Abuse In Residential Schools

In the 1870s the Canadian government decided that there was a problem between the white people ( the Europeans) and the aboriginal/indigenous people, the “Indian Problem”. The white people did not agree and understand the indigenous people, they considered them as “filthy indians”. As a solution to the “ Indian Problem”, the Canadian government created: Residential Schools, A place where the aboriginal children would learn the christian’s way, without their parents interfering. Throughout the hours of these residential schools, Many efforts of assimilating the children had positives, but were often overtaken by the negatives.The staff's methods of educating and disciplining the children began harsh and started to involve abuse. Abuse then became a regular activity in the residential schools, meaning the children experienced Spiritual abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse from their caretakers, the people they were supposed to be able to trust.

Residential schools used many types of abuse to punish the children, one of the types being spiritual abuse.

Right from the time the children arrived at the schools they were forbidden to speak their native language and/or perform cultural traditions and ceremonies. The staff forced haircuts upon the students and would shave their heads as punishment- (the Indigenous people kept their hair, as it was a sacred part of their body). The students would also be addressed with racist language by their educators while attending the school.

When the indigenous children were eligible to graduate from the residential schools, they had not only lost important aspects of their culture, but also forgot how to communicate in their native language, by the reason of, the students were prohibited to perform any cultural traditions while attending the

schools.

Physical abuse was a very common movement/action at the residential schools, mostly used as punishment by their masters. Almost all the children that were associated with residential schools went through a process where the staff used toxic chemicals to burn/clean the student's skin (as the christians believed that the aboriginals skin was full of germs). The schools were very poorly heated and the students were only given thin, sparse clothing. The children were fed a diet that lacked nutrition- which commonly led to starvation of the students. Also the staff would perform nutritional experiments and force feed the students own vomit when sick. More abuse/punishments involved the students being kicked and whipped with various objects -sometimes until unconscious,burning and scalding of hands, being locked in closets and basements, dragged along side a vehicle, damaged eyes and dental, thrown out 2-3 stories high windows, electric chairs/shock, and needles inserted into their tongues. All these punishments were given due to the students breaking the rules of the school. Commonly when a child was killed by one of the staff due to abuse, the government tried to cover it up and push it aside.There were also rumours about secret graveyards and scholl walls that were packed with tiny skeletons.

One more every day abuse that happened regularly was sexual abuse, this was performed by male staff and older students to children as young as 6 years old. sexual assaults including rape were regular routines at the residential schools. The boys suffered anal rape and the girls suffered vaginal rape. Many of the assaults to girls resulted in pregnancy, meaning the female students had to undergo forced abortions. Some of the staff would instruct the children with techniques about masturbation and oral sex. Occasionally there were female supervisors that had a special stick that they would use for vaginal penetration as punishment to young girls. Many survivors have said that the schools would use a point system, the points would have dollar values attached to them- the more points you gathered the more money you were entitled to when/if you graduated. For instance if young girls suffered continual vaginal penetration or repeated rape they would receive 45-60 points, photographed nude you would get 5 points, ect. These incidents made the victims feel scared and humiliated.

Over all 150 000 children attended residential schools, 90-100% of the students suffered abuse, and up to 50 000 children died at residential schools- many of which would have tried to commit suicide. Although about a third of the school's population did survive, a numerous amount of the indigenous people did commit suicide shortly after leaving the schools, or developed a stress/anxiety disorder. Furthermore, due to residential schools, the surviving graduates often then became addicted to drugs and alcohol, as well as had a high crime level. Although nevertheless scientists have shown that The aboriginal survivors usually later became abusers too, because of their experiences, and that it take 5 generations for the abuse to finally leave the family. For the sake of residential schools and the survivors experiences and memories the grown up graduates are embarrassed to talk about their experiences, but also feel afraid and ashamed to say the they are natives/indigenous people.