Imagine going to school and being striped of your culture, your ways of living, your religion, your rights, and your family. The Canadian government's decision on implementing residential schools was inferior and inhumane. One of the most discriminatory and racist events in canadian history which was the creation of residential schools. The native children that attended these schools had to fear for their lives every day. At these schools the students faced physical, emotional, sexual and physical abuse. Residential schools has partially killed their culture. Many people to this day still don’t understand why the canadian government did it. In this paper I will discuss why the Canadian government decided on implementing residential schools,
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In these schools, the children were victim of abuse and the horrible actions taken upon them had many negative repercussions in the moment and in their future lives. Approximately two thirds of all Aboriginal people in Canada have experienced trauma directly resulting from the abuse imposed on them in the schools. The children were abused in many ways. At these schools the students faced physical, emotional, sexual and physical abuse. When the children arrived they would have there hair shaved, they would be given uniforms, and there days would be structured on extremely strict schedules. Boys and girls were kept separate, and even siblings rarely interacted, further weakening family ties. The children were strictly told not to speak in their foreign languages even tho its the only one they knew, or to practise any foreign traditions. Residential schools did not receive the same education of the general public, and all of the schools were extremely under funded. Teachings focused primarily on practical skills. Girls were primed for domestic service and taught to do laundry, sew, cook, and clean. Boys were taught carpentry, tinsmithing, and farming. Many students attended class part-time and worked for the school the rest of the time: girls did the housekeeping; boys, general maintenance and agriculture. This work, …show more content…
In many ways, this is a wrong. The last residential school did not close its doors until 1986. Many of the leaders, teachers, parents, and grandparents of today’s Aboriginal communities are residential school survivors. There is, in addition, a multiple generation effect: many descendents of residential school survivors share the same down fall as their ancestors even if they did not attend the schools themselves. These include loss in Aboriginal communities of language, culture, and the teaching of tradition from one generation to another. “In 2001, Canada Census, only 24% of people who identified themselves as aboriginal said they could communicate in an aboriginal language.” (Canadian Census 2013)Generations of children have grown up without a nurturing family life. As adults, many of them lack adequate parenting skills and, having only experienced abuse, in turn abuse their children and family members. The high incidence of domestic violence among Aboriginal families results in many broken homes, perpetuating the cycle of abuse and dysfunction over generations. any observers have argued that the sense of worthlessness that was instilled in students by the residential school system contributed to extremely low self-esteem. this has manifested itself in self-abuse, resulting in high rates of alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide. among First
In these schools, the children were victim of abuse and the horrible actions taken upon them had many negative repercussions in the moment and in their future lives. Approximately two thirds of all Aboriginal people in Canada have experienced trauma directly resulting from the abuse imposed on them in the schools. The children were abused in many ways. At these schools the students faced physical, emotional, sexual and physical abuse. When the children arrived they would have there hair shaved, they would be given uniforms, and there days would be structured on extremely strict schedules. Boys and girls were kept separate, and even siblings rarely interacted, further weakening family ties. The children were strictly told not to speak in their foreign languages even tho its the only one they knew, or to practise any foreign traditions. Residential schools did not receive the same education of the general public, and all of the schools were extremely under funded. Teachings focused primarily on practical skills. Girls were primed for domestic service and taught to do laundry, sew, cook, and clean. Boys were taught carpentry, tinsmithing, and farming. Many students attended class part-time and worked for the school the rest of the time: girls did the housekeeping; boys, general maintenance and agriculture. This work, …show more content…
In many ways, this is a wrong. The last residential school did not close its doors until 1986. Many of the leaders, teachers, parents, and grandparents of today’s Aboriginal communities are residential school survivors. There is, in addition, a multiple generation effect: many descendents of residential school survivors share the same down fall as their ancestors even if they did not attend the schools themselves. These include loss in Aboriginal communities of language, culture, and the teaching of tradition from one generation to another. “In 2001, Canada Census, only 24% of people who identified themselves as aboriginal said they could communicate in an aboriginal language.” (Canadian Census 2013)Generations of children have grown up without a nurturing family life. As adults, many of them lack adequate parenting skills and, having only experienced abuse, in turn abuse their children and family members. The high incidence of domestic violence among Aboriginal families results in many broken homes, perpetuating the cycle of abuse and dysfunction over generations. any observers have argued that the sense of worthlessness that was instilled in students by the residential school system contributed to extremely low self-esteem. this has manifested itself in self-abuse, resulting in high rates of alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide. among First