Lisa Monchalin The Colonial Problem Analysis

In chapter eight of Lisa Monchalin’s The Colonial Problem: An Indigenous Perspective on Crime and Injustice in Canada, she discusses the crime that is affecting Indigenous persons. She explains that there are many factors leading to the victimization and over-representation of Indigenous persons, all of which are a result of colonialism and colonialist ideologies. In discussing this issue, Monchalin mentions that students living both on and off of reserve, face a struggle in their education and academic attainment. The students who are off reserve, were stated to have faced this struggle due to the fact that many school systems had the high “prevalence of institutional forms of racism as well as evident, direct racist actions and attitudes …show more content…
textbooks). Not only is it important for schools to address the discrimination in classrooms, it is also important to educate students, starting at a young age, on the Indigenous cultures and on past colonialism so that non-Indigenous students are able to understand the differences, understand the oppression Indigenous persons faced in the past and develop respect for Indigenous cultures. In addition to recognizing and educating students on cultural differences, it is important for the government to provide an increase in funding for Indigenous schools as well as for non-Indigenous schools so that they are able to provide a greater number of resources for Indigenous students. These resources can include, but aren’t limited to, transportation to various institutions, better classroom environment (i.e. no mould or broken desks) and specific programs and clubs. By providing transportation Indigenous students are able to attain more academic opportunities that they may not otherwise have (i.e. post-secondary education). Also, more funds for a healthy classroom environment ensures that students have an environment to learn in and that they want to attend. Additionally, various clubs and programs can assist in establishing support for Indigenous persons who may be faced with certain stresses as a means of staying out of crime or stay out of areas where they may be vulnerable to the victimization of crime. Monchalin states that “protective factors can reduce the presence and effects of risk factors that increase a person’s likelihood of becoming a victim or perpetrator of crime” (Monchalin, 2016). In relation to this, the factors stated above collectively work in the way of protective factors that provide more opportunities and act