CANA 1F91 Seminar 9
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Brock University *
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1F91
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Philosophy
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by MateSummerRook104
Seminar questions for the week of November 13
The seminar material can be found on Brightspace. The St. Anne’s Indian Residential School has been known for being one of the more notorious schools in Canada for the physical, sexual, and mental abuses it imposed on its students. This trauma has also been
blamed for some of the problems the community of Attawapiskat has experienced, particularly with suicides and substance abuse. The TRC (2015) has used the following definition of reconciliation to guide
its work: “as an ongoing process of establishing and maintaining respectful relationships” among the various parties involved in this system (p. 16). 1)
What are some of the key ideas and themes in the seminar material?
Reconciliation, Survivor testimony and their stories, and healing from the past, intergenerational trauma
from the residential school system.
2)
Outline what problems existed within the residential school system. What ongoing problems continue to exist? Lack of funding for the schools (refer to lecture about the chart prof showed comparing the funding of other public schools with residential schools), lack of resources, abuse, neglect from the government. The ongoing problems that continue to exist are include lack of basic amenities for indigenous peoples e.g drinkable water, not enough resources for mental health, neglect.
3)
How have Indigenous survivors felt about the Independent Assessment Process to handle compensation? They were angry with the government, and they have seen it as very unfair. Who are they, after all they have caused, to dismiss their experiences. In the video, one of the women spoke about how her brother was told he didn’t qualify for the compensation. The govt had a yardstick for assessment and anyone that didn’t measure up to that was refused compensation and their testimony was dismissed. But who are they to say that? Who are they to say this story deserves compensation and this does not. They do not even know to what extent the damage was. 4)
What are some of the other major challenges to reconciliation?
Major challenges include the govt hiding files and refusing to bring the perpetrators of the abuse especially at St. Annes to justice. We saw in the video how the file was blackened so that the information cannot be read. If the govt is all about reconciliation, the first step should be bringing those perpetrators to justice, not covering up for them.
Lack of representation, Inequalities, socio economic inequalities.
5)
Why is survivor testimony important? Survivor testimony is important because only them can tell the story as it was, the truth about what happened. Without survivor testimony, there is no truth. Because of their testimonies, we know more about everything that happened. If there was no survivor to tell their testimonies, there would be another narrative out there, probably about how residential schools were very beneficial to Indigenous
communities. Their testimony is also important to them, because speaking out about their experiences is the first step to healing.
6)
Discuss why many Indigenous people feel that these residential schools should be preserved or classified as National Historic Sites. Why would some be against such a proposal?
Many indigenous people felt the schools should be preserved as national historic sites because preserving it serves as a way that the truth will not be buried, because it is part of their history, their story and because the preservation of those buildings mean that that their voices and stories will remain
heard. Some might be against it because of the hurtful experiences, memories, and the trauma that are surrounding the schools. Many indigenous people do not want to relieve it because they are still healing from what happened. the school system was a major contribution in the destruction of indigenous communities and families, it represents a part of their lives no one wants to relieve.
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