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Overcoming PrejudiceWHAT IS PREJUDICE ? We call people who talk this way prejudiced. This can be the result of the way they were raised or educated. And pratically any group can be the target of prejudice: the young, seniors, women, ethnic groups or Aboriginal people, for instance. In fact, Aboriginal people are the target of prejudiced opinions.
There are two different Aboriginal Peoples in Quebec, the Inuit and the First Nations. They have their own languages, customs, way of life and spiritual beliefs. An Innu is as different from an Inuit as a Canadian is from a German. There are 55 Aboriginal communities, including 14 Inuit villages, located across
Quebec. Aboriginal people make up 1% of the population of Quebec and number
about 68,000* living on reserves, in Northern municipalities or in metropolitain
areas such as Montreal and Quebec City.
"THERE ARE NO MORE REAL INDIANS" While Aboriginal people do live modern lives, they also are working to preserve and promote their own identity, cultural pratices, values and beliefs. At the dawn of the new millenium, Aboriginal people still practice traditional
activities such as hunting and fishing. They also hold a respect for the Nature,
spirituality, sharing, dignity and mutual help that bears witness to how strongly
they are attached to the heritage of their ancestors. Some say that they have many privileges, everything is free, they do not pay taxes and live quite well on the reserves. False. The quality of life for Aboriginal people is lower than the general average for Canada. Life expectancy is shorter, job possibilities are narrower, and the rates for suicide, alcoholism and drug abuse are higher. According to the Indian Act, those who live on reserves cannot own the land on which their home is built. If they work off the reserve, they pay taxes just like anyone else. Are they really spoiled ?
We have seen some prejudiced opinions about Aboriginal people. You know they are not true. But, you will probably still come across people with prejudiced opinions. These usually negative and superficial opinions can do real harm. And they have serious consequences. They can end up causing a loss of self esteem and a lack of self confidence. This makes it more difficult to build a positive self image, to earn the respect of others and escape these stereotyped prejudices. How do we fight prejudice ? "Do not let me criticize my neighbor until I have walked in his moccasins
for a month."
Aboriginal saying This exhibit was made possible thanks to the collaboration of : The Ajigwon Resource center, ORIHWA inc. consultants, All the members of the Aboriginal peoples consulted. Design : GID Research and editing : Muséoconseil
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| Last Updated: 2004-04-23 | 
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