Seeking Alternatives to Bill C-31: From Cultural Trauma to Cultural Revitalization Through Customary Law

Publisher's Abstract:

"The authors examine the implications of discourse of paternity policies that arise from the current Indian Act. Working with women of three matrilineal First Nations, they explore the emotional, cultural and psychological impact of this policy and the second generation cutoff. Following participatory action research practices, they direct their attention to questions arising within the research process. Specifically, they seek to locate the issues raised by research participants in a national comparative context with respect to the impact of the Indian Act on other matrilineal First Nations. More broadly, they offer an overview of the impact of patriarchal colonialism on Indigenous and minority women of matrilineal societies in Asia and Africa. They choose these international comparisons for two reasons. A rich judicial record is found for Africa, which makes comparisons particularly useful with respect to reconciliation of customary law and statutes of the nation state. Second, considerable documentation exists of women’s national and international resistance to patriarchal colonialism and studies of current erosion of matrilineal traditions as a result of global economic dynamic." https://www.deslibris.ca/ID/206071

See Also: Bill C-31: A Study of Cultural Trauma