Canada is home to 11 Indigenous language families with over 60 unique dialects spoken, all of which are considered to be critically endangered. According to the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Aboriginal language families in Canada “are among the most endangered in the world” (as cited in “Language and culture”).
In Canada, the establishment of residential schools began in the 1870s to “Christianize and civilize” Aboriginal children (Canada, Indigenous and Northern Affairs, 2014; Partridge, 2010, p. 46). There were over 130 residential schools present, and more than 150,000 Aboriginal children forced into these government-funded, church-run schools ("Residential Schools"). In his journal article, …show more content…
Many Aboriginal children were left with no proficiency in any language, including their native language, due to poor teaching (Barnes, Josefowitz, & Cole, 2006). In 1930, 3 per cent of Aboriginal children had gone beyond grade 6, compared to 33 per cent of the general Canadian school population. By the 1940s, it was evident that residential school systems were failing (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012).
There were many immediate impacts on Indigenous children caused by residential schools. Crowded and poorly ventilated buildings, inadequate cleanliness, limited access to clean water, and intense stress were the catalysts for a number of health problems and even death. It is apparent from the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic that took the lives of 4000 Aboriginal Peoples that healthcare was unimportant (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, …show more content…
Stealing became a problem when many children learned that the residential school staff were often fed higher-quality meals. Since residential schools were meant to be self-supporting, the older boys spent most days farming. The boys were often uneducated on successful farming and were too young to farm properly. Due to this, the children were served small portions of food that was frequently rotten, and were often punished for not eating it (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012).
Many Aboriginal Peoples continue to carry the burden residential schools put on themselves and their ancestors. Long-term impacts caused by physical, sexual, and emotional abuse include aggression and violent behaviour, which has the opportunity to become a multigenerational issue. Furthermore, abuse can cause a higher probability of criminal behaviour, higher rates of substance abuse, and psychological problems such as low self-worth, depression, anxiety, dissociation, and psychosis (Bowlus, McKenna, Day, & Wright,
In Canada, the establishment of residential schools began in the 1870s to “Christianize and civilize” Aboriginal children (Canada, Indigenous and Northern Affairs, 2014; Partridge, 2010, p. 46). There were over 130 residential schools present, and more than 150,000 Aboriginal children forced into these government-funded, church-run schools ("Residential Schools"). In his journal article, …show more content…
Many Aboriginal children were left with no proficiency in any language, including their native language, due to poor teaching (Barnes, Josefowitz, & Cole, 2006). In 1930, 3 per cent of Aboriginal children had gone beyond grade 6, compared to 33 per cent of the general Canadian school population. By the 1940s, it was evident that residential school systems were failing (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012).
There were many immediate impacts on Indigenous children caused by residential schools. Crowded and poorly ventilated buildings, inadequate cleanliness, limited access to clean water, and intense stress were the catalysts for a number of health problems and even death. It is apparent from the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic that took the lives of 4000 Aboriginal Peoples that healthcare was unimportant (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, …show more content…
Stealing became a problem when many children learned that the residential school staff were often fed higher-quality meals. Since residential schools were meant to be self-supporting, the older boys spent most days farming. The boys were often uneducated on successful farming and were too young to farm properly. Due to this, the children were served small portions of food that was frequently rotten, and were often punished for not eating it (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2012).
Many Aboriginal Peoples continue to carry the burden residential schools put on themselves and their ancestors. Long-term impacts caused by physical, sexual, and emotional abuse include aggression and violent behaviour, which has the opportunity to become a multigenerational issue. Furthermore, abuse can cause a higher probability of criminal behaviour, higher rates of substance abuse, and psychological problems such as low self-worth, depression, anxiety, dissociation, and psychosis (Bowlus, McKenna, Day, & Wright,