Abstract
This chapter provides a broad perspective on the experiences of Indigenous fathers within the Canadian context, illustrating growing recognition among investigators of the need to examine diversity as well as commonalities among different populations of fathers. The chapter describes lasting impacts of colonial policies, ongoing social exclusion and economic disempowerment, and personal factors that create persisting challenges for Indigenous boys and men to successfully navigate the transition to fatherhood. Indigenous fathers’ experiences resonated with other groups of fathers who seek to “turn around” negative multigenerational patterns in their own lives but also in society as a whole. The findings suggest five key areas for strategic actions to: balance overwhelming negative media about fathers’ roles with positive media; address the mother-centric nature of many child and family support programs; increase paternity identification on children’s birth, health, school, and child welfare records; implement policies to improve overall living conditions of populations of men living on the margins; and recognize that established patterns of family relations take time and require patience on the parts of those who wish to support positive change.
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Notes
- 1.
The terms Indigenous and Aboriginal are used almost synonymously in Canada to refer to the population of peoples who identify themselves as descendents of original habitants of the land now called Canada. Some prefer the term Indigenous because it connects to a global advocacy movement of Indigenous peoples who use this term, most notably the Maori in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The colonial government in Canada coined the term “Aboriginal” in the 1800s as a catch-all label, and some people refrain from using this term because of its colonial derivation.
- 2.
The roles of Canadian legislation and policy in contributing to social exclusion of Aboriginal individuals and groups have been extensively documented (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1996; Salée 2006). Chief among colonial government intrusions into Indigenous community and family life was the Indian Residential School movement that required Indian and Métis parents to place their children in a government-sponsored school from an early age and throughout their formative years. Most children were transported to schools hundreds of kilometers from their families and many never returned. They were forced to give up their birth names and their mother tongue. A large number were subjected to physical and sexual abuse. As many as one-quarter of all children housed in these schools died as a result of illness, abuse, or poor nutrition (Fournier and Crey 1997; Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1996).
- 3.
For more information on the work of the Indigenous fathers’ project and for links to publications, presentations, and resources, visit http://www.ecdip.org/fathers.
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Acknowledgments
This chapter draws upon findings of a research study conducted by the author as part of the Fathers Involvement Research Alliance, and funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Community-University Research Alliances program (File No. 833-2003-1002) as well as by the British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development through the Human Early Learning Partnership. The author thanks the five community partners and 80 fathers who participated in the research reported here, and the Aboriginal project team, including Candice Manahan, Ron Tsaskiy George, and Leroy Joe.
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Ball, J. (2013). Indigenous Fathers in Canada. In: Pattnaik, J. (eds) Father Involvement in Young Children’s Lives. Educating the Young Child, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5155-2_12
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