Atrocity In Canada

Words: 2374
Pages: 10

The single most devastating impact on Aboriginal people in Canada is the residential school atrocity. I say atrocity because it attempted cultural genocide and to me that is an atrocity. This all happened in a country that is seen to have the nicest people and be a great place to live .The fact that these native children were given a substandard education, were neglected, abused, malnourished, taken from their families and literally ripped from their cultural existence is horrific. The effects of this trauma have lived through generations and continue today. I say this because I have witnessed it in my own life and I can now say that I have studied it. As I reflect back on the class and the discussions we’ve had on so many interesting topics, …show more content…
It is deep within the people of the community where I find the pain that still exists from the fact that their belief structure was taken from them. Saugeen First Nation is a beautiful place along the shores of Lake Huron with much lush land. Yet, the surrounding beautiful landscapes haven’t helped the people who are still in great pain. I have seen these effects first hand for many years of my life. As you drive through the community of Saugeen First Nation, you will pass several churches. There is a united Church, a Baptist Church, a Roman Catholic Church, and a Pentecostal Church. A community this small, with so many churches. The irony is that it was the “church” in conjunction with the Federal Government that instituted residential schools. Cheryle Partridge, BSW, MSW, RSW, Ph.D (ABD), in her article in the Native Social Work Journal begins with the acknowledgement that “The goal of residential schools was institutionalized assimilation by stripping Aboriginal peoples of their language, culture and connection with family.” (Native Social Work Journal, Vol 7, pp 33) Imagine being taken from your parents and being told you couldn’t speak the language you knew or practice the traditions that connected you to those you loved and what you knew. It is devastating for anyone. The symbol that the church represents and that there are so many still in the community boggles my mind. Yet, because there is so much pain still, many people reach out to the churches to find some relief. Melanie A. Morrison, Todd G. Morrison, Rebecca L. Harriman et all in their study “Old Fashioned and modern prejudice toward Aboriginals in Canada”, note that in “recent decades, the state of affairs for Aboriginal people has become less oppressive. The Canadian government has attempted to address the inequities experienced by Aboriginal people in the form of