by Experts
How does David McNab define "Colonial Office Indian policy"? Confidend the MicMac
to the reserve until they were ready for assimilation. It aimed at amalgamation, reduce the
number of reserves and increase the promote the mix of indian and white people through
education and miscegeneration. The policy involved the acquisition of indigenous lands, through
treaties or by force, aimed to assimilate indigenous peoples into European culture and society,
involved the establishment of administrative structures to control indigenous peoples. Despite its
exploitative nature, the policy also claimed to protect the rights and interests of indigenous
peoples.
What was the priority for administrators of the Indian Department in the 1840s and 1850s?
To decrease conflict between Indigenous and white people
What four alternatives were put forward to address the "native question" in 1841?
Extermination, slavery, insulation, and amalgamation. They ruled out extermination and
slavery and determined insulation and amalgamation to be practicable. Insulation led to the
alienation of native land and to economic dependence. Amalgamation was a long term policy to
remove partial or complete Indigenous culture and assimilate them.
, How did Merivale and the Indian Department respond to requests from bands in Rupert's Land to
enter into treaty negotiations in the 1850s? Native question different in Rupert's land due
to precents of Hudson Bay company
Alex K Isbister charged HBC for contributing to decline of Indian people. Merivale said HBC
very advantageous to the Indians, as if it ceased trade the competition rates would increase and
then it becomes worse for native people.
Isbister want self-government of Rupert's Land like non-Indians in eastern Northern America
colonies. Tt natives were still viewed as savages and not trustworthy. Replacing the HBC with a
crown colony was too expensive. Law, order and economy were more important than Native
problems.
British government never recognized territorial rights in area and advised do nothing as crown
would admit no right of property to land. James Douglas avoid conflict by signing 14 treaties
with Indian people of Vancouver Island.
What does Irene Spry mean by "the tragedy of the loss of the commons"? pressures by
the US military resulted in the virtual extinction of the buffalo on the prairies. Spry describes this
period as the loss of the commons: the loss of common lands that were managed by Native
bands, and a move "to open access resources, and finally common property
Transition in western Canada from common property resources to open access resources to
private property resources. Disappearance of commons in Prairies after 1870. Pressures of