Reverberations of the Historic Culture Clash Between Incoming European Nations and Resident First Nations Continue to Linger

Abstract

This paper will argue that the root cause for many contemporary misunderstandings between Canada's First Nations and dominant society originated at the time of First Contact with incoming Europeans-French and English. Subsequent government inaction and lack of concern on the part of the public have allowed these misunderstandings to prevail. The result is that Canada's Aboriginal peoples have fallen behind and continued to experience a lower socioeconomic standard of living. A summary and analysis of what Aboriginal leaders and writers are saying about the injustices their people have suffered is discussed. These writers offer hope to rectify the situation through education.