Assignment 2: Aboriginal Case Studies (10%) This assignment relates to the following Course Learning Requirements: CLR 1 - Define diversity in Canada and discuss the historical, societal and political response to this diversity CLR 3 - Examine the triumphs and challenges experienced by Canada's indigenous peoples CLR 4 - Consider the views and perspectives of individuals and communities representing diverse groups Objective of this Assignment: Using the online materials, you will read, research and reflect upon 3 high profile Canadian human rights case studies involving Aboriginal peoples. In 1991, the Canadian government established a Royal Commission on Aboriginal People in Canada (RCAP) to review past government policies and recommend future ones. The resulting 1996 Report was five volumes in length, 4000 pages in size and contained 440 recommendations. Another important report, the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Inquiry specifically addressed issues related to how the justice system served Aboriginal people. Both Reports, along with critical reviews, are available on the web. Assignment #2 focuses on specific high profile cases involving Aboriginal people and the justice system. It will require you to do some research. Some of these cases occurred before the Royal Commission and, in fact, were part of the reason for establishing the Royal Commission and Manitoba Report in the first place. Other cases occurred after the Royal Commission Report was published which may indicate that the recommendations of the Report either have been ignored or are slow in being implemented. There have been several more recent shootings of young Aboriginal men in recent years which have raised concerns about excessive use of tasers and guns which you may also want to take a look at. The following case studies of six Aboriginal people are well documented. At least three of them have actually been made into movies (you may want to check them out!). They have also resulted in public controversy and recommendations for swift change in how the justice system treats people of Aboriginal background in Canada. You should research all of the six cases so that you will recognize them in future- including on your final exam! For this assignment pick any three of the following and answer the questions below for each. 1. Dudley George 2. J.J. Harper 3. Helen Betty Osborne 4. Donald Marshall Jr. 5. Frank Paul 1. Background: find out about the person a) Who is this person? b) Where did s/he live? c) Identify the Aboriginal group that s/he belonged to. (e.g.Cree, Mohawk) d) How old was s/he when the "incident" occurred? e) What were they doing with their life (job, school) at the time of the relevant "incident" 2 2. Details of the "incident" or interaction with the justice system: What happened? a) Describe what happened to the person b) When did this occur? c) What role did the police/justice system play? 3. Outcome or result of the "incident": What was the outcome of the incident? a) Were any charges laid? b) Was the Aboriginal community satisfied? c) Were any changes or recommendations made to either policing or the justice system as a result of the incident? d) Are there any ongoing activities as a follow up to the incident? Try to get the latest update especially with regard to the Neil Stonechild and Dudley George incidents as both had judicial inquiries with related reports long after their deaths. 4. Conclusion: As citizens and potential police officers you have a responsibility to be aware of societal problems and also to try to help address them. Write a conclusion at the end of this assignment. You only need one conclusion; don't do one for each case study. a) Share your reaction to these case studies b) Suggest how police and/or the justice system might be improved to better address some of the problems that were raised in these 4 case studies c) Add any other comments that you think are relevant to these case studie