Modernization and Its Impact on Aboriginal Economies
Modernization is a progressive transition involving social variables along cultural structures from traditional to the current modern society. The concept encompasses various developments such as advanced data technology incorporating various sectors such as transport, production, and communication. Further, Modernization resulted in the insights of industrialization technology which played a crucial role in the development of the division of labor (Volti, 161). These conditions had significantly contributed to the increased social exclusion, colonization, economic and political marginalization.
Positive Progression of Aboriginal Living Standards
Considering the historical overview of the Aboriginal economies, it is evident that modernization has greatly impacted to the positive progression of their living standards. Their traditional economic activities indicate that they were subsistence oriented and concentrated much in gathering, hunting, and fishing. Additionally, these activities played a crucial role in the establishment of organizational groups in their settlements along with the division of labor, along with the strengthening alliances while solving disputes.
The Disruption of Aboriginal Economies by Europeans
The presence of the Europeans, lead to the initial disruption of the Aboriginal traditional economic patterns through expansion of trade opportunities. The formalization of trade also contributed to the dependence on the external markets which exposed the communities the destructive cycles of boom an busts. Ever since the colonization of the Aboriginal communities, there has been an economic impact along with the evolutionary heritage of different communities. The current economic contributions of the Aboriginal people have become multifaceted and vary upon various factors such as the presence of industry, geographical location, regulatory restrictions on land and whether one lives on the reserves or not. The level of income and employment has also contributed significantly to the economic development of the Aboriginal people. According to federal framework for Aboriginal Economic Development report released by the Canadian government, these two actors have been used as the key indicators of the economic progress in Canada (9). Generally, the rate of employment for the Aboriginal people is much lower as compared to the overall Canadian population but much higher as compared to the Aboriginal people.
Economic Disparities and Constraints
In terms of income, the Aboriginal workers are considerably less than the non-Aboriginal population according to the 2006 census data. According to Lang, Prine, Pedersen, Trovato, the lowest median of income comes from the First Nation group with less than $17000, followed by the Metis who have an income of not more than $12,000 and lastly the Inuit group who have an average income of not more than &17, 000 (n.p). These instances provide a clear picture that shows most of the Aboriginal people lives in the rural and reserve areas which are disadvantaged by the monetary sources of income. Additionally, there are lots of constraints witnessed due to the lack of participation in the labor force by the majority of the Aboriginal communities. Most of them are believed to engage in activities that are yet to be recognized as part of an employment since they lack a stake in a labor market that may be considered formal. Additionally, more than 14% of the Aboriginal people were by 2010 recorded as those with temporal employment as compared to the non-Aboriginal people. Various factors such as crowded and inadequate housing, poor health, insufficient education, lack of transportation, and geographical isolation have substantially contributed to the insights of these economic disparities.
Distinct Economic Activities of Aboriginal Groups
The Aboriginal people have three distinct groups which include the Metis, First Nation, and the Inuit whose economic activities are span and diverse. According to the Aboriginal Economic Progress Report, the largest employer of these groups was the public administration, construction industries, retail and trade along with health care (36). The historical economic and social conditions of the Aboriginal, people contributed to their misrepresentation in various managerial positions. Modernization has led to the First Nation people to sign treaty agreements with the government in an attempt to protect their rights over sharing of lands, fishing, hunting and other natural resources. In addition, the First Nation people developed a plan that was implemented in 2005 aiming to bridge the gap between the quality of life that prevails between the other Canadians and the Aboriginal people. On the other hand, the Inuvialuit signed the first land claim treaty with the federal government in 1984, which has significantly impacted the to their control of land along with subsurface of their rights to harvest, gas, and mineral along with control of oil in their claim areas.
Government Support and Economic Development
Government support has played a crucial in the modernization of the Aboriginal social-economic and cultural activities. Despite their engagement in earnings through paid work, the Aboriginal people have significantly depended on the complex relationship that exists between them and the government Lang et. al. The Canadian government has enhanced the dislocation and dispossession of the Aboriginal communities who progressed economically along with being marginally vulnerable. Additionally, the Canadian Aboriginal Economic Development Strategy designed in 1989 resulted in the long-term business and employment opportunities for the Aboriginal communities. According to the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, it is evident that the Aboriginal enterprise is positively progressing (Lang et. al, n.p). The relocation and centralization approaches adopted by the government have impacted on the housing and the quality of life in these communities. Additionally, the level of poverty has declined considerably as almost every child in the Aboriginal community has the chance to complete the elementary school and a significant percentage reaching the college level.
Works Cited
Lang, Cody, et al. “Economic Conditions of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.” Historica Canada, 2015, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/aboriginal-people-economic-conditions
The National Aboriginal Economic Development Board. The Aboriginal Economic Progress Report 2015. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2104954-naedb-progress-report-june-2015.html
Volti, Rudi. Social and Technological Change. Worth Publishers, 2017.
