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  • Essay / Aboriginal Women in Canada - 1205

    According to LaRocque (1994), there is a distinct link here between the effects of colonization and the decline in Aboriginal well-being, with the greatest impact observed on women indigenous. After colonization began there countless detrimental changes took place in the native way of life. Neu (2000) discusses these harmful changes in detail. The author explains the loss of their land and natural environment, the discouragement of their hunting and gathering lifestyle, the separation of families through the residential school system and the punishments received for the use of customs and traditional language. In many ways, settlers disrespected indigenous peoples by ignoring their basic needs and desires. Additionally, the process of colonization brought drastic changes to gender roles in indigenous culture. Colonization imposed European patriarchy, accompanied by racism and sexism, on matriarchal indigenous cultures. As a result, Indigenous women in Canada lost their sense of purpose and responsibility, commanding less respect and power than men. This loss contributed to many negative effects for these women and caused them to feel a strong sense of cultural estrangement. Neylan (2013) suggests that Indigenous women in Vancouver may have experienced a similar and persistent attitude to settlers. Furthermore, it appears that the Canadian justice system has retained some of the same cruel and biased ideologies as those of its early colonialists. Neylan identifies a parallel here, explaining that settlers and the current justice system treat indigenous people in a humiliating manner, without considering the value of human life because of an indigenous laboratory... middle of paper .... .. fully recognizing the disappearance/murdered indigenous women. For example, the infamous Pickton murders highlight the extremes taken by local police forces to mask the violence and exclusion that Indigenous women faced. In this case, the perpetrator was the famous Robert Pickton, who became a global media figure as the most atrocious serial killer in Canadian history. Jiwani and Young (2006) point out that when the bodies were discovered on the Pickton farm, many Aboriginal newspapers and newspapers showed empathy and took the opportunity to illustrate the atrocity and horror of crime. Yet, overall, the media has failed to capitalize on "opportunities to reinscribe indigeneity and connect these women's experiences of alienation and abuse to systemic issues such as intergenerational trauma and residential schools” (Jiwani and Young). 910).