The History of Violence Against Indigenous Peoples Fully Warrants the Use of the Word Genocide

Introduction

• The Canadian Historical Association (CHA) acknowledges that the history of violence and dispossession against Indigenous peoples in Canada justifies the use of the term "genocide."
• Recent discoveries of unmarked graves at former Indian Residential Schools are part of a history of erasure.

Definition of Genocide

• Coined by Raphael Lemkin; refers to the destruction of a nation/ethnic group.
• Recognized as a crime by the UN in 1946 and formalized in the 1948 Genocide Convention.
• Consists of acts like killing, causing harm, inflicting destructive living conditions, preventing births, and forcibly transferring children.

Historical Context

• Genocidal intent has been established through historical scholarship and policy maker statements.
• Settler governments aimed to eliminate Indigenous peoples culturally and physically.
• Historical scholarship indicates these policies had a significant impact, especially on Indigenous women and children.

Colonial and Settler Policies

• Shift from resource extraction colonialism to settler colonialism.
• The 1876 Indian Act aimed to legitimize land seizure and control Indigenous peoples.
• Residential schools, operational until 1996, were part of this framework.
• Many past systems continue to disadvantage Indigenous peoples.

Modern Implications

• Current systems and stereotypes continue to harm Indigenous communities.
• Reports like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls document ongoing violence.
• Recent inquiries highlight systemic racism, e.g., in healthcare.

Acknowledgment and Action

• Recognition of the historical and present benefit of settler Canadians from these policies.
• Importance of actions in defining future communities and historical research.
• Calls for historians and society to acknowledge past and present impacts and break the cycle of violence.

Conclusion

• CHA encourages Canadians to recognize this history as genocide.
• Explicit approval by CHA Council with contributions from Indigenous and settler experts.

Contact Information

• For further inquiries, contact Dr. Daniel Sims at [email protected].

Additional Resources

• Steven High's response to media outlets available here.