The holocaust in Germany was an ethnic genocide the wiped out millions of Jews in Europe during World War II. They were rounded up and excluded from the general public, because they were an inferior race and therefore not human beings. They were put into ghettos that were exclusive to Jews and were later sent to concentration camps where they were exterminated or worked to death. This happened because Hitler, along with some of Germany displayed prejudices towards the Jewish people. Similarly, Canada from the late 1800's believed that the aboriginal people of Canada were savages and needed to be assimilated into the better way of life. The government felt that they were no good and needed to be erased of their traditional culture and taught differently. By doing so, it also gave added benefits to Canada economy by providing a new workforce of aboriginal people and diminishing treaties that were in place between Canada and the aboriginals. This assimilation would turn violent due to the abuses of the churches that were running daily operations of schools. These experiences would cause many after affects long after the residential school era ends. The residential schools turned into a failed ethnic genocide of aboriginal peoples in Canada that is comparable and no better to the genocide of the Jews in Germany during World War II. This paper will examine the factors leading to the creating of residential schools and will also look at the type of abuses upon the aboriginal children and the after affects. Residential schools were erected for several reasons, such as assimilation to Canadian culture and surprisingly for economic factors. Residential schooling was a concept that dated back to the 1800's. Three residential schools w... ... middle of paper ... ...ngst some of Canada's churches and government as well as added beneficial economic factors. A plan to assimilate aboriginal people into the body politic of Canada turned to be an assault on the native peoples through spiritual, physical and sexual abuses that were experienced by the children in these schools, which resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. These actions upon the churches and governments resulted in serious after effects in the aboriginal populations within individuals, family households and communities. After many years, multiple organizations have been brought up to help aboriginals and survivors of residential schools but are gradually becoming underfunded. These organizations, as well as many other people label residential schools as an act of genocide by the Canadian government, that resulted in severe mistreatment of aboriginal children.
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....
...ciety. The Canadian government, to assimilate and Europeanize the Indigenous people, implemented the schools. Treaty 6 was not considered when the schools were created. The treaty was broken when the schools were taken off of reserve land and placed in churches. Indigenous children were not allowed to practice their traditions, see their families, or learn about their Indigenous heritage. The following quote from Robertson sums up residential schools perfectly “In essence, the churches were attempting to eliminate the influence of Aboriginal families and communities on the minds of their children.” The Canadian government created the schools to try and force the Indigenous people into a European society. Although the Canadian government has apologized for the brutality and severity of the residential schools, they scars that have been left behind will never fade.
Canada did accept Jewish refugees, but before the war and they only took in 4000 Jews. Canadians were very hostile towards Jews. Anti-Semitism existed in Canada back in the 1920s-30s. There were no Jewish lawyers, teachers and professors. Many Jews hid their identities in order to get a job. Signs saying no Jews allowed were hung outside of resorts and clubs. In 1930s Canada’s immigration policy was very restrictive, only British and American immigrants were preferred. So it didn’t allow Jews to enter Canada that wanted to flee Europe. 937 Jewish passengers on the M.S. St. Louis were refused to enter Canada. Because of Canada’s wartime policies nearly 2,300 men were interned as enemy aliens in camps across Canada in between 1940-1943.Canadians did think that Jews needed help, but they thought that they should be sent to Asia or Africa. Canada thought Jews would not make good settlers. Mackenzie King also had negative views on Jews, and he also believed in Jewish stereotypes.
The over-representation of Aboriginal children in the Canadian Child Welfare system is a growing and multifaceted issue rooted in a pervasive history of racism and colonization in Canada. Residential schools were established with the intent to force assimilation of Aboriginal people in Canada into European-Canadian society (Reimer, 2010, p. 22). Many Aboriginal children’s lives have been changed adversely by the development of residential schools, even for those who did not attend them. It is estimated that Aboriginal children “are 6-8 times more likely to be placed in foster care than non-Aboriginal children (Saskatchewan Child Welfare Review Panel, 2010, p. 2).” Reports have also indicated that First Nations registered Indian children make up the largest proportion of Aboriginal children entering child welfare care across Canada (Saskatchewan Child Welfare Review Panel, p. 2). Consequently, this has negatively impacted Aboriginal communities experience of and relationship with child welfare services across the country. It is visible that the over-representation of Aboriginal children in the child welfare system in Canada lies in the impact of the Canadian policy for Indian residential schools, which will be described throughout this paper.
Residential schools were institutions funded by the government for young indigenous peoples. The idea was to kill the Indian in the children, and to create Westernized youth. Many children revolted the idea, while others accepted it. Crucial development occurs in a child's mind between the ages of five and eight. In the novel Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, a story is told of three Cree people who have experienced Residential Schools and who have been forever changed because of it. Xavier, Elijah and Niska are ripped from the comfort of their naturalistic and self sufficient communities and thrown into materialistic environments where they are shamed and defaced. Each of these characters experienced the Residential schools in extremely different
Residential schools had a negative impact on Aboriginal people, many children suffered greatly. The government had thought Aboriginal people’s history and culture were not worth preserving.This resulted to loss of culture and assimilation, because they were stripped out of their traditional ways, and taken away from their families.Stephen Harper apologized to the former students enrolled in Indian Residential schools on behalf of the government of Canada. What
in the process of trying to rid the child of their Indian culture and ethnicity, residential
Living in Canada, there is a long past with the Indigenous people. The relationship between the white and First Nations community is one that is damaged because of our shameful actions in the 1800’s. Unnecessary measures were taken when the Canadian government planned to assimilate the Aboriginal people. Through the Indian Act and Residential schools the government attempted to take away their culture and “kill the Indian in the child.” The Indian Act allowed the government to take control over the people, the residential schools took away their culture and tore apart their families, and now we are left with not only a broken relationship between the First Nations people but they are trying to put back together their lives while still living with a harsh reality of their past.
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.
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,
“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.
Despite the decreasing inequalities between men and women in both private and public spheres, aboriginal women continue to be oppressed and discriminated against in both. Aboriginal people in Canada are the indigenous group of people that were residing in Canada prior to the European colonization. The term First Nations, Indian and indigenous are used interchangeably when referring to aboriginal people. Prior to the colonization, aboriginal communities used to be matrilineal and the power between men and women were equally balanced. When the European came in contact with the aboriginal, there came a shift in gender role and power control leading towards discrimination against the women. As a consequence of the colonization, the aboriginal women are a dominant group that are constantly subordinated and ignored by the government system of Canada. Thus today, aboriginal women experiences double jeopardy as they belong to more than one disadvantaged group i.e. being women and belonging to aboriginal group. In contemporary world, there are not much of a difference between Aboriginal people and the other minority groups as they face the similar challenges such as gender discrimination, victimization, and experiences injustice towards them. Although aboriginal people are not considered as visible minorities, this population continues to struggle for their existence like any other visible minorities group. Although both aboriginal men and women are being discriminated in our society, the women tends to experience more discrimination in public and private sphere and are constantly the targeted for violence, abuse and are victimized. In addition, many of the problems and violence faced by aborigin...
Schissel, Bernard, and Terry Wotherspoon. “The Legacy of Residential Schools.” Inequality in Canada: A Reader on the Intersections of Gender, Race, and Class. 2nd ed. Ed. Valerie Zawilski. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2010. 102-121. Print.
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.
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