Abstract
‘Dispossessions’ covers the exploitation of Indigenous Canadians who saw the treaties they signed as land-sharing agreements while the European settlers interpreted them as selling the land outright. Groups with no treaties, like the European-Indigenous Metis, were particularly vulnerable. Residential schools for Indigenous children provided opportunities, but also played a part in cultural genocide. The Indian Act, an attempt to solve the problem on the government’s terms, dictated who could identify as Indian. Some communities and individuals have succeeded in reclaiming their land, rights, and histories, but life is still challenging for many Indigenous or First Nations people.
