Page 278 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9 to 12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies

Grade 12, University/College Preparation
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies
Treaties and the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, the Nisga’a Final Agreement, or the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement)
Sample questions: “What is the role of the federal government in the treaty process with First Nations communities today? How has this role changed over time?” “How would a modern- day land claim be initiated and negotiated? How would those processes differ from those associated with historical treaties?” “What impact has the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement had on Inuit and on Inuit governance?”
C3.2 analyse laws and political policies since the 1970s that have affected First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities, with a particular focus on laws and policies that have attempted to address the legacy of domination by colonial, federal, and provincial/territorial governments (e.g., the apology for residential schools, the establishment of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the Labrador Inuit Lands Claims Agreement, the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act, policy initiatives of the Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Affairs, the creation of the Truth and Reconcilia- tion Commission, the Métis Nation of Ontario Secretariat Act, 2015)
Sample questions: “What prompted the federal government’s 2008 apology to former students of residential schools? What were some responses to this apology? What actions or initiatives followed it? How has the government attempted to address the legacy of the residential school system? How successful do you think these attempts have been?” “What was the rationale for Bill S-8 (the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act)? What is the regulatory process for implementing the act within First Nations communities?” “What are some provincial
laws or policies that have affected Indigenous peoples in Canada? Has their impact been largely positive or negative?” “How does
the 2008 Ontario–Métis Nation Framework Agreement seek to protect and promote the distinct culture, identity, and heritage of Métis in Ontario?” “How does the Métis Nation
of Ontario Secretariat Act support Métis self- government?” “How has the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement impacted Inuit communities and their self-determination?”
C3.3 assess how current and proposed legislation may affect the rights of First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit individuals and communities in Canada (e.g., with reference to legislation affecting the environment, the economy, freedom of speech and assembly, educational policy)
C3.4 explain how social attitudes, values, and/or trends have influenced laws and government policies, both in Canada and internationally, that have affected and/or continue to affect
the lives of First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit individuals and communities in Canada (e.g., with reference to attitudes towards the rights of Indigenous peoples, environmental protection, or women’s rights, including the rights of Indigenous women; values related to individual liberties, human rights, self-determination; trends such as climate change, the increasing visibility of violence against Indigenous women)
Sample questions: “Why was the government of Stephen Harper under pressure to establish an inquiry into murdered and missing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women in Canada? Why did his government resist this pressure? What factors do you think accounted for the decision to establish such an inquiry in 2016?” “How might the opening up of the Northwest Passage as a result of climate change, and the claim by the United States that the passage is in international waters, affect the lives of Inuit?” “Why did the federal government appoint Thomas Isaac to explore ways to advance reconciliation with the Métis? What are the outcomes of Isaac’s report?”
C4. Changing Political Relations
By the end of this course, students will:
C4.1 analyse key factors, including specific policies (e.g., requirements relating to consultation and accommodation; increasing education and activism among Indigenous individuals; the process involved in modern-day comprehensive land claims; legal concepts such as the doctrine of discovery, sui generis, the honour of the Crown), that since the 1980s have affected and/or continue to affect the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canadian governments
Sample questions: “What is the principle behind the ‘honour of the Crown’ in the context of the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canadian governments? What is the significance of this principle? How has it affected relationships between Indigenous peoples and Canadian governments?” “How did the 2016 decision
in Daniels v. Canada clarify ways in which legislative authority applies to Métis and non-status Indians? Why did Métis want the court in Daniels to rule that they were ‘Indians’?” “What is the legal definition of the Métis Nation in Canada? In Ontario?”
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