Quote:
Originally Posted by opendoor
What if those people don't want to be assimilated?
And that's ultimately the issue. Assimilation of First Nations in Canada is effectively a utopian vision that has little basis in reality. The government spent well over a century attempting to assimilate them and destroy their culture and it never happened. Any proposed solution has to deal with that reality, as well as the reality of their constitutionally protected rights.
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More than half of aboriginals in Canada now live in cities, so I would say that many are willingly undergoing integration and there are probably many others that would welcome the opportunity but the reserve system impedes them.
Integration is probably the only way they can ensure their cultural survival well into the future. Isolation is literally killing them by making them destitute and depressed. Not to mention creating genetic bottle necks in some communities.
The truth is, cultures constantly change and adapt to the changing world. People who don't adapt will see their culture become extinct.