Contact Colonization
Transcript of Contact Colonization
Contact
&
Colonization
On the eve of contact Aboriginal societies were flourishing
They depended on nature for survival
They had invented new technologies
They had diverse, complex societies
There were 7 major cultural regions in Canada:
Woodlands (Hunters & Farmers) / Plateau / Interior Plains /
Northern Subarctic / Pacific Coast / Arctic
Aboriginal Peoples had
adapted to their specific
environment
What they all had in common was their close
relationship with the environment.
Their food, shelter, technologies, and weapons
all reflected their environment.
Their forms of government
reflected their groups as well:
• Smaller, nomadic tribes had
egalitarian governments
which reflected the interests
of the group over the
individual
• Larger, sedentary tribes had
more centralized authority
The arrival of Europeans disrupted the
delicate balance of the Aboriginals
lives.
At the beginning, both sides benefited from
each other.
It is important to
remember that contact
didn’t occur
overnight…it was over
a 200 year period.
On the eve of contact, European societies
were vying for supremacy in Europe.
Most of their trade was with Asia, but it was becoming
more difficult.
o Expanding Islamic empires restricted travel over
their territory
o Travel to Asia was exceedingly far and costly
o A new route to Asia needed to be found
• During this time the Roman Catholic
Church greatly influenced values and
laws.
• The Reformation was a movement that
questioned Catholic practices and
eventually led to the formation of the
Protestant denominations.
The remaining
catholic nations
such as France,
Portugal, and Spain
launched the
counter-reformation
to spread the
values of the
Catholic Church.
The European nations practiced
colonialism whereby they exploited the
resources of the lands they conquered to
create wealth in their homeland
• Spices
• Silks
• Furs
• Timber
• Fish
• Food
• People
In the late 1500’s, Portugal,
Spain, and the Netherlands
were the imperial powers.
In the 1600’s, England and
France emerged as
dominant powers.
When Christopher
Columbus arrived
in the Caribbean
in 1492 he
thought that he’d
arrived in India
and had found
the precious
Western route to
the Orient.
News of Columbus’ discovery led to a wave of
European explorers crossing the Atlantic.
John Cabot sailed around land that he
called “New Found Land” and made a
discovery that would impact the entire
continent…
…a seemingly endless supply of cod fish.
Meat was prohibited to be eaten in Catholic society
153 days a year so fish was a true prize.
The arrival of the
fishing fleets
signalled the
beginning of European/Aboriginal
trade.
The fur trade also flourished and
competition for the best trade
routes developed between the
French and English.
The impact of contact
on Aboriginal Peoples
was profound.
European technologies
that they used such as
guns, knives, and
kettles changed the
ways in which they
performed traditional
tasks.
The fur trade intensified long-standing
hostilities among First Nations societies
The depletion of land and animal resources
hampered Aboriginal ways of life.
European infectious diseases such as smallpox,
measles, and a variety of flu strains decimated
Aboriginal populations
The introduction of alcohol also had
devastating effects
Contact led Aboriginal Peoples from a
lifestyle of independence to one of
interdependence and dependence.
The impact of contact on European
society was more positive:
o New foods were being served on European
tables such as potatoes, corn, tomatoes,
and beans
o Immense wealth was achieved through the
exploitation of resources and from
cheap/free labour
o A worldwide economic revolution took
place after the discovery of the Americas
o Contact transformed Europe into capitalist
societies and economic powers.
Worldview: Read and Respond
AND
National Geographic: America before Columbus