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Impacts of colonialism in Native America
Impacts of colonialism in Native America
Impacts of colonialism in Native America
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In “Historicizing historical trauma theory,” Krista Maxwell examines the treatment of Aboriginal people by the government over the past few decades up until the present-day through one issue I find particularly important, which is that of child welfare. She describes the government as, in the past, having frowned upon the Aboriginal culture and deemed it unfit to raise children in. As a result, the government imposed its authority and took children away from their families and placed them in residential schools to assimilate them (Maxwell 420). Nowadays, the government likes to think of itself as a liberalized and supportive institution, but Maxwell still finds it to be just as coercive as in the past. Even now, Aboriginal communities fit
Parbury (1999:64) states that Aboriginal education “cannot be separated” from the non-Aboriginal attitudes (racially based ethnocentricity that were especially British ie. white and Christian) towards Aborigines, their culture and their very existence. The Mission Schools are an early example of the connection between official education policies and key events in Aboriginal history. Aboriginal children were separated from their parents and placed into these schools which according to McGrath (as cited by Parbury, 1999:66) it was recommended that these establishments be located ‘as far as possible’ from non Aboriginal residents so as to minimize any heathen influence that Aboriginal children might be subject to from their parents. Mission Schools not only prepared Aboriginal youth for the manual labour market but also, adds Parbury (1999:67) their aim was‘to destroy Aboriginal culture and replace it with an Anglo-European work and faith ethic.’ Despite the NSW Public Instruction Act (1880) which made education free, secular and compulsory for all children Aboriginal children could be excluded from public schools based on prevailing dominant group attitudes. Consequently, the NSW Aborigines Protection Act (1909) was introduced as a result of a perceived public education crisis and Laws had already been passed, similar to protectionist type policies. This Act gave the State the power to remove Aboriginal children from their families whereby this period of time has become known as ‘Stolen Generations.’ It was during this time that Aboriginal children were segregated from mainstream schools. (Parbury, 1999; Lippman, 1994).
Historical trauma is described to be an experience or event that have caused a generation or individual harm.
According to conservative conflict theory, society is a struggle for dominance among competing social groups defined by class, race, and gender. Conflict occurs when groups compete over power and resources. (Tepperman, Albanese & Curtis 2012. pg. 167) The dominant group will exploit the minority by creating rules for success in their society, while denying the minority opportunities for such success, thereby ensuring that they continue to monopolize power and privilege. (Crossman.n.d) This paradigm was well presented throughout the film. The European settlers in Canada viewed the natives as obstacles in their quest of expansion by conquering resources and land. They feared that the aboriginal practices and beliefs will disrupt the cohesion of their own society. The Canadian government adopted the method of residential schools for aboriginal children for in an attempt to assimilate the future generations. The children were stripped of their native culture,...
“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.
With the birth of America came the genocide, domination, culturecide, ecocide, separation, termination, racism, stereotyping, marginalization, and forced assimilation for the original Native Indian people of the United States, which resulted in historical and intergenerational trauma. The cultures and lifeworld views of American Indians and the White race (predominate American race), are contrastive, divergent and often conflict. The consensus view of the arriving colonists to America (a land already inhabited by Native Indians) was the belief that English (whites) and Indians shared the same vulnerabilities to health and well-being. That perspective influenced American laws and policies from which many health disparities arose for American Indians. Another additional factor which explains health disparities for American Indians is the forced transition from the Native Indian affluence to the way of the civilized life of their white conquerors.
The motive behind the residential school system was the European settlers that stepped into Canada following the Aboriginals. The European settlers came into Canada with the assumption that there own society “[is] the pinnacle of human achievement” (The Residential School System, 2009). The socio-cultural differences between the Aboriginals and themselves were generated into “proof” that the First Nation people are savages and ignorant- and in need of guidance. The settlers felt that it is essential to “civilize” the Aboriginals, therefore the federal government decided to take responsibility by catching the children at a young age and educating them to become courteous, Canadian-Christian human being – “If anything is to be done with the Indian, we must catch [them] very young. The children must be kept constantly within the circle of civilized conditions” (Daven, 1879.
The government’s goal of the Residential School System was to remove and isolate the children from their families and their culture in order to assimilate the Indigenous race to the dominant new Canadian culture. What the citizens did not know about was the
Since the time of federation the Aboriginal people have been fighting for their rights through protests, strikes and the notorious ‘day of mourning’. However, over the last century the Australian federal government has generated policies which manage and restrained that of the Aboriginal people’s rights, citizenships and general protection. The Australian government policy that has had the most significant impact on indigenous Australians is the assimilation policy. The reasons behind this include the influences that the stolen generation has had on the indigenous Australians, their relegated rights and their entitlement to vote and the impact that the policy has had on the indigenous people of Australia.
The introduction of Government Policy through the Aboriginal Protection Act. had a major impact on the lives of Aboriginal people past and present. This case study looks into the story of Coranderrk during this time of inequality and segregation through Government law and regulation.
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
While learning about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), historical trauma, and Ricky Greenwald’s “Who helped you and how?” from the Child Trauma Handbook, I felt my knowledge on trauma work grow and expand.
In 1909 the government created the Aboriginal Protection board. This government agency was given the power to remove Aboriginal minors from their families without consent and without a court order. The idea was to take aboriginal children to orphanage like institutions and have them brought up ...
Hi. Ms Martin, you addressed all the negative impact on trauma, regarding PTSD in youth and adults and now the government is finally addressing those of past Wars, Korea and Vietnam, which I feel has the most trauma experiences, due to not just being in a conflict but also returning to one, when that came home.
The Aboriginal people in Canada as a result of history are still being affected and three concepts can be identified to explain this. One, aboriginals face higher socio-economic marginalization, which may lend itself well to the idea that this links to higher risks of offending as well as the fact that the aboriginal people are over represented in the Correctional System. Another relates to the history, number two, the fact that Colonialism occurred resulting in lasting negative effects. Lastly it cannot be disregarded that the system at its very core holds discrimination.
Do you think it’s fair that veterans come home getting treated unfairly, while they are suffering with war trauma? Sebastian Junger, an American Journalist and ex-soldier, has seen war up close, and he knows the impact that battlefield trauma has on soldiers. He believes that society can play a part in veterans returning from war. But the real facts are that many veterans come home with war trauma. Many veterans come home and suffer with everyday things such as Work and Getting along with others. There is a very high rate for veterans to come home and develop PTSD as a result from war trauma; this can lead to things such as suicide,substance abuse and depression.