16 Native Populations of North America and Canada

Ami Fagin

Beyond Genocide

16 Native Populations of North America and Canada

The indigenous peoples in the world today have been described as “victims of progress” (Bodley, 1999)…Variously referred to as aboriginals, native peoples, tribal peoples, Fourth World peoples or First Nations, these populations have suffered from vicious mistreatment, discrimination, and lack of equal opportunity in employment for centuries. Over the past 500 years, literally millions of indigenous peoples have had to cope with destruction of their life ways and habitats, disease, dispossession, and exploitation… Many indigenous groups have suffered from the depredations of governments, private companies, and individuals bent on taking their land and resources – forcibly or through quasilegal means such as treaties and agreements…Indigenous populations frequently have been denied the right to practice their own religions and customs and / or speak their own languages by nation-states, a process describes as “cultural genocide or “ethnocide”… The protection of indigenous peoples from genocide at the international level has generally been ineffective….The failure to prevent genocide of indigenous peoples is the result of a combination of factors, including government inaction, bureaucratic inefficiency and lack of enforcement of international human rights law, racism and outright greed.

R. MICHELSON GALLERIES

Fine Art Gallery, Art Restoration, & Picture Framing

Ami Fagin

Beyond Genocide

16 Native Populations of North America and Canada