Colonialism and the Process of Defining Aboriginal People

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Vermette, D'Arcy

• It is not uncommon for Aboriginal law students to experience discomfort in studying the law. The discomfort is not unique to legal studies, but the law provides a venue where the effects of the imposition of colonial norms are starkly revealed. In law school the author had to confront how Canadian law has attempted to Aboriginal identity, at first through legislation and then through the courts. While the locus and style of controlling Aboriginal identity has changed over time, the practice of controlling Aboriginal identity is ever present. This process of dehumanizes individuals and peoples and continues into the present. This examines the ways in which colonial law and legal process attempt to define Aboriginal identity.

• Date created

  2008

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Colonialism--Laws, regulations and rules
  • Canadian Law
  • Psychology/Sociology
  • Canadian native peoples--Laws, regulations and rules
  • Humanities and the Law

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3280588R

• License

  © 2008 D'Arcy Vermette. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.