Write a three-paragraph response to the above question.  Your first paragraph should focus on the main arguments from one point of view, the second on arguments from the other and your final paragraph stating your position on the issue.

The government: The crisis in Oka Québec was a wake-up call to the government and people of Canada. The Aboriginal peoples were prepared to fight for their rights. One year after the Oka Crisis, the federal government started a study of the issues that had affected the Aboriginal people. The Royal Commission went around the country for five years to gather information and talked to Canadians. The report showed that there needed to be a better relationship between the Aboriginal peoples and the government. Also the economic gap and improve social conditions for the Aboriginal peoples.

Aboriginals: The Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Phil Fontaine, talked about how he suffered at a residential school. Others also came out and talked about their stories. Prime Minister Stephen Harper read an official apology to Aboriginal people in the House of Commons. The Aboriginal people needed a better relationship with the government and non-aboriginal people.

I think the report the government was good because they learned how the Aboriginal people felt. They found out “One in 4 first nations children live in poverty compared to 1 in 6 Canadian children”, and a few more facts. This report also noted that Canada was one of the two countries that voted against the UN Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal People.