Residential Education In Canada Essay
“Thousands of Canada’s aboriginal children died in residential schools that failed to keep them safe from fires, protected from abusers, and healthy from deadly disease” (Kennedy). There were about 130 schools in every province and territory except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick with about 150,000 attendees, segregated by gender (CBC News). Residential schooling caused tension and intergenerational suffering among native communities in Canada. Events of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse support the tragedies in Canadian history as a form of cultural genocide (Hanson). The government still seeks retribution, latest led by Justin Trudeau, accepting Canada’s failure to aboriginals at being a self-proclaimed land of acceptance.
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Acts of forced attendance and conformity of native children in residential schools has caused loss of culture within future generations of aboriginal communities, stripping them of identity and integrity. During times of attendance of residential schools, children were affected physically and emotionally. Primary objectives of the system was to remove, isolate children from family and cultural influences, and to assimilate into dominant culture (Harper). This underfunded system alienated children from their families for extended periods of time, prohibiting acknowledgement of Aboriginal heritage, culture, or to speak mother tongues (Hanson). Aboriginal heritage and culture was seen as inferior and traditions as “the devils works”, thus children of the communities were victim to the Euro-Canadian system. Native children were forcibly taken from nurturing care of families as young as four years of age to remote institutes where they would soon be introduced to horrors of rape, malnutrition, beatings, confinement, and forced labour (Animikii). Aboriginal peoples were treated as savages, their identities’ demeaned. Soon, native culture would be affected negatively after attendance within the schooling system. The Canadian government and European churches running the system aimed to “kill the Indian in the child” (Harper). The objective was to integrate upcoming generations into Euro-Canadian culture. The children were subject to believing their old ways and people were immoral, causing confusion and mistrust of education among aboriginals. Many former residents began self-harm, alcohol, and drugs. Mistrust of education would also make it impossible for aboriginal communities to break the poverty cycle (Hanson). Large numbers of aboriginal children in foster care, disproportionate numbers of aboriginals in jail, and hundreds of missing and murdered aboriginal women can be traced back to residential schools (Puxley). Accordingly, native abusers themselves were product of the system (Treble, O’Hara). Thus, aboriginal peoples continue to be affected by the system. When many years of schooling ended at age sixteen (“IRSCP”), the suffering of aboriginal communities had just begun. “When students returned to reserves they often found they did not belong” (CBC News). The children were often ashamed of their native heritage, and no longer had the skills to help their parents and communities (CBC News). Although, many children did not get the opportunity to return home, and approximately 6000 children have died at the schools (Puxley). It is thought that there is not an exact mortality count because, “the government stopped recording deaths of children in residential schools, we think, probably because the rates were so high” (Sinclair). Generational loss of heritage results in lack of knowledge of traditions and culture preventing the communities from prospering. Without proper care in schools, many students lacked parenting skills or learned abusive behaviors from sinful supervisors. Often children were abused sexually and physically by their parents, creating an intergenerational cycle of abuse and hatred of their own people. Therefore, aboriginal people recovering from impacts of residential schools is unlikely.
Aboriginal children were destined to fates of death or dishonor.
Natives were a minority, giving Europeans the power needed to reinforce chauvinistic ideas. New-coming Europeans took everything from the natives, their land, resources, and children. Aboriginals had let the children go, assuming they would be kept in civil conditions and get the care needed (Treble, O’Hara). Aboriginal communities were unaware of the system’s disastrous goal of assimilation by stripping children of language and culture. They assumed the Europeans could not possibly take anything more from them, but they were wrong. At the institutes children would be subject to vigorous labor without much learning due to how underfunded the system was (“Moving Beyond-Impacts of Residential Schools”), unable to communicate in own tongues or practice traditions. “Survivors recall being beaten and strapped, some students were shackled to their beds; some had needles shoved in their tongues for speaking their native languages” (Miller). “Some schools did attempt to use positive reinforcement to encourage assimilation, but often children who did not conform were punished” (Rheault). No positive experiences were gained from such events. Therefore, the system was
unforgiveable. The Canadian Government and churches cannot be forgiven for the institutes. From the 1990’s onward, the government and churches involved have begun to recognize their responsibility for the horrors that took place in residential schools (Hanson). Former student cases have led to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class action settlement in Canadian history. The agreement sought to repair damages caused by the system with a $2-billion compensation package, establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with budget of $60-million over five years (TRC). Apologies mean little when one’s identity is taken from them so forcibly. Therefore, the Canadian government and churches involved are responsible for generational lost culture, language, and tradition that impact aboriginal communities presently. Consequently, the act of forced attendance and conformity of Native children in residential schools caused a loss of culture in future generations, stripping them of identity and integrity. Children were subject to mental, physical, and sexual abuse, resulting in social issues of future generations. The impact of the schooling system is still felt within aboriginal communities today and will continue to impact the communities for generations to come. Forgiveness is fleeting, there will always be tension between aboriginals and Euro-Canadians. Consequences of aboriginal schools has become a learning experience, hoped to never recur. It is now recognized that “this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country” (Harper).
Acts of forced attendance and conformity of native children in residential schools has caused loss of culture within future generations of aboriginal communities, stripping them of identity and integrity. During times of attendance of residential schools, children were affected physically and emotionally. Primary objectives of the system was to remove, isolate children from family and cultural influences, and to assimilate into dominant culture (Harper). This underfunded system alienated children from their families for extended periods of time, prohibiting acknowledgement of Aboriginal heritage, culture, or to speak mother tongues (Hanson). Aboriginal heritage and culture was seen as inferior and traditions as “the devils works”, thus children of the communities were victim to the Euro-Canadian system. Native children were forcibly taken from nurturing care of families as young as four years of age to remote institutes where they would soon be introduced to horrors of rape, malnutrition, beatings, confinement, and forced labour (Animikii). Aboriginal peoples were treated as savages, their identities’ demeaned. Soon, native culture would be affected negatively after attendance within the schooling system. The Canadian government and European churches running the system aimed to “kill the Indian in the child” (Harper). The objective was to integrate upcoming generations into Euro-Canadian culture. The children were subject to believing their old ways and people were immoral, causing confusion and mistrust of education among aboriginals. Many former residents began self-harm, alcohol, and drugs. Mistrust of education would also make it impossible for aboriginal communities to break the poverty cycle (Hanson). Large numbers of aboriginal children in foster care, disproportionate numbers of aboriginals in jail, and hundreds of missing and murdered aboriginal women can be traced back to residential schools (Puxley). Accordingly, native abusers themselves were product of the system (Treble, O’Hara). Thus, aboriginal peoples continue to be affected by the system. When many years of schooling ended at age sixteen (“IRSCP”), the suffering of aboriginal communities had just begun. “When students returned to reserves they often found they did not belong” (CBC News). The children were often ashamed of their native heritage, and no longer had the skills to help their parents and communities (CBC News). Although, many children did not get the opportunity to return home, and approximately 6000 children have died at the schools (Puxley). It is thought that there is not an exact mortality count because, “the government stopped recording deaths of children in residential schools, we think, probably because the rates were so high” (Sinclair). Generational loss of heritage results in lack of knowledge of traditions and culture preventing the communities from prospering. Without proper care in schools, many students lacked parenting skills or learned abusive behaviors from sinful supervisors. Often children were abused sexually and physically by their parents, creating an intergenerational cycle of abuse and hatred of their own people. Therefore, aboriginal people recovering from impacts of residential schools is unlikely.
Aboriginal children were destined to fates of death or dishonor.
Natives were a minority, giving Europeans the power needed to reinforce chauvinistic ideas. New-coming Europeans took everything from the natives, their land, resources, and children. Aboriginals had let the children go, assuming they would be kept in civil conditions and get the care needed (Treble, O’Hara). Aboriginal communities were unaware of the system’s disastrous goal of assimilation by stripping children of language and culture. They assumed the Europeans could not possibly take anything more from them, but they were wrong. At the institutes children would be subject to vigorous labor without much learning due to how underfunded the system was (“Moving Beyond-Impacts of Residential Schools”), unable to communicate in own tongues or practice traditions. “Survivors recall being beaten and strapped, some students were shackled to their beds; some had needles shoved in their tongues for speaking their native languages” (Miller). “Some schools did attempt to use positive reinforcement to encourage assimilation, but often children who did not conform were punished” (Rheault). No positive experiences were gained from such events. Therefore, the system was
unforgiveable. The Canadian Government and churches cannot be forgiven for the institutes. From the 1990’s onward, the government and churches involved have begun to recognize their responsibility for the horrors that took place in residential schools (Hanson). Former student cases have led to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class action settlement in Canadian history. The agreement sought to repair damages caused by the system with a $2-billion compensation package, establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission with budget of $60-million over five years (TRC). Apologies mean little when one’s identity is taken from them so forcibly. Therefore, the Canadian government and churches involved are responsible for generational lost culture, language, and tradition that impact aboriginal communities presently. Consequently, the act of forced attendance and conformity of Native children in residential schools caused a loss of culture in future generations, stripping them of identity and integrity. Children were subject to mental, physical, and sexual abuse, resulting in social issues of future generations. The impact of the schooling system is still felt within aboriginal communities today and will continue to impact the communities for generations to come. Forgiveness is fleeting, there will always be tension between aboriginals and Euro-Canadians. Consequences of aboriginal schools has become a learning experience, hoped to never recur. It is now recognized that “this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country” (Harper).