Aboriginal Burial Sites/ Treatment of Aboriginal Peoples

Annotated Bibliography
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Professor
Date
Annotated Bibliography
The Anishinabek Nation. (2015). A Toolkit for Understanding Aboriginal Heritage and Burial Rights and Issues. Ontario: Union of Ontario Indians.
This source is a document which was compiled under the aegis of the Union of Ontario Indians for use by everyone (though particularly the indigenous Canadians themselves). The aim of the Toolkit is to lay out in clear terms what burial and cultural rites the indigenous Indians in that part of Canada have, and how the person reading them can understand them better. It is not intended to act as legal advice.
The toolkit is divided into several sections, each of which deal with a particular area – so the legislation itself has the biggest portion of the toolkit. The legislation is broken down into federal and provincial legislation, to make sure that everybody understands what happens where, and what is under whose jurisdictions. The remaining chapters include information on the history and values which led to those cultural and burial rites being important.
Understanding these rites, and what legal rights indigenous Canadians have surrounding them, is one of the first steps in ensuring that everyone has their own beliefs and customs honoured and respected. While the Toolkit itself isn’t legal advice, it acts as a way of getting the process started, and also gives a lot of resources for people who want to take their rights further, and gain some legal help and advice about their situation.
Johnston, D. (2006). Connecting People to Place: Great Lakes Aboriginal History in Cultural Context. The Ipperwash Commission of Inquiry. Retrieved from /inquiries/ipperwash/.../pdf/P1_Tab_1.pdf
Johnston focuses on the cultural context of the issues surrounding burial rites in the communities of indigenous Indians in the Ontario area. She not only talks about the history of the indigenous people, but also goes into great detail about the history surrounding them and the colonial settlers who took over the area, and the way in which they systemically changed the lives of the indigenous Indians.
Her ultimate findings are that the indigenous peoples have such a great connection to the land (and therefore are so adamant about their burial rites) because of the totemic identities they have formed concerning it. This summary is backed up by pages of step by step comparison of the history and religions of the two respective groups which have co-existed in the region for the past several hundred years. This comparison included religious outlooks, basic philosophy, and the ideas behind their respective institutions, and Johnston used them all as a way of deciphering why the settlers prioritised themselves over the indigenous Indians in almost every respect.
This history also goes to show, in some small way, how changes are coming, even if it is very slowly. People are now seeing that the way in which the indigenous Indians were treated is something which should be rectified, and the legislation which is currently under discussion is a way of redressing the balance.
McLaren, D. (2007). Encountering the Other: Racism Against Aboriginal People. Retrieved from /.../Chippewas_of_Nawash-Encountering_t...
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