Philosophy Of The Residential School System
Parshant Jindal
T00539563
Dr. Yaying Zhang
ENGL1100-17
The Residential School System: Philosophy
From the ancient times, various societies try to exercise control over the others in order to demonstrate power and strength. Making people learn others language, religions and beliefs has often been a way to control large racial groups in an effective way. In the article, “The Residential School System,” Murray Sinclair and A.C. Hamilton sheds light on different attitudes and philosophical ideas of Aboriginal and European people. This led to the formation of a superior stereotypical view of the European culture by the European powers. The writers discuss the conflicts between the federal government and the Aboriginal society, and how the government …show more content…
took help of missionaries and residential schools, to keep Natives away from their own heritage. This helped government shape native Indians from what they called a savaged culture to a civilized one. Also, writers gave a glance of how physical and psychological punishments were given to the students who did not abide the rules and regulations of the school. Furthermore, they revealed the consequences an individual faces by attending a residential school. However, they did not discussed in detail the role of Federal Government in the creation of Residential Schools. In this research paper, I will argue the philosophical idea of the Federal Government in exercising control over aboriginal society in Canada. and which policies were followed in order to implement those ideas.
Residential school was the concept brought in 1880’s and was later made mandatory to every Indian child in year 1920 under the Indian Act. This was based on the ideology brought by Richard Pratt, founder of Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the United States, preached as “you must kill the Indian in him, to save the man”
Federal government’s philosophy behind the opening of the residential schools was not to educate Aboriginal children but their aim was to keep children away from their parents and disconnecting their link from the cultural traditions that they used to follow. The target of the Residential Schools was not the adult population but was young native children because they were easier to manipulate and control. It can very well be said that Residential School was the way to eliminate native culture and tradition, and assimilating them into dominant society. The objective of Federal Government in words of Duncan Campbell Scott is: “Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department, that is the whole object of this bill.”
The level of education that was taught to aboriginal native children in Residential schools was totally different from what was taught to the general population in the public school system.
The students at Residential schools were provided with inferior education. Most of them were taught to do manual labour which includes working in agriculture, industries such as woodworks and other domestic work such as laundry, sewing, cooking, dishwashing, etc. Most of the students at Residential Schools were not able to complete high level of education because of the quality of education because many attended school only part-time and worked for the school rest of the time.
Teachings focused primarily on practical skills. Girls were primed for domestic service and taught to do laundry, sew, cook, and clean. Boys were taught carpentry, tinsmithing, and farming. Many students attended class part-time and worked for the school the rest of the time: girls did the housekeeping; boys, general maintenance and agriculture. This work, which was involuntary and unpaid, was presented as practical training for the students. With little time to spend in classes, most students has only reached grade five by the time they were …show more content…
18.
Discrimination was done within the schools with native Indian children as they were not given adequate food. Moreover, same quality of food was not given to the children as was provided to teachers and fathers in schools and churches. Aboriginal Indian school children were not covered in basic medical facilities and were supposed to work in farms and kitchens etc. The Residential Schools were not adequately funded by the Federal Government which was affecting the basic requirement such as building repair, equipment, light, water, fuel, food and clothing for the students. Diseases like influenza, scarlet fever, small pox and mumps spread through the Residential Schools which were easily preventable through sanitary working environment and medical staff.
A government medical inspector P.H.
Bryce reported that 24 percent of previously healthy Aboriginal children across Canada were dying in residential schools. This figure does not include children who died at home, where they were frequently sent when critically ill.
Also, the educational residential schools were administered by sacred religion oriented churches that paid more emphasis on changing cultures rather than educating them. The teaching revolved around the brainwashing of native children by emphasizing the advantages of white culture and the evils of First Nation based on isolation, primitive language and culture.
The historical evidence states that the condition acknowledged by residential school children strengthens the argument that the Residential school system initiated by the Federal Government was not aimed at educating aboriginal children but its goal was to remove and isolate children from their parents, tradition and culture, and assimilate them into dominant white culture. However, ever after the closure of the last residential school in year 1986, effects can still be seen in the life of residential school survivors and also in their successors. Many Aboriginal children feel that they belong neither to the Aboriginal nor to dominant white culture. My further study will be directed towards the life time effect and situations faced by the residential school survivors. Also, the next study will also include the damage done to the language, culture and tradition
of the aboriginal society in Canada by Federal Government in a long run. On the other hand, despite all the damage done to the aboriginal culture, various Indian organizations and communities are working on bringing back the tradition and cultural of aboriginal society in Canada. While, it is a slow recovering process, and has a long way ahead.
T00539563
Dr. Yaying Zhang
ENGL1100-17
The Residential School System: Philosophy
From the ancient times, various societies try to exercise control over the others in order to demonstrate power and strength. Making people learn others language, religions and beliefs has often been a way to control large racial groups in an effective way. In the article, “The Residential School System,” Murray Sinclair and A.C. Hamilton sheds light on different attitudes and philosophical ideas of Aboriginal and European people. This led to the formation of a superior stereotypical view of the European culture by the European powers. The writers discuss the conflicts between the federal government and the Aboriginal society, and how the government …show more content…
took help of missionaries and residential schools, to keep Natives away from their own heritage. This helped government shape native Indians from what they called a savaged culture to a civilized one. Also, writers gave a glance of how physical and psychological punishments were given to the students who did not abide the rules and regulations of the school. Furthermore, they revealed the consequences an individual faces by attending a residential school. However, they did not discussed in detail the role of Federal Government in the creation of Residential Schools. In this research paper, I will argue the philosophical idea of the Federal Government in exercising control over aboriginal society in Canada. and which policies were followed in order to implement those ideas.
Residential school was the concept brought in 1880’s and was later made mandatory to every Indian child in year 1920 under the Indian Act. This was based on the ideology brought by Richard Pratt, founder of Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the United States, preached as “you must kill the Indian in him, to save the man”
Federal government’s philosophy behind the opening of the residential schools was not to educate Aboriginal children but their aim was to keep children away from their parents and disconnecting their link from the cultural traditions that they used to follow. The target of the Residential Schools was not the adult population but was young native children because they were easier to manipulate and control. It can very well be said that Residential School was the way to eliminate native culture and tradition, and assimilating them into dominant society. The objective of Federal Government in words of Duncan Campbell Scott is: “Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department, that is the whole object of this bill.”
The level of education that was taught to aboriginal native children in Residential schools was totally different from what was taught to the general population in the public school system.
The students at Residential schools were provided with inferior education. Most of them were taught to do manual labour which includes working in agriculture, industries such as woodworks and other domestic work such as laundry, sewing, cooking, dishwashing, etc. Most of the students at Residential Schools were not able to complete high level of education because of the quality of education because many attended school only part-time and worked for the school rest of the time.
Teachings focused primarily on practical skills. Girls were primed for domestic service and taught to do laundry, sew, cook, and clean. Boys were taught carpentry, tinsmithing, and farming. Many students attended class part-time and worked for the school the rest of the time: girls did the housekeeping; boys, general maintenance and agriculture. This work, which was involuntary and unpaid, was presented as practical training for the students. With little time to spend in classes, most students has only reached grade five by the time they were …show more content…
18.
Discrimination was done within the schools with native Indian children as they were not given adequate food. Moreover, same quality of food was not given to the children as was provided to teachers and fathers in schools and churches. Aboriginal Indian school children were not covered in basic medical facilities and were supposed to work in farms and kitchens etc. The Residential Schools were not adequately funded by the Federal Government which was affecting the basic requirement such as building repair, equipment, light, water, fuel, food and clothing for the students. Diseases like influenza, scarlet fever, small pox and mumps spread through the Residential Schools which were easily preventable through sanitary working environment and medical staff.
A government medical inspector P.H.
Bryce reported that 24 percent of previously healthy Aboriginal children across Canada were dying in residential schools. This figure does not include children who died at home, where they were frequently sent when critically ill.
Also, the educational residential schools were administered by sacred religion oriented churches that paid more emphasis on changing cultures rather than educating them. The teaching revolved around the brainwashing of native children by emphasizing the advantages of white culture and the evils of First Nation based on isolation, primitive language and culture.
The historical evidence states that the condition acknowledged by residential school children strengthens the argument that the Residential school system initiated by the Federal Government was not aimed at educating aboriginal children but its goal was to remove and isolate children from their parents, tradition and culture, and assimilate them into dominant white culture. However, ever after the closure of the last residential school in year 1986, effects can still be seen in the life of residential school survivors and also in their successors. Many Aboriginal children feel that they belong neither to the Aboriginal nor to dominant white culture. My further study will be directed towards the life time effect and situations faced by the residential school survivors. Also, the next study will also include the damage done to the language, culture and tradition
of the aboriginal society in Canada by Federal Government in a long run. On the other hand, despite all the damage done to the aboriginal culture, various Indian organizations and communities are working on bringing back the tradition and cultural of aboriginal society in Canada. While, it is a slow recovering process, and has a long way ahead.