Canada Travel Guide

The 1940s were the beginning of a new era. Around 3000 aborigines and unrecorded numbers of Métis and nonstatus Indians had fought for their country in both World Wars , and although accepted on the battlefield they were still badly treated at home. Aboriginal leaders emerged, forcefully expressing their people's desire to gain their rightful position of equality with other Canadians and maintain their cultural heritage, and in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, aboriginals formed provincially based organizations to protect and advance their interests. The Canadian public became more aware of the shocking way native society was being treated and how far their living standards had fallen behind all other groups of citizens. The 1951 Indian Act rescinded the laws banning the potlatch and other ceremonies and aboriginal members were given the freedom to enter public bars to consume alcohol. But, on the whole, government oppression remained formidable. The right to vote in federal elections was granted only in 1960.

The rebirth of Canada's indigenous people can be traced to 1969, when a federal " white paper " proposed the elimination of Indian status. The result was a native backlash that forced the Trudeau Government to retreat and led to the creation of the National Indian Brotherhood , the forerunner of today's Assembly of First Nations .

Also in 1969, all Indian agents were withdrawn from reserves, and aboriginal political organizations started receiving government funding. Increasingly, these organizations focused on the need for full recognition of their aboriginal rights and renegotiation of the treaties. They believed that only in this way could they rise above their disadvantaged position in Canadian society. By 1973, aboriginals had local control of education and today more than half of all aboriginal students who live on reserves attend their own community schools