Native Studies 10

Bias, Stereotyping, and Racism

Unit 1 Handout 3

Learning Goal:  I can identify bias, stereotyping, and racism, explain the harm they cause, and replace inaccurate information with accurate information.

Ignorance-based thinking happens when people form judgments about others without accurate information. It causes real harm to individuals and communities. Understanding the specific forms it takes is the first step toward changing it.

Key Terms

Bias: A preference or tendency to favour one group, idea, or outcome over another, often without realizing it.

Stereotype: A fixed, oversimplified idea about a group of people that ignores individual differences and complexity.

Prejudice: A judgment formed about a person or group before getting accurate information, usually based on fear or negative assumptions.

Discrimination: Acting on prejudice by treating people unfairly because of who they are or what group they belong to.

Racism: The belief that one racial group is superior to another, combined with the power to act on that belief in ways that harm others.

How Stereotypes Harm Indigenous People

Stereotypes about Indigenous people have appeared in textbooks, films, news media, and everyday conversation for generations. These images flatten the enormous diversity among First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples and erase the real complexity of their lives and histories.

Stereotypes cause harm in concrete ways. A student who sees only negative images of their people may begin to believe them. A hiring manager who holds unconscious bias may not consider an Indigenous applicant fairly. A health worker who stereotypes a patient may miss what that person actually needs.

Replacing Stereotypes with Accurate Information

The antidote to a stereotype is a specific, accurate fact. If a stereotype says Indigenous people do not work, accurate information shows that Indigenous entrepreneurship, art, governance, and education are thriving across Canada. If a stereotype says Indigenous cultures belong to the past, accurate information shows that Indigenous peoples are writing, governing, and building communities in the present.

Critical Thinking Tip

When you encounter information about Indigenous people, ask: Who made this? What is their purpose? What is left out? Whose voice is missing?

References

1.    Henry, F., & Tator, C. (2006). The Colour of Democracy: Racism in Canadian Society (3rd ed.). Nelson Education.

2.    Monture-Angus, P. (1995). Thunder in My Soul: A Mohawk Woman Speaks. Fernwood Publishing.

3.    Regan, P. (2010). Unsettling the Settler Within: Indian Residential Schools, Truth Telling, and Reconciliation in Canada. UBC Press.

4.    Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Calls to Action. TRC.

5.    Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. (2021). Understanding Discrimination. Government of Saskatchewan.