The late 1800s to 1980s approximately 150,000 First Nations children in Canada were placed in residential schools. Canada failed in the treatment of indigenous children in residential because of vital child labour, isolation of children’s cultures, and severe physical abusement. To begin with, Canada failed in the treatment of indigenous children in residential schools due to the vital child labour. The residential schools were lacking on money and students’ labour became vital, boys would be “trained in farming and basic crafts. Girls received instruction in domestic skills…In addition students were assigned chores”(Stolen Lives, 139). Parents sent their children to residential schools in hopes of getting them well-educated for them to be …show more content…
Therefore, Canada failed in the treatment of indigenous children in residential schools due to the vital child labour. Furthermore, Canada failed in the treatment of indigenous children in residential schools because of the isolation of children’s cultures and identity. The residential school system had the objective to isolate children from the influence of their culture and traditions, in classes they would discuss “Indian and white life, the evils of Indian isolation” (Stolen Lives, 135) Teaching children that their cultures and spiritual beliefs are inferior and unequal is intolerable, every culture has their own beliefs that they are righteous for, no culture is more prominent than another. Young children adapt information quite rapidly, developing hatred in their minds for other cultures is unacceptable as they are losing their identity that has been passed on by their ancestors for centuries. In the movie We Were Children Lyna questions a girl as to why she washes her hands quite often and in response, she states that she is not white enough and that if you are dark it means you are …show more content…
The school was embedding such thoughts into their young minds creating hatred for their culture and identity. Therefore, Canada failed in the treatment of indigenous children in residential schools because of the isolation of children’s cultures and identity. Lastly, Canada failed in the treatment of indigenous children in residential schools because of the severe physical abusement student’s received. Students were often punished on a daily basis at the school, the punishments were brutal as they would abuse by “withholding of meals, and washing the child’s mouth with soap. In extreme cases…electrical shocks or pushed needles into their tongues”(Stolen Lives, 138). In the residential schools, students were abused because the objective was to intimidate and dominate the children. Abusement went as far as sexual abuse, students would get raped by the church and school officials, and this was a massive crime being as they were sexually abusing a
The atrocities that the children of residential schools had to endure is not something that can be ignored, just as the lessons these children learned, like shame, humiliation, hate, compassion, and forgiveness cannot be overlooked (Borrows 486-7). Borrows raises an important point, which is that the children of the Residential schools, who survived, grew up to eventually become elders (487). Although there are some who feel Residential schools had positive impacts, the high suicide rates in Indigenous communities cannot be
This paper will review the first five chapters in J.R. Miller’s book Shingwauk’s Vision: A History of Native Residential Schools. These chapters examine the events that took place before residential schools were made, as well as looking into the historical context of Canada during this time period. The first chapter of the book explains the way in which indigenous communities educated their children before contact by the European settlers. The educational systems from these indigenous communities were much different than the European educational systems, in the sense of a formal, rigid, institution.
The perception was that Native American adults had a limited ability to learn new skills and concepts. Later in the report, it is expressed that children learn little at day school, causing their “tastes to be fashioned at home, and [their] inherited aversion to toil is in no way combated. ”11 Davin recommended that similar industrial boarding schools should be built in Canada, which would attempt to assimilate Native children into the European culture.12 Nicholas Flood Davin’s research and advances about the industrial schools in America, was important in the creation and developing of the Residential school system in
No longer allowing Aboriginal language had virtual made speaking the native language extinct. Genocide in the past has been trying to kill of people of a certain culture. In this situation, the residential school are trying to kill the culture not so much the
Canada is one of the countries that had residential schools which ran from the 17th century until the late 1990s (Government of Canada). Due to how the Europeans interpreted the lifestyle and culture of Native people, they discriminated against them, and wanted to assimilate them into being more, “white.” Children were forced to leave their homes against their will, then placed into residential schools where they were assaulted mentally, emotionally, physically, and sexually. They had no choice but to obey the inhumane rules of the schools. They were completely stripped from their culture and language.
These schools gave traumatic experiences to the Aboriginal youths and haunted them for the rest of their life. the government pursued the schooling to first nations to make them “economically self-sufficient” with its underlying scheme(Miller) the government secretly lied to them and planned on lessening Aboriginal dependency on the public purse (funds raised by the government) Eve Cardinal, a former student of a residential school, still has traumatic memories that even 45 years later, Eva still cries about (Boguski) “Students were punished for just about everything,” -Eve Cardinal (Boguski) getting out of bed at night, wetting the bed, speaking their native language, etc. some students were forced to hold down their peers on a table as the nun beats her (the peer being held down) with a strap “I want to get rid of the Indian problem. I do not think as a matter of fact, that the country ought to continuously protect a class of people who are able to stand alone…
The power dynamic between these groups led to the suffering of Indigenous People, demonstrated in the novel Five Little Indians by Michelle Good. The residential schools then further reinforced the Canadian government's assimilationist policies. By forcing Indigenous People to conform to "normal'' European society, resulted in unrepairable damage between the two
The question of whether the government protected the collective rights of Aboriginal peoples in its creation of the Indian Act and the Resident school system has sparked many debates. While some people may feel that Canadians did the right thing creating the Residential School system, we strongly believe that the Indian Act didn’t protect any rights. In fact, the act violated many rights we value today. They abused the First Nations by taking away their right to vote, forcing them to give up their legal identities and treaty rights, not consulting the First Nations on agreements that concerned them and by introducing the Residential School system.. Firstly, until 1960 the First Nations had to give up their legal identities and treaty rights
Hi, I’m Leah, and I will be discussing the News Magazine Education Week Video on Residential schools from 1955. This video, which claims to accurately inform the viewer on the subject of Aboriginal Residential schools, is nothing more than a propaganda video aimed at an audience of white, suburban Canadians to validate their racism. The video claims that residential schools have a positive impact on the aboriginal children who attend them.
Residential schools are a shameful part of Canadian history and have had negative long-term effects on Indigenous Canadians. This investigation will be focusing on the long term socio-economic effects on the Indigenous population of Canada that are evident even today, such as substance abuse, the relationship between the criminal justice system and Indigenous people and communities and finally the financial situations and living conditions of people on reserves. An estimated 150,000 Indigenous children attended residential school. The schools were run by Christian missionaries, primarily Roman Catholics and Anglicans.
We Were Children, the documentary on residential schools, is a re-enactment of two aboriginal children and their first hand experiences in the residential school system. The kinds of problems this documentary presented include mistreatment faced by the children who attended these schools, corruption and scandal inside the administration of the schools, and the false perception about these schools that resonated amongst Canadian society. These two children talk about the bullying they had to endure from the nuns which show that the children were not seen as equal to a child of non-Aboriginal decent. Furthermore, the types of abuse administration would put these kids through was immensely disturbing considering this was a state run institution.
Imagine being ripped apart from family members, culture, tradition, and labelled a savage that needs to be educated. Imagine constantly facing punishment at school for being one’s self. Unfortunately, these events were faced head on for many First Nations people living in Canada in the late 20th century. These First Nations people were the victims of an extensive school system set up by the government to eradicate Aboriginal culture across Canada and to assimilate them into what was considered a mainstream society.
The TRC’s “The History” author appeals to logos through the use quantitative findings. The use of logical evidence from the collection of testimonials made by former residential school students is an effective way to aid the persuasion of a reader. Throughout “The History”, the author describes the memories of known First Nations peoples Frederic Ernest Koe, Marlene Kayseas, Lily Bruce and many others. In addition, the author quotes Vitaline Elsie Jenner’s use of ‘kaya nakasin’ (TRC, 2015, p.38) in describing her experience with residential school. The author’s example that contains the use native language reaffirms his credibility and detailed knowledge of the
Critical Summary #3: First Nations Perspectives In Chapter eight of Byron Williston’s Environmental Ethics for Canadians First Nation’s perspectives are explored. The case study titled “Language, Land and the Residential Schools” begins by speaking of a public apology from former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He apologizes for the treatment of “Indians” in “Indian Residential Schools”. He highlights the initial agenda of these schools as he says that the “school system [was] to remove and isolate [Aboriginal] children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them[…]” (Williston 244).
Residential Schools was an enormous lengthening event in our history. Residential schools were to assimilate and integrate white people’s viewpoints and values to First Nations children. The schools were ran by white nuns and white priests to get rid of the “inner Indian” in the children. In residential schools, the children suffered immensely from physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse. Although the many tragedies, language was a huge loss by the First Nations children.