Residential Schools in Canada: Impact on Indigenous Lives

Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 1 Residential Schools in Canada: Past and Present Effects Christa Stefanopoulos Dawson College

Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 2 Residential schools are guilty of discriminatory practices against Indigenous children, who have suffered inhumane methods of assimilation, and are victims of violent abuse and long- term substance abuse. This topic should be significant to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, the Government of Canada, and Churches as it will serve as guidance to be correctly and completely informed on this history and to address many misconceptions. II. Assimilation Compare and contrast Before European contact, Indigenous peoples implemented their own forms of education and taught the youth through traditional means. These traditional teaching methods were different from modern day education system. The configuration of their curriculum included demonstration, group socialization, participation in cultural and spiritual rituals, skill practice and development, and oral teachings. They had a domiciliary and culture-oriented approach to education, in which parents, grandparents, members of extended family and community elders were responsible for educating the youth. For example, in Inuit communities, boys were taught how to work the land and girls were taught domestic skills, such as cooking, cutting and sewing, preparation of skins and pelts, and child-rearing. Within these techniques and practices, the children learned values, beliefs, new skills and overall knowledge. However, the significance of these methods decreased when foreign contact disrupted their fashion (Mccue, 2011). With European contact came the imposition of formal classroom-style education by colonial government, ultimately causing a dislocation from traditional means. They believed that

Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 3 education was the perfect gateway and instrument for assimilation (Niezen, p. 934). Thus, establishing residential schools which began the process of assimilation (Mccue, 2011). Assimilation tactics The Canadian government and Churches were the embodiment of intelligent but subtle tactics that were put forward in order to accelerate and improve the process of assimilation within residential schools. After the installment of residential schools, the goal was to dislocate the connection between the children with their cultures and families. The plan was to expose the children to norms, values and habits of civilization with the hopes of the abandonment of their traditional ones. A more subtle tactic was the strategic placement of the schools purposely locating them far from villages and families in order to avoid any interference with the assimilation process. The distance would also discourage the children to return to their community during the summer, resulting in children spending years at a time away from their communities (Blackburn, p. 291). This tactic, however, was only implemented in the later years of residential school operations. The configurations of the early schools were located on the reserves where the children still had access to their families and cultures. At this point, assimilation was proven ineffective, as there was no show of progress when the children were near or remained in contact with their community (King, p. 109). The Government was responsible for the funding of the schools, the oversight and the creation of the curriculum which entailed church-led activities, Christian doctrine, basic literacy and numeracy and certain skills. The Churches did the actual religious instructions and performed day-to-day operations. Carrying out a 24-hour oversight on the children and maintaining rigid discipline was another strategy in ensuring success in the assimilation process (Blackburn, p. 291).

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Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 4 Settlers also applied assimilation methods that directly impacted their cultures and traditions. One of the many strategies that they employed was the prohibition to speak their language, with the consequence of severe punishment if caught breaking the rule. Upon arrival, any indication or reminder of the childrens’ previous traditional life was made to be forgotten. The children had their hair cut short and their traditional clothes replaced with mainstream Canadian uniforms (Barnes & Josefowitz, p. 4). Within the residential schools’ operations, the children were disallowed entirely to practice any form of cultural practice, including traditions and rituals (p. 1). Residential schools were created with the goal of dissipating Indigenous cultures and assimilating Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian society. Results After the closure of all residential schools, the children who attended fell in between their traditional Indigenous culture and Euro-Canadian culture. They did not belong to either community, as they were not Canadian enough nor not Indigenous enough to fit in. When returning to their land and reuniting with their family, they felt like an alien because they did not feel as if they belonged (Blackburn, p. 296). This position resulted in a state of confused identities (Nutton & Fast, p. 840). Regarding their native culture, they did not have sufficient knowledge of their language, as they went years without speaking their native speech. Additionally, they did not possess adequate cultural awareness. Their appreciation and value that they once possessed for their native culture and spirituality was gone as they were taught that it was inferior and meaningless. With Indigenous names being very symbolic and holding a lot of meaning behind it, the children even lost that ability to represent and inherit their name (Blackburn, p. 296). Concerning the dominant culture, the children returned without skills that

Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 5 were developed enough and failed to meet the standards in order to fit in (Milloy & McCallum, p. 71). Moreover, the Indigenous children who attended residential schools were refused entry into Canadian society because their education was poor. The students were stranded with inadequate and insufficient academic skills, employment skills or life skills (McKegney, p. 27). The former students of residential schools were left with no identity and no sense of belonging. Structural-Functionalism and Religion According to a structural-functionalist perspective, religion positively impacts a society as it provides a sense of purpose, social cohesion, and social control. More specifically, religion gives a source of comfort strength and giving meaning to life. Additionally, religion is a form of culture constituting of shared beliefs, values, norms and common identity. Religion also enables social control in the sense that it promotes conformity 1 . This perspective and view of religion relates to Indigenous cultures, beliefs, norms and identity. Indigenous cultures are very intact, strong and unique to them. However, with the installment of residential schools, their culture was taken away from them, leaving them feeling lost with no identity. They no longer had that sense of comfort or purpose, nor the aspect in their life that was the most important and that represented them the most. It was through their culture that they had a meaning to life and without it, they no longer felt accepted or like they belonged in their community. Shocks Furthermore, sudden changes in life can be defined as a shock that can then result in a disruption. Change of imagery or change of lifestyle can be a kind of shock and can make a 1 Individual and Society, Fall 2017

Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 6 person or a group of people feel lost and afraid as unfamiliarity can put a person in an un- balanced state 2 . This idea of shocks and disruptions can be linked to Indigenous peoples affected by the residential school system as the removal of children brought a shock to the lives of both the children and parents and disrupted their routine. From one day to the next, the life of the child, as well as the parents, were altered and disrupted. The new environment and the new lifestyle of the children were a shock to their life. This shock made them feel lost and un- balanced. 2 English, Winter 2018

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Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 7 References Barnes, R., & Josefowitz, N. (2018a). Indian residential schools in Canada: Persistent impacts on Aboriginal students’ psychological development and functioning. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne . https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000154 Blackburn, C. (2012). Culture loss and crumbling skulls: The problematic of injury in residential school litigation. PoLAR: Political & legal Anthropology review , 35 (2), 289–307. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1555-2934.2012.01204.x King, T. (2013). We are sorry. The inconvenient Indian: A curious account of native people in North America . (pp. 99-126). Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2013. Mccue, H. A. (2011, June 6). Education of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Retrieved February 4, 2019, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/aboriginal-people- education McKegney, S. (2007). Acculturation through education: The inherent limits of ‘assimilationist’ policy. Magic weapons: Aboriginal writers remaking community after residential school . (pp. 11-30). Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=497378&site=eds-live&scope=site Milloy, J. S., & McCallum, M. J. (2017a). Building and managing the system, 1879 to 1946. A national crime: The Canadian Government and the residential school system . (pp. 51- 75). Winnipeg, Manitoba: University of Manitoba Press. Retrieved from

Running head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS IN CANADA 8 https://ezproxy.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1491596&site=eds-live&scope=site Niezen, R. (2016b). Templates and exclusions: victim centrism in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Indian residential schools. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 22 (4), 920-938. https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.1111/1467-9655.12497 Nutton, J., & Fast, E. (2015b). Historical trauma, substance use, and Indigenous peoples: Seven generations of harm from a “big event.” Substance use & misuse , 50 (7), 839–847. https://doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2015.1018755

4 Aspect 2 (Christa, 2019)

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