UBC Undergraduate Research

Redefining Canadian Aboriginal culture from within MacKay, Ben

Abstract

This essay attempts to use the community capital framework (CCF) to highlight the marginalization of First Nation communities in Canada and explore methods to move towards sustainable development by improving total community capital. The First Nations of Canada were deprived of their community capital in an attempt to extinguish their way of life throughout history. Assimilation was the goal, but the economic, social, cultural and political domination imposed on aboriginal communities had detrimental effects, some of which still exist today. Community forestry is a possible strategy to develop and rebuild these communities and allow aboriginal culture to redefine itself. Taking steps to provide First Nation communities with secure, long term access to environmental resources and a greater degree of autonomy can ultimately result in the preservation of a way of life by allowing these communities to define their future from within.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International