Culture is a complex system of knowledge, beliefs, traditions, customs, art, and morals that are passed from one generation to another. It shapes our identity and influences our behavior, perceptions, and attitudes. Identity, on the other hand, is a sense of self that develops over time and may include aspects of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and other individual characteristics. It is a personal understanding of oneself, which is influenced by social structures, experiences, and individual choices.
In the context of Indigenous people, culture and identity are deeply intertwined. Indigenous cultures are rich with traditions, languages, rituals, and social structures that have been passed down through generations. These cultural elements play a crucial role in shaping the identity of Indigenous individuals and communities.
For Indigenous Peoples, their culture is the essence of who they are, who they belong to, where they come from, and how they relate to one another. Culture is the accumulated teachings of ancestors. It is the basis of traditions, customs, protocols, values, spirituality, ceremonies, language, ways of knowing and being, and connections to the land and the life-sustaining resources of the land. Culture permeates all aspects of life and is essential to the overall well-being of Indigenous communities and individuals. ICT. (n.d.).
The history of colonization and cultural assimilation policies in Canada has had a profound impact on the identity of Indigenous people. The Indian Act, residential schools, and other policies were designed to assimilate Indigenous people into the dominant Euro-Canadian culture, often by force. These policies have had lasting effects on Indigenous communities, disrupting traditional ways of life, damaging languages and cultural practices, and causing intergenerational trauma.
Colonization has had a profound impact on Indigenous identity, as it has disrupted Indigenous ways of life, imposed new social structures, and led to the loss of Indigenous languages and cultural practices. The Indian Act, for example, imposed a new system of governance on Indigenous communities and sought to assimilate Indigenous people into Euro-Canadian society. This has had lasting effects on Indigenous identity, as many Indigenous people have been forced to navigate between their traditional cultures and the dominant Euro-Canadian culture (Local Women Matter, 2021).
Preserving and revitalizing Indigenous cultures is crucial for the identity and well-being of Indigenous people. Cultural preservation includes maintaining and passing on traditional languages, arts, ceremonies, and knowledge systems. It also involves reclaiming and revitalizing cultural practices that have been disrupted or lost due to colonization and assimilation policies.
Cultural preservation is essential for the identity and well-being of Indigenous people. It provides a sense of belonging and continuity, strengthens community bonds, and helps to heal from the traumas of colonization. Moreover, studies have found a connection between cultural preservation, including Indigenous languages, and resilience to health problems that disproportionately affect Indigenous people. ICT. (n.d.).
Self-determination is a fundamental aspect of Indigenous identity. It refers to the right of Indigenous people to govern themselves, determine their own future, and control their own cultural, social, and economic development. This includes the right to maintain and develop their own Indigenous political, legal, economic, and social systems within the framework of the Canadian state.
In international law, which Canada respects, all peoples have a right of self-determination. Self-determination includes governance, so Indigenous peoples are entitled to choose their own forms of government, within existing states. Aboriginal peoples' right of self-government within Canada is acknowledged and protected by the constitution. It recognizes that Aboriginal rights are older than Canada itself and that their continuity was part of the bargain between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people that made Canada possible (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996).
ICT. (n.d.). Why Continuity of Indigenous Cultural Identity Is Critical. Retrieved from https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/why-is-indigenous-cultural-continuity-critical
Local Women Matter. (2021). Colonialism and its impacts. Retrieved from https://www.criaw-icref.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Local-Women-Matter-3-Colonialism-and-its-impacts.pdf
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. (1996). Highlights from the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Retrieved from http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ch/rcap/rpt/rel_e.html