRIP defines the rights and “prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples”. The aim is to encourage countries to help indigenous people and solve issues such as health, education, and employment. There is also an emphasis on the ability of indigenous people to protect their culture and tradition as well as encourage their participation in all matters that concern them and their right to remain distinct and follow their own economic and social development goals.
A possible solution that could tackle this issue is to build public awareness and set up fundraising events in order to make people aware of the situation of indigenous communities and the problems they go through each day. This could encourage people to donate money and fund organizations such as World Health Organisation in order to alleviate their suffering.
Relevant Treaties
List the relevant UN and other treaties created to tackle this issue.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2 October 2007 (A/RES/61/295)
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, 12 February 2003 (A/RES/57/192)
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, 15 February 2002 (A/RES/56/140)
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), 21 February 2003 (A/RES/70/209)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 16 December 1966 (A/RES/2200)
Global health and foreign policy, 12 December 2012 (A/RES/67/81)
Bibliography
‘African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.’ Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 June 2019. Web.
‘Education in Africa.’ Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 Aug. 2019. Web. 15 Aug. 2019.
‘Indigenous Peoples of Africa.’ Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 May 2019. Web. 15 Aug. 2019.
‘Learn More about Indigenous People’s Rights.’ Indigenous Peoples | Amnesty International. N.p., n.d. Web.
‘State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (SOWIP) For Indigenous Peoples.’ United Nations. United Nations, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2019.
Velema. ‘[PDF] Where Health Care Has No Access: The Nomadic Populations of Sub-Saharan Africa. – Semantic Scholar.’ Undefined. N.p., 01 Jan. 1999. Web.
“Why is the killing of a million a lesser crime than the killing of an individual?”- Raphael Lemkin. Throughout history, humans have killed each other for an array of reasons; differences in religion, culture, ethnicity, or just simply because one believes they are superior and wishes to marginalize or decimate the other. It’s hard to pinpoint when specifically mass-killings of a race began and became so common in our world’s history, but perhaps could be coined back all the way to the Third Punic War. The term Genocide was introduced by Raphael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer deeply affected by the Holocaust whose research helped create a fundamental, legal basis for the Nuremberg Trials.
Genocide’s strives to destroy a people, and is accomplished through total annihilation as well as strategies that eliminate key components of the groups basic existence like language, infrastructure, and culture. It was not recognized as an international crime until 1948, but we have seen it much earlier than that, such as the French conquest of Algeria or even arguably our decimation of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Genocide vastly affects countries economy, dichotomizes them politically, and significantly changes the social structure of a country. One of the biggest ramifications of genocide is the bilateral psychological effects, which can only be remedied through notable government expenditure towards healthcare, something that is not always possible in developing countries. Picking up the pieces of a torn country is laborious, but we’ve seen some country’s pull themselves from the thicket of bloodshed and push forward amidst the terrible atrocities committed around them. Bosnia, Cambodia, and Rwanda are examples of horrible genocide that occurred in the 20th century who saw many of their people killed under the pretense of cleansing, warfare, and improvement of their country’s.
1992 changed Europe forever. The Cold War had just ended, and the UN and the nations they represented began to reevaluate their roles in a world without competition between two major powers. Little did Europe know that it would be involved in another conflict only a few months later that would displace and kill thousands. The government of Bosnia-Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugoslavia, but the boundaries drawn did not match the ethnic groups in each region, and left people feeling angry. The Serbians and Croatians fought to unite portions of the Republic they inhabited with Serbia and Croatia. They engaged in the Ethnic cleansing of the Bosniaks, a major part of the population of Bosnia who made up around 44% of the population. This included murder, torture, rape, and deliberate military attacks in order to ensure that areas were ethnically homogenous. The Serbians were able to make their dream a reality by creating a continuous area of Serb domination, but at a disastrous price that cost tens of thousands of lives. The conflict finally ended with the Dayton agreements, but was controversial as the Serbians were given control of 50% of the land. It resulted in a creation of a federalized Bosnia divided between a Croatian-Bosnian Federation and Serbian Republic. Even though the genocide lasted a short period, its effects are felt today. Since the Bosniaks made up almost half of the population, the mass killings resulted in the ethnicity of Bosnia moving from primarily Muslim to Serbian.
Every facet of Bosnia had been decimated by the war, most industries that were present before the war occurred were rendered useless due to the need for spare parts elsewhere in Bosnia. One of the biggest consequences was that many areas had to be rebuilt, such as the political structure. The United States and its Western allies determined what form the government would take, and gave political guidance. By making the assumption that Bosnia would become a secular, democratic state like their own, the U.S. ventured into the creation of a multiethnic, secular, and capitalist state, disregarding the country’s culture, and past. Country’s can thrive under communist rule, but the Bosnians were unable to decide their own political structure for themselves when the U.S. took control. Notwithstanding international intervention, Bosnia has also struggled to remain afloat economically. Government bureaucracy absorbs 50% of the GDP, and the country has a 58% youth unemployment rate. Despite the Dayton Accords ending the war, the creation of two autonomous regions within Bosnia, the Muslim-Croat federation and the Bosnian Serb republic created a large public sector, with more than 160 government ministers. With the abundance of public sector officials, it impedes growth since most of the money is allotted to those jobs. Starting up businesses is virtually unheard of in Bosnia, since social costs for employees are brutal; more than 40% of gross wages go to social security, health care and taxes. Even today, some people still deny that it ever occurred, stating only military-age men were targeted, but this genocide affected every Bosniak man, woman, and child, regardless of their age, and regardless of who they were.
Unlike the Bosnian genocide, the Rwandan genocide was a vicious conflict that saw thousands killed bilaterally. The Hutus and Tutsis are ethnic groups that speak the same language, have similar beliefs, and practice similar social customs, yet differ in terms of their professions, and tensions had been bubbling over the decades. Hutus were traditionally farmers who made up the majority of the population of Rwanda. When the Hutus gained power after Rwanda became independent from Belgium, they committed mass murder against the Tutsis. Many Tutsis fled to neighboring countries such as the Congo,amassing their forces and organizing counter attacks; eventually invading Rwanda which sparked the beginning of a brutal 3 year war. After the assumed assassinations of the Rwandan and Burundi presidents who were both Hutus, the Hutus retaliated by launching a genocide campaign which killed over 1,000,000, an estimated 70% of the Tutsi population. Once the Rwandan Patriotic Front overthrew the Rwandan government, many Hutus poured over Rwanda’s western border over the Congo, like the Tutsis had in the beginning of the war. The Hutus overthrew the Congo’s president, and this event was ultimately the precipice of the First Congo War, one of the major consequences of the Rwandan Genocide. Once a safe-haven for the exiled Hutus, the refugee camps in Congo became de facto army bases as many military personnel had fled, and ended up terrorizing the people in Congo.
The Rwandan Genocide is not black and white like Bosnia or Cambodia, both sides murdered each other and committed terrible crimes against humanity. One of the major consequences that we did not see in the Bosnian Genocide that occurred in Rwanda was the wake of child soldiers. In 1994, it was estimated that 5,000 people under 18 were members of the Rwandan Patriotic Army. Forced to join in lieu of death, many children did not have a choice and were often brainwashed, or plied with drugs and alcohol to be compliant. Rwanda has been successful in remedying their child soldier problem nowadays, demobilizing around 3,000 kids in the last few years, yet M23, the Congolese rebel group is still at large. Former child soldiers are traumatized, and were given little opportunity for psychological help after the genocide, with most of the money allotted to rebuilding infrastructure and reinstating political framework. Surprisingly, this conflict actually does have a silver-lining. Since so many men were killed, women stepped up to the plate and starting taking on jobs. Many males fled to bordering nations, which left 70% of Rwanda’s population female. This was not unlike World War 1 where women began taking on jobs traditionally given to men. In 2003, a new constitution was passed which decreed that 30% of parliamentary seats would be reserved for women. Their government also pledged that girls’ education would become more of a priority, and that women would be given leadership roles in key institutions. Rwanda is one of the few countries in Africa where women are given equal representation, and today, 64% of the parliament seats are held by women. Unlike other countries ripped apart from genocide, Rwanda has actually prospered. Life expectancy has doubled, and they’ve managed to establish a universal health care system. Women have the ability to own property, and pursue jobs that other women in countries around them would not dream of having. Their major steps towards equality were brought upon by unfortunate circumstances, yet has allowed Rwanda to move from a barely surviving country to a thriving one.
Comparable only to the reign of Mao, the Cambodian genocide was unlike any other. The government took complete control and annihilated its people under the pretense of saving the country from evil. The communist party of Kampuchea took power in 1975 after overthrowing the Khmer Republic, and a sea of red fell over the country of Cambodia, now Kampuchea. Creating a socialist agrarian republic, society was classified into either peasant base people or urban new people by its marxist leader, Pol Pot. Anyone considered an intellectual of any sort was immediately killed, and most of the urban population were sent to prison or killed in the famous ‘Killing Fields.’ Pol Pot was inspired by the tribes located in Northeast Cambodia who were self sufficient and lived on the goods they produced through farming, and he believed that money, wealth, and religion had spoiled that in the rest of Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge was autocratic, xenophobic, and repressive. The government decided that the country would be reverted back to Year Zero, and nothing would be privatized; money, private property, education, and religion were abolished, and the schools and churches turned into prisons and re-education camps. Meetings with families were frowned upon, public and private transportation abolished, and foreign influence was completely blocked. If people became sick, they had to rely on themselves to find remedies, or use their own supply of medicine, which resulted in a lot of death from treatable diseases. Not only did the Khmer Rouge strip everyone of their rights, but under their Four Year Plan, Cambodians were expected to produce three tons of rice per hectare throughout the country which meant people had to grow and harvest rice all year, and work over 12 hour days with little food or rest. Most estimates say between 1.4 million and 2.2 million people were killed. When Khmer Rouge cadres who had killed people for the government fell foul of their own regime, they were killed too. No one was safe under the paranoid rule of the CPK. After four years of brainwashing and constant death, Cambodians were freed of their binds by the Vietnamese, who removed the Communist Party of Kampuchea from power.. By allowing international food aid to mitigate the terrible famine that had swept the nation, the Cambodian genocide had finally started to wind down. But it wasn’t until 1989 when the country was given its sovereignty and renamed the State of Cambodia. Nowadays, the Khmer Rouge is responsible for many adults not being educated. The country was left with no doctors, teachers, engineers, or professionals. Lack of healthcare professionals in the country meant that many cases of PTSD went undiagnosed. Once a country that had prospects and was doing well for itself, Cambodia was reeling with the death of ¼ of its population, and the economic halt the agrarian society had imposed. Since all means of production were the collective property of the state, and workers were given their pay in the form of food rations, there was no economic growth whatsoever. Still to this day, Cambodia struggles with keeping its people above the poverty line. The CPK planted landmines all throughout Cambodia which have still not all been dismantled, leaving many people at risk of losing limbs or their loved ones. It’s been 40 years since the genocide occurred, but Cambodia has still not been given the justice their people deserve. Since 1975, only three people have been sentenced, with Pol Pot dying early in his trial. Many of the ex-cadres were able to get away with their crimes, something Cambodians are still angry with. Why is it that we forbode genocide, yet condone the people who committed it?
Genocide has deeply affected many countries in the world. In the shadow of the Holocaust, the UN was able to create the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, yet this was only after millions of people were killed under Stalin and Hitler. However, we have still seen terrible crimes against humanity in the 20th century that have seemed to bypass this group specifically targeted for preventing it. Not only does it completely destroy a people such as the Bosniaks, the Tutsis, or the urban people of Cambodia, but it depletes infrastructure, divides nations, and ruins a country’s GDP. Although we have seen anomalies such as Rwanda making light of their dark situation by allowing more women to take power despite war raging around them, it is obvious that Genocide is the worst thing that could happen to a country. Preventing it remains a challenge that nations and individuals continue to face.