Nature’s Past – Episode 8: Aboriginal People and Resource Conflicts in Canada

The history of the resettlement of Canada by European peoples and the dispossession of Aboriginal people from their land was, in part, a struggle over natural resources. Since 1867, the federal and provincial governments of Canada have on many occasions come into conflict with different First Nations over the control of land and access to natural resources.

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Nature’s Past Episode 08 – click to play | right click, ‘save as’ to download

The history of the resettlement of Canada by European peoples and the dispossession of Aboriginal people from their land was, in part, a struggle over natural resources. Since 1867, the federal and provincial governments of Canada have on many occasions come into conflict with different First Nations over the control of land and access to natural resources. This episode of Nature’s Past looks at a historical case study of one such conflict in northeastern Ontario in the Temagami region.

Jocelyn Thorpe, a SSHRC postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of History at the University of British Columbia, speaks about her recent article in the Journal of the Canadian Historical Association, which examines the social construction of the Temagami region as a wilderness area and its implications for the Teme-Augama Anishnabi.

Also, we speak with Dorothee Schreiber and Siomonn Pulla, organizers of the 14th annual International Wanapitei Aboriginal History and Politics Colloquium. The colloquium will be held from September 17-20 and you can download the most recent Call for Papers here.

Please be sure to take a moment and review this podcast on our iTunes page.

Works Cited:

  • Thorpe, Jocelyn. ‘To Visit and to Cut Down: Tourism, Forestry, and the Social Construction of Nature in Twentieth-Century Northeastern Ontario’ Journal of the Canadian Historical Association 19 (1) 2008: 331-357.
  • Sean Kheraj, Canadian History & Environment

Music Credits:

Other Contributor(s): 
  • Jocelyn Thorpe
  • Dorothee Schreiber
  • Siomonn Pulla
Citation: 

Kheraj, Sean. “Episode 8: Aboriginal People and Resource Conflicts in Canada.” Nature’s Past. 14 July 2009.

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Sean Kheraj

Associate Professor at York University, Department of History
Sean Kheraj is the director of the Network in Canadian History and Environment. He's an associate professor in the Department of History and associate dean of programs in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at York University. His research and teaching focuses on environmental and Canadian history. He is also the host and producer of Nature's Past, NiCHE's audio podcast series and he blogs at http://seankheraj.com.

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