Each individual, each life and each experience varies greatly, shaping one’s identity and forming the very core of their being. The profound impact of these experiences is illustrated through their actions, work and other peculiarities. Indian Horse, a novel by Richard Wagamese, follows Saul Indian Horse as he retraces his life - exploring past traumas and key memories; memories of joy, sadness, anger, and regret. Richard Wagamese, a victim of the sixties scoop, was stripped from his family - an act which ensured a childhood filled with abuse and neglect, in Indian Horse. It is evident that his early life influenced him to write about the trauma Indigenous peoples have experienced at the hands of the government (Lewis 2017). This influence …show more content…
One example of this is when Saul describes the death of Indigenous peoples at the residential school. Saul says, “I saw kids die of tuberculosis, influenza, pneumonia and broken hearts at St. Jerome’s” (Wagamese 55). Saul’s account shows the immense suffering and loss of life that Indigenous peoples faced inside residential schools. It exemplifies this by depicting life as a student at a residential school, witnessing death and suffering everywhere. The cause of death was not only from disease but also from broken hearts, demonstrating the traumatic effect that residential schools had on their victims; breaking them physically, mentally and spiritually. This narration of the conflict between Indigenous peoples and residential schools was likely inspired by Wagamese’s parents who were both subjected to great trauma as a result of the terrors found within the walls of residential schools; in an attempt to cope they turned to substance abuse (Lewis 2017). Witnessing the evident trauma his parents experienced, likely influenced his perception of the issue, and therefore the narration and inclusion of the …show more content…
That’s what they inflicted on us (Wagamese 81). The immense impact that the residential schools had on Indigenous peoples as an institution is evident as he describes the erasure of traditional ways of knowing by institutions, created by the government, with the sole purpose of assimilation, of obliterating any aspect of their culture which did not fit perfectly with Euro-Canadian society. A clear connection can be drawn between this account and Wagamese's own experience inside of the foster care system as a victim of the sixties scoop where he was alienated from his peoples ways of knowing and living at the hands of the government (Lewis 2017). Clearly, Wagamese’s early life and experiences influenced the conflict within the story, particularly the accounts of death, and the effect residential schools have had on Indigenous peoples way of life; which demonstrate the trauma that Indigenous peoples have and continue to experience, Wagamese also uses symbols to portray trauma in a similar
Stories are much more than just ink placed in clean rows on paper or dialogues that travel through air columns. All stories transform worldly experiences into sources of inspiration and perspicuity and Saul Indian Horse’s story is no exception. In Richard Wagamese’s novel, Indian Horse, Saul Indian Horse explains the events that have resulted in him receiving treatment for alcoholism at a rehab centre. Readers are exposed to the former hockey player’s moments of triumph, failure, and everything that falls in between. Saul mentions in his story how a leisure pursuit like hockey granted him temporary freedom and happiness from his sorrow-filled life. Saul’s example can inspire First Nations individuals to remain resilient in the face of adversity.
Indian Horse is a novel by Richard Wagamese that beautifully explores the idea of family, and what it means to have people around you that make you feel at home. The reader is bombarded with an overwhelming sense of family and betrayal in the first few pages of the novel. As Richard Wagamese continues to write, one is able to see how safe Saul Indian Horse felt with his biological family, and he also shows how lost he felt without their love when he was taken to the Residential School. The school he was brought to was drained of all consensual love the moment it was open, and continued to fill the children with horrible feelings the entire time they were there. Indian Horse was unable to really feel as though he still had family while he was in the
Racism is when you believe that everyone from one race has the same characteristics, which is used to distinguish which race is superior or inferior to another. Racism leads to the discrimination of people from different races, and restricts them from reaching their goals and aspirations. In the novel Indian Horse, by Richard Wagamese, racism is prevalent because the natives are discriminated in various ways. Racism alters people’s perception negatively, causing them to think of the victims as a lesser person, resulting in a loss of his/her identity.
Imagine being taken from your family at the age of six. Being referred to as a number rather than a name. Receiving brutal and cruel punishments for speaking the only language you were taught. How would it impact your life? Unfortunately, this is the reality for millions of Canada's Indigenous population. The nation of Canada is known to the world for being a country of peace, love and equality. Individuals originating from different nationalities immigrate to Canada, in hopes to improve their standard of living and escape the horrors of their country. Moreover, Canadians have not always been as supportive and welcoming of new ethnicities populating Canadian territory as they portray themselves to be today. Indian Horse is known to be an insightful
When the policy of aggressive civilization was supported by the Canadian government, public funding became available for the residential school project which involved stripping aboriginal children of their cultur...
In the penultimate chapters of Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, Saul finally reaches his breaking point from the constant racism that he has to endure. Throughout all of these chapters, the reader witnesses Saul’s drastic transformation. After being scouted to play hockey professionally, Saul moves to Toronto and settles in with a new foster family. However, as he begins to settle in with his new team, Saul begins to attract a lot of media attention, as reporters flock to report on the only Indian player on the team, whom they consider to be an outlier. No matter how Saul played, the media would always find a way to stereotype him, even if he had performed well.
In Richard Wagamese’s novel, Indian Horse, the protagonist Saul Indian Horse is taken to St. Jerome’s Indian Residential School where he is stripped of his identity. Saul is kidnapped by his grandmother and is taken to residential school. When he arrived he was somewhat accepted right away due to the fact he has a biblical name and he spoke English. However, this does not exempt him from the sufferings experienced as an indigenous child at St. Jerome’s residential school. On a daily basis, Saul witnessed multiple children suffer and be beaten or locked up.
Residential schools are cultural schools established through a joint effort by the government and Catholic church with the sole purpose to assimilate Aboriginal children into the modern Canadian lifestyle. Under the severe conditions faced in the Residential Schools, students would adapt to the torture and scrupulous teachings of the residential schools through various means; such as isolation. Upon leaving the school, while majority of kids would struggle to forget the brutal times they faced, a handful of others would persevere to build a new life. Perseverance means to work hard and take action with determination even in times of difficulty. In the novel, Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, the protagonist, Saul, shows perseverance in hockey
Sometimes, what makes us exceptional or great also makes us the worst possible version of ourselves. In Wagamese’s Indian Horse, Saul is an exceptional hockey player, he aspires to become a great success. However, his incredible skill leads him to unwanted attention that ultimately has him suffering. This is the beginning of his downfall as a character. To begin with, while pursuing his hockey career, he faces abuse and trauma around every corner.
Many people feel like outsiders. In the novel, Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, it highlights how a character can change as a result of persecution. Saul faces criticism from journalists, with headlines that have racist views. Saul receives abuse from a man he thinks he can trust, Father Leboutiller. Saul’s friendship with the Kellys allows him to listen to other people’s views and receive advice. Criticism, abuse, and friendship have helped Saul develop as a person as a result of persecution.
Skating into the Residential School System and its Horror Stories Hunter Braniff Department of English, Northwest College Wyoming Eng-1010-2n Ms. Molly Potas March 11, 2024. There is a piece of history that is often swept under the rug, involving the United States and primarily Canada. The era of residential schools (often referred to as Canada’s Holocaust) will be forever branded in first nations minds. The movie Indian Horse shows the racism that first nations endured in the past, the sexual abuse many of these young students faced while attending school, and the trauma that comes with it that is passed down from generation to generation. The residential schools served as torture chambers
This applies to the character Niska, in the novel Three Day Road, who is one of the alternative narrators. She rescues Xavier and Elijah from a Catholic residential school, and raises them in traditional Cree hunter-gatherer roles. Similarly to the other characters, she also has experienced pain and darkness in the residential school. She describes how the nuns abuse the aboriginal girls until they adopt the western culture and abandon their own traditions. For example: Once she was caught speaking her mother tongue, so the nuns poured lye soap into her mouth and deprived her of food for several days as a punishment. The abuse problem that Niksa had gone through in her childhood, is quite similar to the abuse that many children are facing from their own families and communities in recent
Along with the forced assimilation of the residential schools, students were often times abused both physically and sexual by their teachers (Haig-Brown, 11). The physical abuse would include beatings, being punched in the ear to the point where the victim would incur hearing loss and being burned with cigarette buds (O’Hara and Treble, Par 3). This kind of physical abuse will leave children being scared of the teachers, becoming social withdrawn,...
“Intergenerational trauma is the transmission of historical oppression and its negative consequences across generations” The children who were taken from their families at a young age are now parents of their own children have the parental knowledge to raise their own children. Rosanna Deerchild, a woman whose mother was a victim of residential schools says “growing up, my mother often cried or raged or drank or disappeared into herself. She found it difficult to express affection” . This shows how the distance between parent and child have been effected by Residential schools. The distance between parent and child is not the only issue that was caused due to residential schools but also the increase in sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities. Many of the children who were sexually abused on residential school have now become abusers. In 2015, the American Indian Culture and Research Journal published a review study; “researchers say child sexual abuse is one of the major challenges facing indigenous communities across the continent.” It is proven that Aboriginal Canadians have a greater risk of being sexually assaulted, or of being the victims of child sexual abuse. The closeness of the Aboriginal people living on reserves creates a higher chance for the abuse to go unreported. If someone were to report the issue their whole family would be impacted and the family would be seen differently in their communities. In many communities, it is discouraged to report incidents of sexual abuse because it brings shame to family and community. Furthermore, many of the victims of intergenerational trauma or sexual abuse turn to alcohol or drugs to get rid of their
The treatment they were forced to endure will always be with them. Many survivors blame the conditions of Native Reserves today on past scars. Today sexual abuse in many cases is a repition of abuse previously suffered by perpetrators, often in residential schools. “If you were raised in coldness and detachment you’re going to carry those same ways of raising your own children in that atmosphere. I remember them saying ‘break their spirit, break their spirit, don’t give in to them.” This is the way survivor Grant Severight felt Residential Schools impacted him. Many survivors did not know what being loved or cared for felt like, they only knew hurt and pain and so that is how they treated others. The residential schools had rippling effects and perhaps it may never stop rippling throughout Aboriginal