By Terence Ho | Foundation of HKPLTW
Terence is a Research Coordinator for the Foundation of HKPLTW with interests in history & traditions, social organization & inter-group relations, culture & religion, and economics & politics of Canadian Indigenous People and Visible Minorities. Follow him on Twitter: @hkpltw
Terence is a Research Coordinator for the Foundation of HKPLTW with interests in history & traditions, social organization & inter-group relations, culture & religion, and economics & politics of Canadian Indigenous People and Visible Minorities. Follow him on Twitter: @hkpltw
Complex and Challenging Task
The terminology related to Indigenous identity in Canada can be complex, as identification can be self-identified and defined by the state. Identification based on connection to land and territory can become very difficult. Many Indigenous peoples lost their land base, or the terms for a community have often not been selected by Indigenous peoples themselves but instead imposed on them by the government and colonizers.
“Indigenous people who locate themselves in this manner may not have any affinity or use for terms such as “Indian” or “Aboriginal,” which can be regarded as the impositions of an external and hostile system of authority. Others retain their family or clan identifiers within their communities, but use the name of a band or larger cultural group.” (Aboriginal Identity & Terminology)
With this in mind, terms related to ethnic and cultural identity all have sensitive nature— spellings, identity and names can be acceptable to some while being offensive to others. It is most respectful to use the most specific term for a community or a person when possible. First Nation communities prefer to identify themselves by their specific cultural group because they are distinct and to remain sensitive to the respective identity of each.
Do Canadian First Nations Recognize the Identification?
The identification is complex, one is based state legislation and the other build on family tradition and community practice, are always in conflict.
More generally, though, the “Aboriginal” and “Indigenous” as preferred terms in Canada. Still, “Aboriginal” or “Indigenous” can be regarded by some to be derived from colonial sources or have a negative connotation when used in any setting involving interactions with people outside of communities or invoking government policy.
I will admit that these terms can be problematic in specific contexts. However, I firmly believe that their meanings are constantly shifting and are determined by how they use them. These terms are still being used with specificity in different circumstances. First Nation people in Canada still use them with varying degrees to identify themselves as part of a more significant collective identity, shaped by a shared history both of long ancestral traditions on the land and of long and similarly troubled relations with colonialization and conflicts with the Canadian government.
This is an opinion article; the views expressed by me.
Bibliography
Kessler, Linc. “Aboriginal Identity & Terminology.” Indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca, 2009, https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/aboriginal_identity__terminology/. Accessed 22 July 2021.
Foundation of HKPLTW (Canada) 