Monchalin Chapter Four Reading Reflection
In chapter four of The Colonial Problem: An Indigenous Perspective on Crime and Injustice in Canada, Monchalin addresses the presence of colonialism in the past as well as its presence today. Monchalin describes how various doctrines such as the Doctrine of Discovery were created as a means of establishing settler dominance over Indigenous communities. Multiple individuals, including Tomas Hobbs and John Locke developed theories that worked to justify the colonization of Indigenous persons. By framing Indigenous persons as “nasty” and “brutish” Hobbes reveals that they are in need of guidance from Europeans to become civilized (Monchalin 66). Contrary to Hobbes, Locke states that they are “joyful” …show more content…
Although these ideologies of justifying colonization are that of the past, they are still manifested in present day society. The media and laws help perpetuate modern day colonialism by reinforcing negative stereotypes of Indigenous persons. Monchalin states that this can be stopped by educating and acknowledging the past. This information is important to us as a country as it allows us to see what occurred in the past which thereby allows us to prevent it from reoccurring in the future. In order to do this though, we need to recognize that not only has this injustice occurred in the past, but that it is still occurring today. In order to change this, steps need to be taken to replace the rhetoric used and action taken in laws and in the media. A prime example of this in the law, is when Monchalin states that the government allocates less monetary funds to first nation communities (75). If the government does not take steps to treat Indigenous communities or Indigenous persons as equal to …show more content…
A clear example of this was the music group No Doubt’s Looking Hot music video. In this video, the band sexualizes Aboriginal women and their culture by having the female singer dress in what resembles traditional Aboriginal attire and then being put in risqué situations. Many individuals style their lives around what they see in pop culture this can be see with fads such as fidget spinners and with individuals changing their look to match celebrities like the Kardashians. That being said, when these negative opinions and stereotypes about Indigenous peoples are portrayed in pop culture, it increases the chances that individuals will adopt these ideas and stereotypes without trying to educate themselves on the facts. This is a problem as more and more generations will adopt these ideologies which will not assist us in taking steps towards reconciliation. Knowing that the rhetoric and ideas presented in laws, media and pop culture contribute to the ideologies we develop, should be used in a positive way. If we use these means as a way of educating individuals on the past and present struggles that Indigenous persons are faced with, perhaps steps can be taken towards reconciliation. We can express and achieve respect towards Indigenous persons and communities by acknowledging the past and understanding the present
In chapter four of The Colonial Problem: An Indigenous Perspective on Crime and Injustice in Canada, Monchalin addresses the presence of colonialism in the past as well as its presence today. Monchalin describes how various doctrines such as the Doctrine of Discovery were created as a means of establishing settler dominance over Indigenous communities. Multiple individuals, including Tomas Hobbs and John Locke developed theories that worked to justify the colonization of Indigenous persons. By framing Indigenous persons as “nasty” and “brutish” Hobbes reveals that they are in need of guidance from Europeans to become civilized (Monchalin 66). Contrary to Hobbes, Locke states that they are “joyful” …show more content…
Although these ideologies of justifying colonization are that of the past, they are still manifested in present day society. The media and laws help perpetuate modern day colonialism by reinforcing negative stereotypes of Indigenous persons. Monchalin states that this can be stopped by educating and acknowledging the past. This information is important to us as a country as it allows us to see what occurred in the past which thereby allows us to prevent it from reoccurring in the future. In order to do this though, we need to recognize that not only has this injustice occurred in the past, but that it is still occurring today. In order to change this, steps need to be taken to replace the rhetoric used and action taken in laws and in the media. A prime example of this in the law, is when Monchalin states that the government allocates less monetary funds to first nation communities (75). If the government does not take steps to treat Indigenous communities or Indigenous persons as equal to …show more content…
A clear example of this was the music group No Doubt’s Looking Hot music video. In this video, the band sexualizes Aboriginal women and their culture by having the female singer dress in what resembles traditional Aboriginal attire and then being put in risqué situations. Many individuals style their lives around what they see in pop culture this can be see with fads such as fidget spinners and with individuals changing their look to match celebrities like the Kardashians. That being said, when these negative opinions and stereotypes about Indigenous peoples are portrayed in pop culture, it increases the chances that individuals will adopt these ideas and stereotypes without trying to educate themselves on the facts. This is a problem as more and more generations will adopt these ideologies which will not assist us in taking steps towards reconciliation. Knowing that the rhetoric and ideas presented in laws, media and pop culture contribute to the ideologies we develop, should be used in a positive way. If we use these means as a way of educating individuals on the past and present struggles that Indigenous persons are faced with, perhaps steps can be taken towards reconciliation. We can express and achieve respect towards Indigenous persons and communities by acknowledging the past and understanding the present