Examples Of Colonialism In Canada

Theme

Colonialism

In this book, the author described the impact of colonialism in Canada at different times. In the 19th century, Indigenous people signed multiple unfair acts with white people. For example, in 1876, the Canadian government passed the Indian Act. It was through the apartheid system of The Act that Indigenous people had to live in the reserve land established by white people. Not only that, but the colonists also thought that the Indigenous people were savages, and they were backward, superstitious and ignorant. They disrespected and prohibited as well as destroyed the culture, politics, language and religion of Indigenous people and intended to assimilate Indigenous people. They also created residential schools to "save" Indigenous

"37,951" shows the number of students who were violent, beaten and raped, and "$2.69 billion" shows the seriousness of the cases. However, the reality was worse because the students failed to unite in resistance. In addition to the physical, sexual and psychological abuse of students by teachers and staff, older children bullied younger children. They abused innocent people and it created a vicious cycle. Residential schools were hell for young and sickly Indigenous children, and they tried their best to escape from it. This was also one of the factors leading to the death of Chanie Wenjack in the second chapter of the book. The author hated and used Chanie's example to critique those who bully the weak, harm others, and even cause the death of others. In addition, this bad situation has continued to the present. In the story about Curran, it is clear to see that violence still happens among Indigenous students, and the strong kids always bully the weaker

More than 130 Indian residential schools operated in Canada from the 1870s to the 1990s. The system forcibly separated children from their families for extended periods and prohibited them from acknowledging their Indigenous heritage and culture or speaking their language. School staff often used punishment methods such as solitary confinement, whipping, fasting, and slapping. The Government of Canada sought to educate and transform Indigenous youth and integrate them into Canadian society. However, the coercive, brutal and violent ways in which schools disrupted lives and communities created long-term problems for Indigenous peoples. According to statistics, more than 150,000 Indian, Inuit, and Metis children attended Indian residential schools, and approximately 60,000 children died in residential schools. The last residential school closed in 1996 due to the death toll and institutional dislocation. Today's Indigenous people, including "seven fallen feathers" are descendants of Canadian residential school