More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay on the residential school system in canada
Essay on the residential school system in canada
Religion and cultural identity
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essay on the residential school system in canada
Native Americans were the first to live in North America. When the Europeans arrived, they took the land from the Native Americans and started to create their own identity. The United States of America and Canada had used nation building in order to create their own national identity. By doing so, they attempted to replace the identity of aboriginal peoples. In the United States of America and Canada, aboriginal people are marginalized, and suffer from “low economic, social, and political status.” In addition, Muslims have also been marginalized, especially after the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Canadian society perceives their culture as inferior or threatening to hegemonic society. This essay will argue that …show more content…
In order to determine if genocide had actually taken place, survivors have documented instances of abuse through “oral and written statements.” In addition, many have concluded that the introduction of residential schools may relate to “cultural genocide” and “ethnocide”, in which the Canadian government attempted to destroy aboriginal languages, cultures, and religions in order to force assimilation of Native American …show more content…
On March 24, 2010, the Canadian government had introduced Bill 94, which would limit Muslim women in wearing a face veil. In essence, government officials can ask Muslim women to take off their veils when questioning suspects. In Western society, the veil has been a symbol of oppression. It is a regression of women’s suffrage and feminism. It reinforces hegemonic masculinity and patriarchal society. As feminist activist groups, civil rights groups, and other organizations try to prohibit or limit the use of the veil, it essentially tries to destroy the Muslim
Her book focuses on the myriads of issues and struggles that Indigenous men and women have faced and will continue to face because of colonialism. During her speech, Palmater addressed the grave effects of the cultural assimilation that permeated in Indigenous communities, particularly the Indian Residential School System and the Indian Act, which has been extensively discussed in both lectures and readings. Such policies were created by European settlers to institutionalize colonialism and maintain the social and cultural hierarchy that established Aboriginals as the inferior group. Palmater also discussed that according to news reports, an Aboriginal baby from Manitoba is taken away every single day by the government and is put in social care (CTVNews.ca Staff, 2015). This echoes Andrea Smith’s argument in “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy: Rethinking Women of Color Organizing” that colonialism continues to affect Aboriginals through genocide (2006, p. 68). Although such actions by the government are not physical acts of genocide, where 90% of Aboriginal population was annihilated, it is this modern day cultural assimilation that succeeded the Indigenous Residential School System and the Indian Act embodies colonialism and genocide (Larkin, November 4,
In school we are always taught about the lighter parts of Canadian History, but only until recently have Canadian students been taught about the darker parts of our history. Residential Schools were included in these dark parts of Canada’s history. In the 19th century, the Canadian government believed that Residential Schools were responsible for educating and caring for the country’s aboriginal people. The goal of these schools was to teach the aboriginal children about Christianity and Canadian customs, in hopes of them passing these practices on towards their own children and it would eventually be adopted into the aboriginal culture. The Canadian
This again shows the traumatic effects of residential schools and of cultural, psychological, and emotional upheaval caused by the intolerance and mistreatment of Aboriginals in Canada. Settlers not only displaced Aboriginal people from their land and their homes, but they also experienced emotional trauma and cultural displacement.
Across North America, the scattering of Aboriginal children contributed to damaged identifications with traditional First Nations culture (Alston-O’Connor 2010). Consequently, the Sixties Scoop caused irreversible psychological, emotional and spiritual damage to not only the individual, but to the families and the community too. In the 1950s and 1960s, the government began abolishing the compulsory residential school education among Aboriginal people. The government believed that Aboriginal children could receive a better education if they were integrated into the public school system (Hanson). However, residential schools were later deemed inappropriate because not only were the children taken away from their culture, their families and their people, but the majority of students were abused and neglected....
Until the 16th century, Aboriginal people were the only inhabitants of what is now Canada, hence, they were an independent and self-governing people till the Europeans had the capacity to dominate Canada's original inhabitants and possessors (Elias 1). The European Invasion brought about The 1876 Indian Act, which was developed over time through separate pieces of colonial legislation regarding Aboriginal peoples across Canada such as the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 and the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869. In 1876, these acts were consolidated as the Indian Act (Hanson). This essay aims to explain how the Indian Act tried to destroy the Aboriginal culture through residential schools and unequal recognition of women, successive acts,
During the 19th century the Canadian government established residential schools under the claim that Aboriginal culture is hindering them from becoming functional members of society. It was stated that the children will have a better chance of success once they have been Christianised and assimilated into the mainstream Canadian culture. (CBC, 2014) In the film Education as We See It, some Aboriginals were interviewed about their own experiences in residential schools. When examining the general topic of the film, conflict theory is the best paradigm that will assist in understanding the social implications of residential schools. The film can also be illustrated by many sociological concepts such as agents of socialization, class inequality, and language as a cultural realm.
For decades First Nations people1 faced abuse in Canada's residential school system. Native children had their culture and families torn away from them in the name of solving the perceived “Indian Problem” in Canada. These children faced emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of residential school supervisors and teachers. Since the fazing out of residential schools in the 1960's the survivors of residential schools and their communities have faced ongoing issues of substance addiction, suicide, and sexual abuse.2 These problems are brought on by the abuse that survivors faced in residential schools. The government of Canada has established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to address these issues but it has been largely ineffective. Though the Government of Canada has made adequate efforts towards monetary reparations for the survivors of residential schools, it has failed to provide a means to remedy the ongoing problems of alcohol and drug addiction, sexual abuse, and suicide in the communities of residential school survivors.3
“To kill the Indian in the child,” was the prime objective of residential schools (“About the Commission”). With the establishment of residential schools in the 1880s, attending these educational facilities used to be an option (Miller, “Residential Schools”). However, it was not until the government’s time consuming attempts of annihilating the Aboriginal Canadians that, in 1920, residential schools became the new solution to the “Indian problem.” (PMC) From 1920 to 1996, around one hundred fifty thousand Aboriginal Canadians were forcibly removed from their homes to attend residential schools (CBC News). Aboriginal children were isolated from their parents and their communities to rid them of any cultural influence (Miller, “Residential Schools”). Parents who refrained from sending their children to these educational facilities faced the consequence of being arrested (Miller, “Residential Schools”). Upon the Aboriginal children’s arrival into the residential schools, they were stripped of their culture in the government’s attempt to assimilate these children into the predominately white religion, Christianity, and to transition them into the moderating society (Miller, “Residential Schools”). With the closing of residential schools in 1996, these educational facilities left Aboriginal Canadians with lasting negative intergenerational impacts (Miller, “Residential Schools”). The Aboriginals lost their identity, are affected economically, and suffer socially from their experiences.
The Canadian and American governments designed a residential school system to assimilate Indigenous children into Western society by stripping them of their language, cultural practices as well as their traditions. By breaking these children’s ties to their families and communities, as well as forcing them to assimilate into Western society; residential schools were a root cause of many social problems, which even persist within Aboriginal communities today.
The Indian Residential schools and the assimilating of First Nations people are more than a dark spot in Canada’s history. It was a time of racist leaders, bigoted white men who saw no point in working towards a lasting relationship with ingenious people. Recognition of these past mistakes, denunciation, and prevention steps must be taking intensively. They must be held to the same standard that we hold our current government to today. Without that standard, there is no moving forward. There is no bright future for Canada if we allow these injustices to be swept aside, leaving room for similar mistakes to be made again. We must apply our standards whatever century it was, is, or will be to rebuild trust between peoples, to never allow the abuse to be repeated, and to become the great nation we dream ourselves to be,
The creation of the Residential Schools is now looked upon to be a regretful part of Canada’s past. The objective: to assimilate and to isolate First Nations and Aboriginal children so that they could be educated and integrated into Canadian society. However, under the image of morality, present day society views this assimilation as a deliberate form of cultural genocide. From the first school built in 1830 to the last one closed in 1996, Residential Schools were mandatory for First Nations or Aboriginal children and it was illegal for such children to attend any other educational institution. If there was any disobedience on the part of the parents, there would be monetary fines or in the worst case scenario, trouble with Indian Affairs.
Justice has began to commence for many of Canada’s Indigenous people now that considerably one of our Nation’s darkest secrets has been spilled. The Residential School system was a collection of 132 church-run, government-funded boarding schools that was legally required for all Indigenous Canadian children. Canadian Residential Schools ran up until 1996 and, for decades, the secrets from within the walls of the institutions have been hidden. But now, the truth has finally come to light.
Since 1982 and the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada has asserted itself in the promotion of multiculturalism and equality of all citizens. Canada is a democratic society which stands to address the needs and desires of individuals in a fair and open approach. In addressing multiculturalism, understanding how some specific groups may be at a significant disadvantage based on their perception in society. It is argued that the ideals and laws incorporated in the Islamic religion and culture make it challenging for individuals to successfully immigrate and adapt into a western democratic society. There are significant challenges in all aspects of their lives, that make them find difficulty in adopting a new way of living while still adhering to their faith and culture. Post September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have left Canadian immigrants and citizens who are of the Islamic religion and culture, the most scrutinized members in a country that promotes multiculturalism. This is due to negative media connotations, the failure of the government perpetuating fear and allowing concepts like Islamophobia to be produced among citizens.
For the last several decades, the Muslim community in western countries has increased in size; consequently, so have tensions and conflicts (Jailani, 2016). A prominent debate is whether or not Muslim women should be allowed to wear headscarfs, burqa, and niqabs; otherwise known as veils (Jailani, 2016). The western world tends to see these veils as a sign of oppression; as a result, laws and regulations have and are being passed to ban them from public areas (Jailani, 2016). Whether or not one agrees with Islam or its practices is irrelevant; allowing these bans to be passed is tolerating intolerance. These laws are said to be just one of the countless examples of tolerating cultural assimilation in favor of the more advanced western culture over the Islamic culture (Jailani, 2016). Although it can be said that prohibiting the use of veils in public will circumvent female oppression, those with opposing views argue that even those who try to spread western ideals in good nature are being intolerant (Jailani, 2016). There is no denial that this topic is a double edged sword, both solutions seem to have downfalls. That is to say, tolerating the veils can mean tolerating symbols of oppression over women; hence, we value the peace over justice (Jailani, 2016). In contrast, outlawing the use of veils in public is still a sign of religious intolerance (Jailani, 2016). While both sides have
It was high sun already when little foot woke from his slumber. As he strolled out of his teepee he heard his father, Big Crow was arguing with a white man “This is our land we signed the treaty ten summers ago for it.”