Summary Of Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese
John A. MacDonald, Canada’s very first prime minister, communicated his vision for indigenous policy, stating, “The great aim of our legislation has been to do away with the tribal system and assimilate the Indian people in all respects with the other inhabitants of the Dominion as speedily as they are fit to change.” These words said by MacDonald in 1887 enforced the Indian Act among indigenous lives, forcing indigenous children to be sent to schools that would attempt to erase their cultural beliefs. These schools of torture were called residential schools and have traumatized many indigenous people’s lives. Richard Wagamese’s book Indian Horse explores the themes of cultural identity and assimilation through the application of residential
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Saul emphasizes that everybody should stay together during a miserable time like this and listen to Naomi’s stories, which allow whoever is hearing the stories to feel a cultural connection to the land and offer consolation as an escape from the harsh realities in their lives. This tragic loss for Saul will change him forever, as following this loss his parents will be less active in his life. Also, while Saul attends St. Jerome's Residential School, he falls victim to abuse, whether it is witnessing it on another student or himself. From Saul’s point of view, an innocent child is being abused by Sister Ignatia: “The nun yanked him to his feet as though he were a rag toy and struck him repeatedly behind the knees” (Wagamese 41). This unkind action of physical abuse is a result of Lonnie Rabbit getting beaten up by Sister Ignatia because he refuses to change his name to Aaron Rabbit due to Lonnie not being a biblical name. Lonnie tries to express that the name has a fundamental meaning to him, as this is his father’s name that he
Saul emphasizes that everybody should stay together during a miserable time like this and listen to Naomi’s stories, which allow whoever is hearing the stories to feel a cultural connection to the land and offer consolation as an escape from the harsh realities in their lives. This tragic loss for Saul will change him forever, as following this loss his parents will be less active in his life. Also, while Saul attends St. Jerome's Residential School, he falls victim to abuse, whether it is witnessing it on another student or himself. From Saul’s point of view, an innocent child is being abused by Sister Ignatia: “The nun yanked him to his feet as though he were a rag toy and struck him repeatedly behind the knees” (Wagamese 41). This unkind action of physical abuse is a result of Lonnie Rabbit getting beaten up by Sister Ignatia because he refuses to change his name to Aaron Rabbit due to Lonnie not being a biblical name. Lonnie tries to express that the name has a fundamental meaning to him, as this is his father’s name that he