In the play, God and the Indian, written by Drew Hayden Taylor, race privileges plays a significant role in impacting the lives of the Indigenous peoples’ who were forced to attend Residential schools. The impact that the Indigenous children received from attending Residential schools are very unfair and heartbreaking. The “native” children are forced to attend the school without their consent and have been treated horribly in the schools. The white students, were not given the same treatment as the Indigenous kids did. They were not forced upon their likings, but for the other students who are not of the dominant colour, were harassed. Indigenous students have plenty of experiences when it comes to physical and emotional abuse from the residential
…show more content…
One of the many privileges George has received is being promoted to become an assistant bishop. In the play, one learns that no matter what horrible crimes George commits to the girls and boys of the residential school, it was not enough to put him in jail. He has seen the corruption of the school, the abuse, the poor living conditions and the food they fed to the children whom they would never feed to dogs, but did not tell anyone about it, instead he ran away from the school. (Taylor 28) This shows how being a white man gives enough privileges from the start. George, being white, has the privilege of escaping anytime from the residential school even though he has done shameful things. This has impacted Johnny a lot because she has been a victim of George, but even after years and years, he is still living a normal life like he has done nothing wrong. In the play, one can see how Johnny tries to fight hard to get George to say the truth but he keeps denying it because he is guilty and does not want to admit he has done wrong. George explains that he would not do those kinds of horrible things because God is watching him and that he is a man of God (Taylor 32). This takes a toll on Johnny because she know George has done evil things but does not admit to it and he is living his life wonderfully with a family of his own. The author portrays how very unfair it is to be Indigenous in a country where the superior race is the white people. From this, race privileges becomes an important factor in shaping Johnny’s life because she does not get the same privileges as George, who is
One of the many privileges George has received is being promoted to become an assistant bishop. In the play, one learns that no matter what horrible crimes George commits to the girls and boys of the residential school, it was not enough to put him in jail. He has seen the corruption of the school, the abuse, the poor living conditions and the food they fed to the children whom they would never feed to dogs, but did not tell anyone about it, instead he ran away from the school. (Taylor 28) This shows how being a white man gives enough privileges from the start. George, being white, has the privilege of escaping anytime from the residential school even though he has done shameful things. This has impacted Johnny a lot because she has been a victim of George, but even after years and years, he is still living a normal life like he has done nothing wrong. In the play, one can see how Johnny tries to fight hard to get George to say the truth but he keeps denying it because he is guilty and does not want to admit he has done wrong. George explains that he would not do those kinds of horrible things because God is watching him and that he is a man of God (Taylor 32). This takes a toll on Johnny because she know George has done evil things but does not admit to it and he is living his life wonderfully with a family of his own. The author portrays how very unfair it is to be Indigenous in a country where the superior race is the white people. From this, race privileges becomes an important factor in shaping Johnny’s life because she does not get the same privileges as George, who is