Residential Schools

In 1931 there were about 80 residential schools operating in Canada (News, CBC). Over the years that residential schools were in session, there were many traumatic events that caused mental, emotional, and physical damage to not only the individuals who attended, but also their families. While residential schools are in the past, there are still many long term effects including crime, parental abuse and substance abuse that harm the Aboriginal population to this day.
Firstly, the atrocity of substance abuse comes into play. There are countless explanations for survivors of residential schools to become addicted to drugs or alcohol; the most prominent factor to this effect is the amount of pain that Indigenous individuals were suffering with
First and foremost, Aboriginal people lost family or friends due to the abuse, or due to their attempts to run away from the schools. A parent losing a child is considered one of the most traumatic experiences a person could ever undergo. In fact, it is tremendously difficult for any person to lose someone they are close to. It feels unbearable; it feels as if a stimulant is needed to take the pain away. Secondly, survivors have vivid memories and flashbacks of the outrageous years they had, which also activates the need for a substance to numb the pain. Furthermore, survivors feel like they have no purpose in life due to being treated like savages throughout their childhoods. It is believed that a majority of the individuals with substance addiction turns to these substances because they feel as if they have nothing; they feel discouraged. Another critical long-term effect is parental abuse, which is considered a factor of intergenerational trauma. Stressful events from residential schools have both immediate and long-term effects on many things: the well-being of
We see many crimes committed by First Nations people, and as elder Noel Starblanket, a residential school survivor, once said something to the like of: “We must remember when we see a crime committed by a First Nations person that he or she may be acting out from how things have been in the past” (Starblanket, Noel). Aboriginal people who attended residential schools are still immensely affected by the horrendous treatment they received, and some survivors even demand revenge to this day. Elder Noel Starblanket also included that he wanted to take revenge after he was finally set free from residential schools, but did not end up doing it. Aboriginal people commit 40% of Canadian crimes while non-aboriginal people are only responsible for 28% (Gouvernement du Canada). Most crimes that are seen on social media are murder, robberies, and assault; most of these crimes are committed by Aboriginal people. A recent crime committed by two Indigenous females was the murder of another Indigenous female, and it was recorded on Facebook Live. They beat her to death, for no good reason. The reason these females committed this crime was because it was believed they are dealing with drug and/or alcohol addictions. A reporter spoke on this traumatic event, and said “After seeing what I saw on the video, you know what? There’s nobody in their right mind [that] would