Final answer:
The act passed in 1857 to encourage the gradual civilization of the Indian tribes in Canada was the Gradual Civilization Act, intended to assimilate Indigenous peoples into the dominant culture, similar to the Indian Removal Act and the Dawes Act in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The act in question, passed in 1857 to encourage the gradual civilization of the Indian tribes in Canada, is known as the Gradual Civilization Act. This act was one of several throughout history that aimed to assimilate Indigenous peoples into European-Canadian or American culture. In the United States, the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced Native tribes east of the Mississippi River to relocate to lands in the west. Later legislation like the Dawes Act further eroded tribal sovereignties by dividing reservation lands into individual properties. Over time, policies shifted towards recognizing Native American rights and sovereignty, with acts such as the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934 and the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968.