Aboriginal children often suffered horrible treatment in residential schools. In Kathryn Blaze Carlson’s article, Report links residential schools with missing and murdered women, accounts of abuse in all forms were extremely common according to a significant 388 page report from the Truth …show more content…
Freddy Taylor is a former Residential School student also experienced abuse during his stay. Galen Eagle, author of article, Plucked from his family in Curve Lake, artist Freddy Taylor endured a life in a residential school, described Taylor’s situation “when he couldn’t recite the Lord’s Prayer, he was beaten; when he couldn’t spell an English word, he was beaten; when he spoke in his native tongue of Ojibwa, he was beaten”. Many others shared a similar experience at residential schools, unaware of the dangerous repercussions.
The treatment and abuse in Residential Schools often caused psychological issues to the students. A study conducted for the American Journal of Psychiatry uncovers the relation between childhood abuse and the increased risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Causes of PTSD involve, exposure to trauma, such as, death, threat of death, serious injury or sexual violence, all of which residential school students likely experienced during their attendance. The study’s results conclude “Childhood victimization was associated with increased risk for lifetime and …show more content…
After realizing the horrors the federal government caused, in 2007 they released a $1.9 billion compensation package to the former students. In the package known as the Common Experience Payment, it included $10,000 for the first year or part year a student attended a school and a pitiful $3000 for each subsequent year attended. If the package is accepted, the government and churches are no longer liable for future incidents regarding residential schools, the only exceptions being “cases of sexual abuse and serious incidents of physical abuse” (CBC News). In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a national apology to all residential school victims. Taylor expresses his opinion about the then, upcoming apology “The government, I wouldn’t accept their apology, the damage is done” (Eagle). Better solutions than compensation have been created, such as a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to research residential schools, and The Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which is now no longer running. Aboriginal chiefs in British Columbia created Child Advocacy Centres (CAC) for aboriginal youth, which provides help and services for abused