What Are The Effects Of Uniformity In Canada
Canada considers itself a cultural mosaic, home to a multitude of ethnicities and cultures that harmoniously co-exists within the society. However, the First Nations have been mistreated and taken advantage of for years. Feelings of dismay spread throughout the community because of the the intrusion of residential schools. The indigenous children were targets of forceful assimilation, isolating them away from their culture and traditions. As a result, the future generations will be unable to fully experience the First Nations culture due to the considerable loss of traditions and languages. This notion will be analyzed through the impact of the schools, the influence on the community and the effects of uniformity.
The integration of residential …show more content…
schools upon the indigenous children was an idea originally conceived by the Canadian government and the Christian churches. The First Nations people were portrayed as savages, requiring guidance towards proper civilization. The purpose of these schools were to educate, but also, contained the underlying motive to influence the children away from their First Nations roots. According to Stephen Harper, the school system was a method to “remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture” (Harper). This portrays the mentality of the government at that time, bearing the beliefs that the Aboriginal culture is unnecessary and insignificant. With a culture so inferior to their own, it spewed the idea of abolishing it altogether by attempting to forcefully convert the children. It is clear that the intention was to completely eradicate the culture, traditions and language. In the schools, the idea of expressing Aboriginal culture was outright banned. There were severe sanctions in place to deter the children from displaying traditional behaviour outside the school regime. For example, students were “strictly forbidden to speak their languages [..] or to practice Aboriginal customs or traditions” (Indigenous Foundations), which depicts how oppressive the school functioned. In turn, these children were classically conditioned to avoid their culture with the fear of punishment, resulting in the weakening of their ties with the customs they grew up with. By going years without participating in their cultural traditions, the children slowly assimilate into Canadian culture while also losing their self-identity. In addition, the school’s environment was poor in quality, with unhealthy living conditions and frequent, widespread abuse. It would be impossible to acquire a proper education in this scenario as the majority of the time spent was doing manual labor. Even with time in class, the school provided a inadequate education where the teachers were not professionally trained. Furthermore, the students were fed “inadequate quantities of inferior food, denied necessary medical care, and [..] abused emotionally, physically and sexually” (Miller). The long term abuse created lasting effects upon the mentality and health of the children. This includes substance addiction, criminal activity, suicide and a variety of health problems. With that being said, “at least 3,200 indigenous children died in the overcrowded residential schools” (Residential Schools), according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. These circumstances illustrate how the school was a complete failure. The indigenous children were mistreated and scarcely given a proper education. Thus, a majority of the children will grow up with the pain and misery remaining in their lives. Once they reintegrate into their community, the children will feel alienated, surrounded by a culture that they grew up without.
After years of being forced to behave, speak and think like European Canadians, these children returned to their family as young adults and quickly realized their detachment from the community.
The connection they shared with the culture has either been damaged or severed completely. Also, the attachment towards the languages and traditions is weakened as the child did not practice those customs during their upbringing. It is a bewildering situation where the bulk of one’s life is spent involuntarily repressing their own culture, then, returning to it several years later. Having to cope with differences present within themselves compared to their family and community can be overbearing, coupled with the feeling of isolation as well. As a result, the children develop the inability to associate with their respective tribes, as they no longer share the same ideals because of how they were raised. However, the children were not the only ones affected by the assimilation. The parents had to cope with the trauma as they “were forced to send their children to the schools, [while dealing] with the devastating effects of separation and total lack of input in the care and welfare of their children” (Manitoba Trauma). Knowing your children are being mistreated without the ability to prevent it puts an emotional strain on the parents. Likewise, they are shrouded in the feelings of hopelessness as they are compelled to give up their children to the schools. As the effects of the trauma are past down through the generations, those who did not experience the schooling still share the burden. The anguish and unstable family systems are still present, in addition to the lack of traditional teachings, language and culture. The children grew up without the knowledge of parental love which, as a result, led to “not [knowing] how to love or nurture their own children” (Joseph). The suffering and abuse the children undertook led to inability to care for others. This cycle of
mistreatment is an outcome of the violation within residential schools forced onto the community. Simultaneously, this leads to domestic violence within the homes, the mistreatment of future children and family members. To further reinforce the idea of continual suffering, it is shown that “effects of the residential school system are indeed intergenerational, with children of attendees demonstrating poorer health status than children of non-attendees” (Public Health). It is the notion that the trauma will become an issue for the future offspring leading to a greater family disconnect. There may be an inability to re-establish the culture due to the lack of experience with the First Nations culture and the alteration of the mind. The children were raised on the belief that being indigenous was wrong. Therefore, by being taught to avoid the traditions the students will be unable to pass down the customs to future generations. It is difficult to reiterate customs to the descendents of the family when it had such a minor relevance in the everyday lives of the children. This dissociation to the culture stems from the attempt of segregation forced upon the students.
Uniformity in certain aspects can be seen as good, such as in a job setting or on a sports team. Whereas, when it comes to culture that is not the case. The goal of assimilation is to educate and reform; to civilize outsiders and make them accept the beliefs and values of the dominant culture. In other words, the victim is enticed to sacrifice their own self-identity, stripping them of the differences they exhibit, to match everyone else. Regarding the First Nations, the Canadian government was determined to “kill the Indian in the child” (Indigenous Foundations), which exemplifies the methodology of cultural conformity by erasing the differences in culture. The plan to completely immerse the indigenous children in the Canadian culture was a mistake, causing vast, irreversible harm within the communities. In Canada today, the populations show a significant variety of ethnicities and culture. Concepts such as, Koreatown or Chinatown, only exist due to the cultural differences present in society. Furthermore, the diversity is beneficial as people are able to learn and experience ideas outside of what they are used to. If everyone was forced to assimilate, there would be no mixture or variety today. While it may be good to have some sense of uniformity, fully converting cultures would repress the ability for Canada to flourish without incorporating what other ethnicities have to offer. Despite the treatment the First Nations received, the government realized their delusion with assimilation and now Canada is a melting pot of different cultures.
Having read the above essay, it is evident that the residential schools imposed on First Nations children led to cultural losses through the influence of the government, the negative impact towards the community and the forceful segregation of the indigenous children. This is exemplified through the trauma the children received, feelings of alienation from their own community and the government’s attempt to assimilate the children. The objective to dominate the Aboriginal culture was a grave mistake that the government regrets. However, the Canadian government today is attempting to reconcile and amend their errors with those affected, while also recuperating their relationship with the First Nations.
The integration of residential …show more content…
schools upon the indigenous children was an idea originally conceived by the Canadian government and the Christian churches. The First Nations people were portrayed as savages, requiring guidance towards proper civilization. The purpose of these schools were to educate, but also, contained the underlying motive to influence the children away from their First Nations roots. According to Stephen Harper, the school system was a method to “remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture” (Harper). This portrays the mentality of the government at that time, bearing the beliefs that the Aboriginal culture is unnecessary and insignificant. With a culture so inferior to their own, it spewed the idea of abolishing it altogether by attempting to forcefully convert the children. It is clear that the intention was to completely eradicate the culture, traditions and language. In the schools, the idea of expressing Aboriginal culture was outright banned. There were severe sanctions in place to deter the children from displaying traditional behaviour outside the school regime. For example, students were “strictly forbidden to speak their languages [..] or to practice Aboriginal customs or traditions” (Indigenous Foundations), which depicts how oppressive the school functioned. In turn, these children were classically conditioned to avoid their culture with the fear of punishment, resulting in the weakening of their ties with the customs they grew up with. By going years without participating in their cultural traditions, the children slowly assimilate into Canadian culture while also losing their self-identity. In addition, the school’s environment was poor in quality, with unhealthy living conditions and frequent, widespread abuse. It would be impossible to acquire a proper education in this scenario as the majority of the time spent was doing manual labor. Even with time in class, the school provided a inadequate education where the teachers were not professionally trained. Furthermore, the students were fed “inadequate quantities of inferior food, denied necessary medical care, and [..] abused emotionally, physically and sexually” (Miller). The long term abuse created lasting effects upon the mentality and health of the children. This includes substance addiction, criminal activity, suicide and a variety of health problems. With that being said, “at least 3,200 indigenous children died in the overcrowded residential schools” (Residential Schools), according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. These circumstances illustrate how the school was a complete failure. The indigenous children were mistreated and scarcely given a proper education. Thus, a majority of the children will grow up with the pain and misery remaining in their lives. Once they reintegrate into their community, the children will feel alienated, surrounded by a culture that they grew up without.
After years of being forced to behave, speak and think like European Canadians, these children returned to their family as young adults and quickly realized their detachment from the community.
The connection they shared with the culture has either been damaged or severed completely. Also, the attachment towards the languages and traditions is weakened as the child did not practice those customs during their upbringing. It is a bewildering situation where the bulk of one’s life is spent involuntarily repressing their own culture, then, returning to it several years later. Having to cope with differences present within themselves compared to their family and community can be overbearing, coupled with the feeling of isolation as well. As a result, the children develop the inability to associate with their respective tribes, as they no longer share the same ideals because of how they were raised. However, the children were not the only ones affected by the assimilation. The parents had to cope with the trauma as they “were forced to send their children to the schools, [while dealing] with the devastating effects of separation and total lack of input in the care and welfare of their children” (Manitoba Trauma). Knowing your children are being mistreated without the ability to prevent it puts an emotional strain on the parents. Likewise, they are shrouded in the feelings of hopelessness as they are compelled to give up their children to the schools. As the effects of the trauma are past down through the generations, those who did not experience the schooling still share the burden. The anguish and unstable family systems are still present, in addition to the lack of traditional teachings, language and culture. The children grew up without the knowledge of parental love which, as a result, led to “not [knowing] how to love or nurture their own children” (Joseph). The suffering and abuse the children undertook led to inability to care for others. This cycle of
mistreatment is an outcome of the violation within residential schools forced onto the community. Simultaneously, this leads to domestic violence within the homes, the mistreatment of future children and family members. To further reinforce the idea of continual suffering, it is shown that “effects of the residential school system are indeed intergenerational, with children of attendees demonstrating poorer health status than children of non-attendees” (Public Health). It is the notion that the trauma will become an issue for the future offspring leading to a greater family disconnect. There may be an inability to re-establish the culture due to the lack of experience with the First Nations culture and the alteration of the mind. The children were raised on the belief that being indigenous was wrong. Therefore, by being taught to avoid the traditions the students will be unable to pass down the customs to future generations. It is difficult to reiterate customs to the descendents of the family when it had such a minor relevance in the everyday lives of the children. This dissociation to the culture stems from the attempt of segregation forced upon the students.
Uniformity in certain aspects can be seen as good, such as in a job setting or on a sports team. Whereas, when it comes to culture that is not the case. The goal of assimilation is to educate and reform; to civilize outsiders and make them accept the beliefs and values of the dominant culture. In other words, the victim is enticed to sacrifice their own self-identity, stripping them of the differences they exhibit, to match everyone else. Regarding the First Nations, the Canadian government was determined to “kill the Indian in the child” (Indigenous Foundations), which exemplifies the methodology of cultural conformity by erasing the differences in culture. The plan to completely immerse the indigenous children in the Canadian culture was a mistake, causing vast, irreversible harm within the communities. In Canada today, the populations show a significant variety of ethnicities and culture. Concepts such as, Koreatown or Chinatown, only exist due to the cultural differences present in society. Furthermore, the diversity is beneficial as people are able to learn and experience ideas outside of what they are used to. If everyone was forced to assimilate, there would be no mixture or variety today. While it may be good to have some sense of uniformity, fully converting cultures would repress the ability for Canada to flourish without incorporating what other ethnicities have to offer. Despite the treatment the First Nations received, the government realized their delusion with assimilation and now Canada is a melting pot of different cultures.
Having read the above essay, it is evident that the residential schools imposed on First Nations children led to cultural losses through the influence of the government, the negative impact towards the community and the forceful segregation of the indigenous children. This is exemplified through the trauma the children received, feelings of alienation from their own community and the government’s attempt to assimilate the children. The objective to dominate the Aboriginal culture was a grave mistake that the government regrets. However, the Canadian government today is attempting to reconcile and amend their errors with those affected, while also recuperating their relationship with the First Nations.