NCJ Number
65194
Journal
CRIME ET/AND JUSTICE Volume: 7/8 Issue: 1 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (1979/1980) Pages: 3-47
Editor(s)
Y DANDURAND
Date Published
1980
Length
45 pages
Annotation
THIS SPECIAL ISSUE OF CRIME ET/AND JUSTICE EXAMINES ASPECTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CANADA'S NATIVE INDIAN MINORITY AND THE COUNTRY'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
Abstract
AN OVERVIEW CHARACTERIZES THIS RELATIONSHIP AS ONE OF 'BENIGN NEGLECT,' REVIEWS THE RELATIONSHIP HISTORICALLY, CRITIZES THE ABSENCE OF ANY EFFORTS TO EXPLAIN NATIVE CRIMINALITY WITHIN A COHERENT THEORETICAL NETWORK, CONSIDERS THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEMS FACING THE INDIAN POPULATION AND OFFICIAL POLICYMAKERS, AND EVALUATES PLANS FOR AND PRACTICES OF INTEGRATING NATIVE SELF-HELP EFFORTS WITH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. AN ARTICLE IN FRENCH FOCUSES ON THE INDIAN COMMUNITY AT FORT GEORGES AND THE DISSOLUTION OF NATIVE CULTURE BROUGHT ABOUT BY A HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT DEVELOPED IN THE AREA. THIS STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE TRADITIONAL MEANS OF SOCIAL CONTROL WERE ERODED UNDER THE DOMINANT PRESSURES OF THE EURO-CANADIAN CULTURE, RESULTING IN ALMOST TOTAL ALIENATION OF THE NATIVES FROM THE VALUES OF EITHER CULTURAL SPHERE. A THIRD ESSAY STUDIES NATIVE CRIME AS A SYMPTOM OF THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL ANOMIE; PROVIDES A GENERAL STATISTICAL OVERVIEW OF NATIVE CONDITIONS; INVESTIGATES PRINCIPAL SOCIAL PROBLEMS, HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS, AND ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES RELATED TO CLASHES BETWEEN WHITE AND NATIVE VALUES WHICH MAKE INTEGRATION DIFFICULT; AND OFFERS SUGGESTIONS FOR RESOLUTION OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. FINALLY, THE PROBLEMS OF POLICING MINORITIES ARE REVIEWED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. CULTURE CONFLICT AND PREJUDICIAL ATTITUDES OF THE DOMINANT-CULTURE POLICE ARE OUTLINED AND SOLUTIONS INVOLVING A POLICE FORCE CULTURALLY SIMILAR TO THE PEOPLE BEING POLICED ARE PROPOSED. FOOTNOTES, REFERENCES, AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES ARE INCLUDED. --IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH. (MRK)