I need to understand the historical context of Indigenous governance in Canada. Can you explain the traditional forms of Indigenous governance before European contact, and then describe how the Indian Act specifically impacted these traditional governance structures? Please use the menu navigation to find this information.
Navigate to 'https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/'. Navigate to the 'Government Policy' section using the left-hand menu. Click on the 'Indian Act' link within the 'Government Policy' section. Extract information describing how the Indian Act historically impacted Indigenous governance and cultural practices, specifically focusing on its effect on traditional governance structures. Navigate to the 'Community & Politics' section using the left-hand menu. Click on the 'Traditional Governance' link within the 'Community & Politics' section. Extract information about traditional forms of Indigenous governance before European contact. Synthesize the gathered information to explain traditional governance and how the Indian Act impacted it.
The agent successfully navigates to the 'Indian Act' page via the left-hand menu. The agent extracts that the Indian Act imposed a foreign system of governance (band councils) and undermined traditional forms of self-governance. The agent successfully navigates to the 'Traditional Governance' page via the left-hand menu. The agent extracts information about pre-contact traditional governance, such as diverse, complex, and often consensus-based systems, including hereditary chiefs, councils of elders, and clan systems. The agent's synthesized answer clearly explains both traditional Indigenous governance and the specific impact of the Indian Act on these structures.