Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and placed in institutions where, “In some cases, they were forbidden to speak their first language, even in letters home to their parents”. Miller, which created separation from the language that they have spoken since birth, sparking the initial loss of culture that they faced. The suppression of Indigenous cultural identity then inflicted a profound loss, not only severing connections between generations and disrupting the passing of traditional knowledge and values, it “criticized or denigrated Indigenous spiritual traditions”. (Miller) Because of this, many indigenous people had not only forgotten, but were embarrassed for their cultural traditions because of what they were taught in the residential schools. Another large part of indigenous culture was their long hair, but even this was stripped away from them when they were sent off to residential schools. “the closer the relative, the closer the cut”. After my haircut, I wondered in silence if my mother had died, as they had cut my hair close to the
Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and placed in institutions where, “In some cases, they were forbidden to speak their first language, even in letters home to their parents”. Miller, which created separation from the language that they have spoken since birth, sparking the initial loss of culture that they faced. The suppression of Indigenous cultural identity then inflicted a profound loss, not only severing connections between generations and disrupting the passing of traditional knowledge and values, it “criticized or denigrated Indigenous spiritual traditions”. (Miller) Because of this, many indigenous people had not only forgotten, but were embarrassed for their cultural traditions because of what they were taught in the residential schools. Another large part of indigenous culture was their long hair, but even this was stripped away from them when they were sent off to residential schools. “the closer the relative, the closer the cut”. After my haircut, I wondered in silence if my mother had died, as they had cut my hair close to the