Native Canadians

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Recommended: the consequences of cultural assimilation

Throughout Canadian history, there has always been one group of people who have always been dealt the worst hand. The Native Canadians have been oppressed and forced into assimilation it the Canadian culture for hundreds of years. Through out time, Canada has changed the way they treat the natives. However, the Canadian Government has not been effective at improving the position of Native Canadians. Those who survived Canadian residential schools, lived on Native reserves or have been involved in any Native affairs issue is proof that Canada has not been improving the position of Native Canadians. To begin, image your self being forcefully taken from you’re parents and placed in an environment that is not suited for a child, where sexual and physical abuse occurred. This was the sad reality for Native children. Residential schools were initially created by the Catholic Church to force the Native children to assimilate into Canadian Culture by stripping them of their Native language and religion (Miller, par 1). Forced assimilation is wrong, no matter the context of the situation. These children should not have been forced to give up their own heritage. This is a huge blemish on Canada’s reputation because in modern times, we are known as a country that openly accept other cultures. 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 This kind of physical abuse will leave children being scared of the teachers, becoming social withdrawn,... ... middle of paper ... ...http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-church-school-scandal/>. Patriquin, Martin . "Canada, home to the suicide capital of the world." Macleans. N.p., 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. . Piotrowski, Nancy A., and Tracy Georges. Magill's encyclopedia of social science: psychology Volume 3. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, 2003. Print. "Suicide Among Aboriginal People in Canada." Canadian Mental Health Association LondonMiddlesex Branch. N.p., 5 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. . Wallace, Bruce . "Ottawa Apologizes to Natives." The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., 17 Mar. 2003. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. .

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