Centennial College Research Report
17W College Communications 2
(Sec. 106)
Discrimination Against Native Canadians
Historically, Aboriginals were colonized and mistreated by the Europeans since the 1700s (Behrendt, L). Since then, Native Canadians still face discrimination daily, allowing inequalities within the community to occur. These factors consist of stereotyping, prejudice, and injustice, which significantly affect the Aboriginal group. This can lead to social problems, adding to a more Canadian crisis.
To begin, stereotyping is a form of discrimination within the Aboriginal community. It starts with classism, where Aboriginals are socioeconomically grouped into higher, middle, and lower classes. Those from lower socioeconomic and radicalized backgrounds face more conflict with specific barriers of discrimination than those who are not (Tang et al., 2015). This demonstrates that Aboriginals are looked down upon as minorities by other races due to social and economic factors. This also includes structural institutions, such as hospitals where healthcare professionals could easily discriminate against Aboriginals based on their clothing, lack of communication, and living conditions—initiating assumptions such as wanting easier drug access and exclusion of inequality barriers between other patients who are appropriately dressed and employed. In the study by Tang, they talk about discussions with healthcare providers, who admit to criticizing patience's who were of Aboriginal origin. In conclusion, stereotyping is one of the main factors of discrimination that Aboriginals face within their communities.
Next is a prejudice which is the making of an act or judgment against an individual, or in this case, a group of people, that the information is not based on any reason or experience. Native Canadians are constantly being portrayed through media with both false and negative information. Without analyzing the data, media viewers are more likely to agree with what is being shown (Ensemble). Rather than taking the time to research facts, the audience of media makes assumptions leaving more room for negativity to grow. Ignorance towards the Aboriginal groups makes it harder for them to gain equal rights within the community. With Canadians constantly criticizing Aboriginal cultures, Aboriginals and prejudice will continuously come across the conflict. Overall, prejudice is another factor that Aboriginals deal with daily; whether through media or in person, prejudice will continually be a fac...
