Role Of Assimilation In Canada

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It can be said that Canada has a reputation as a culturally accepting nation. Unfortunately, in it’s past there were many mistakes made. For instance, in the 1920’s not all Canadians were free from discrimination. Although most people were embracing this time of prosperity with new inventions and exciting lifestyles, others were struggling to avoid the the overbearing push of cultural genocide. These were the Indigenous peoples of Canada. The government of Canada has made great mistakes forcing the policy of assimilation upon the indigenous communities and now want to be reconciled with those who were affected. For instance, the policy of assimilation was put into place beginning in 1878 to humanize all young Native Canadian children. However …show more content…

They also isolated children from the influences in their homes, family members, and traditions. This at the time was considered the right way in the eyes of The Government and cities. Not only did the government force the young children out of their homes but they also gave them new identities and deprived them of their dignity. For instance, teaching them how to steal, how to lie, and how to be bad people in the words of igrid arnault “it's not who I am. It's what they turned us into be. Now the jails are full of our people because The government taught how to do all this stuff” (107). The Canadian government brainwashed them to do bad things so they could benefit from it. Furthermore, Duncan Campbell Scott who was the head of the Indian Affairs in 1913 till 1932 was the main reason why Native Canadian children were forcefully placed in residential schools. “Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed” (Quinlan et. al 68). Some agreed with Duncan Campbell Scott’s way of approaching things but the indigenous community sure did not, and were very against …show more content…

After living at Residential school for several years, if returned to home, the indigenous children were emotionally distraught and had a hard time adjusting to their previous way of living. The school systems that they were placed in had the opposite impact on The Native Canadian Communities that the government intended it to have. “As a result of my residential school I had lots of anger….[A] lot of anger, revenge, hatred” (111) as expressed through Arthur Fourstar. So far the government has apologized and is still working towards gaining all trust back from the indigenous communities however, they will still be left humiliated and hurt from the torture they had experienced while at residential schools. The Canadian Government realizes their doing and understands that it will not be a short path to forgiveness. Since then they have shut down all residential schools across Canada and most young children returned to their families, others did not know how to get back or who their family were all because they were taken at such a young

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