Residential Schools' Impact on Indigenous Culture

Residential Schools Essay
Furthermore, when the fundamental ideology behind residential schools is deeply analyzed, the core idea behind these schools can be partially
justified to a very limited extent, as the idea had made sense and may have even benefited the aboriginals, had it been executed differently, and not as
extreme and radical as the way it was. Humanity at the time was rapidly developing socially, economically, and technologically, along with mankind
entering a new millenium, as the majority of the residential schools were built in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Especially during this time, as
advancements and inventions were being made in all areas of civilization, residential schools in essence can be interpreted as a way to help aid the
aboriginals with the transition into this new era. This is because the inevitable truth...show more content...
As sad as it is to admit, many indigenous groups are slowly disappearing all around the world as humanity further develops, such as the Kazakh
tribes in Mongolia, the Mursi tribe in Ethiopia, and many more fading indigenous groups. Many people from these rural locations all around the
world are leaving their homes for a life in the city filled with technology, along with their traditions being forgotten as the new generation of youth
loses interest in these long time treasured traditions. The goal of residential schools was to speed up this process, creating a revolutionary change,
compared to a evolutionary change. In a few cases, they were able to successfully help aid residential school students with preparing them for the
rapidly developing world, with Tomson Highway being a notable example of a student who had a positive experience, "There are many very
successful people today that went to those schools and have brilliant careers and are very functional people, very happy people like
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Residential Schools In Residential Schools
From 1863 to 1996, many Indigenous child were forced to attend residential schools, where they were separated from their families and culture and
experienced neglect, abuse and trauma (Bombay, Matheson, & Anisman, 2011, p.367). This essay will explore the history and purpose of residential
schools, how it impacted Indigenous children and families at the time of the events, and how to this day it still affects them. Indigenous Residential
Schools impacted the First Peoples of Canada physically, mentally and emotionally which resulted in their loss of identity,culture, spirituality, and
traditions in the past and present.
History and Purpose:
Indigenous Residential Schools were experimented in parts of Canada was early as the 1620s but they had very minimal success in accomplishing
what they wanted. Missionaries ran the residential school but found it hard to recruit students, keep them at school, and they complained that they
could not physically punish the children. The state got involved in the schooling of Indigenous children after Canada became a country in 1867
(Blackburn, 2012, p. 290). Canadian residential schools were also inspired by a similar practice in the USA in the 1880s. Their plan was to assimilate
Indigenous children into Euro–Canadian culture. The schools were operated by Christian churches and they thought that by removing Indigenous
children from their parents and communities they would be more quickly assimilated (Woods, 2013, p. 173–174). Figure 1

Residential schools were a school system implemented by the government to assimilate children of aboriginal descent. They were designed to replace
the children's culture, traditions, beliefs, and to "kill the Indian out of them". Schools of this manner have affected over 150 000 children. The first
residential schools were established in the 1880s, a few years after the Indian Act was implemented. The Indian Act contained many clauses that
allowed for residential schools to be built. Aboriginal children were taken from their families to study at these schools. They were not allowed to speak
their language, acknowledge their culture or beliefs, and removed their heritage. The schools were incompetent at educating the children, as the teaching
provided was inferior...show more content...
Boys had their hair cut short and all students were required to wear school uniforms. The two genders were always kept separate and siblings were
rarely allowed to interact with each other. Chief Bobby Joseph of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society recalls that he never got to know his
sister "beyond a mere wave at the dining hall". Education, which should be a school's main goal, was neglected at these schools. The schools were
extremely underfunded by the government and many practical skills were taught instead of academical skills. Girls were sought after to do domestic
tasks, and were taught to cook, clean, sew, and do laundry. Boys were taught carpentry, smithing, and farming. A large population of the schools only
attend for part of the time as the other time was spent doing unpaid work against their will. Girls were required to do housekeeping, and boys were
required to do general maintenance and agricultural tasks. The jobs were presented to the students as practical training, however the reason for these
jobs was to help run the underfunded

Residential Schools in Canada Essay
Sociology
Dr.C.Barry McClinchey
Residential Schools in Canada Before the nineteenth century, the Aboriginal people had their own way of teaching the children in their community,
through organic education. In addition to providing knowledge and skills, organic education kept their culture alive (Ravelli & Webber, 2013: pg.
237). This is because the Aboriginal children would also be taught about their culture and its customs. But the Europeans thought, "Canada's First
Nation peoples were in the way of the relentless onrush of capitalist and industrial expansion (Ravelli & Webber, 2013: pg. 238)." This is when
the residential education system was established. Since the organic education was what made the Aboriginal culture...show more content...
238). These children were harshly abused by the nuns in these schools and were terrified of being there. There were many sociological concepts
applied in the film, Education As We See It. Language is an important part to culture. Language extinction is a concept presented in the film. When a
language is lost, then its culture will start losing its organization. Killing the language of the Aboriginals will lead end their culture, which is what the
Europeans wanted. By forcing the Aboriginal children to speak English, the language they spoke with their parents will be lost (Ravelli &
Webber, 2013: pg. 131). An Aboriginal that went to a residentialschool described how they weren't allowed to speak a word of their language at all
and they were restricted from seeing their parents on a regular basis (Bob, Geraldine & Marcuse, 1993). The nuns greatly enforced that these
children not speak their language, so that they could completely forget about it.
Looking–glass self was a concept that was applied. Looking glass self is how people describe who they are by how others describe them. According
to C.H. Cooley, have to envision themselves through social interactions because the mind does not create the "self" (Ravelli & Webber, 2013: pg.
153). An Aboriginal said that when she was younger and first went to the school, the teacher checked attendance and when she said her name, she
answered "here" in her language and the nun gave

Imperialism In Residential Schools
While attempts have been made to legitimize the ideology surrounding the policy of residential schools, the majority of scholars – and Canadians when
they are aware of what occurred in residential schools – see it today as an act of cultural genocide . In order to fully comprehend why residential
schools were created, you need take into account the mindset of the Canadian government during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This mindset
was succinctly stated by Canada's first Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald in 1880:
It is hoped that a system may be adopted which will have the effect of accustoming the
Indians to the modes of government prevalent in the white communities surrounding them, and that it will thus tend to prepare them...show more
content...
In this paper, I will examine the issue of Indian residential schools and, ultimately, will argue that while it may have been the custom to impose
colonialist and imperialist ideals in the late 1800s and early 1900s, in today's society we view what occurred as nothing less than inhumane, an act
which must be remembered as a dark shadow that for decades – and still today – clouds relations between aboriginals and the Canadian government. To
understand the complexity of this matter I will discuss why this policy was implemented; I will look at the goals and the methods used to achieve
these outcomes; I will discuss indigenous response to this amendment of the Indian Act; and finally, I will look at the effects this action had on
indigenous peoples and their relationship with the country. It is important to know that while my opinion is clear in that I see the creation and
implementation of Indian residential schools as an evil action with no redeeming qualities, there are others – as recently as Conservative Senator Lynn
Beyak on March 7, 2017, who spoke out in favour of those who worked at the schools – who do not agree with my point of view . These polarized
viewpoints, often times skewed by emotions and poorly informed opinions, add to the complexity of the matter, particularly in moving forward and
achieving reconciliation with indigenous

Residential Education In Residential Schools
150,000 aboriginal children were removed and separated from their families and communities to attend residential schools from 1831 to 1996. The
canadian government encouraged changing aboriginals ways (Miller, 2012). This happened around the 1870s when the implication of the Indian Act
required the Canadian Government to provide the indigenous youth with education and integrate them to Canadian society. The Residential schools
were originally made by Christian Churches and the canadian government. There were over 139 schools located in every province and territory except
Newfoundland, New brunswick, and Prince Edward Island ("residential school system", 2016). For the most part the students experience at the
residential schools were quite

Essay On The Effects Of Residential Schools
THE AFFECTS OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS: A LIST By: Sanchia Nawar–Residential schools were religious schools ran by the government and
churches which were made to assimilate Aboriginal children into European culture. –Residential schools messed up people's lives and their
communities, causing long–term problems among Aboriginal people. –In total, an estimated 150,000 children attended residential schools. –From the
1890s until the 1950s, the government tried to constantly make residential schools the churches problems. –The food was prepared badly and there
were little amounts of it. –Clothing was all basically the same ill–fitting, shabby and, in the case of winter clothing, not enough protection for the
season. –The school program, both academic and vocational, was deficient. –Children died in...show more content...
–Some students left with happy memories, but the general experience of residential school students was more negative. –These ideas were based on the
assumption that Aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior to European culture. –"to kill the Indian in the child." –European settlers in
Canada brought with them the assumption that their own civilization was the pinnacle of human achievement. –They interpreted the socio–cultural
differences between themselves and the Aboriginal peoples as proof that Canada's first inhabitants were ignorant, savage, and–like children–in need of
guidance. –In 1907, government medical inspector P.H. Bryce reported that 24 percent of previously healthy Aboriginal children across Canada were
dying in residential schools. –Bryce reported that anywhere from 47 percent (on the Peigan Reserve in Alberta) to 75 percent (from File Hills Boarding
School in Saskatchewan) of students discharged from residential schools died shortly after returning

Residential School Essay
History shows that Residential School created a big problem for the Indigenous people. Furthermore, children were ripped from their traditional homes
and families, they didn't receive the same education as the other children in regular public schools. Students were discourage from pursuing further
educations. Not to mention, the, the emotional, physical and sexual abuse they suffer from the hands of their abuser

Residential Schools Vs. Public Schools
Residential School's were introduced back in the 1870's, they were made to change the way native children spoke their languages and how they viewed
their cultures. The residential school system in Canada was operated by the government, where the native children were aggressively forced away from
their loved ones to participate in these schools (1000 Conversations). The government had a concept, where they can modernize the native children,
aged of three to eighteen and extinguish the aboriginal culture. In the twentieth century the Canadian Public School's had arrived and had improved
treatments than residential schools. In Contrast, the treatments within these schools were both different, whereas Canadian public school students had
more freedom than residential school students because children were taken away from their families. However, the treatment in these schools were
different and some what similar. Even though Residential schools and Canadian Public schools were similar in some form, there were numerous
amounts of differences in how the children were taught, how they were treated and how their living conditions were like throughout these schools.
Residential schools were the one of the worst decisions the Canadian government had made. As they planned this idea with the churches across
Canada, it became unforgettable for the native people. These schools changed the way native people lived in Canada. The children in these schools
were abused and neglected everyday

Residential Schools In Australia
Many countries have events in history that they are not so proud of. To me, making amends is all about whether they take responsibility and
recognized that what happened was wrong and do not allow history to repeat itself. In regards to the residential school system, I definitely think they
deserved an apology. In my opinion, it was a horrible part of our Canadian history it makes me feel sad that these things have happened and that we
allowed them to. That being said however at least we appear to have learned from it and hopefully, we as a country will never treat anyone like that
again no matter what the circumstance.
Residential schools were mostly run by religious groups and over 150,000 students attended between the 1870s and 1970's. They took the first nations
children with plans to assimilate them into mainstream culture, and they were forced lose their own aboriginal identity. Not only were the children not
allowed to speak the native languages but they could not see family very often if they even could at all. They underwent mental and physical abuse in
these schools, in the forms of being beaten as well as sexually abused by...show more content...
In 2007, the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement was settled upon which consists of common experience payment to all former students,
an independent assessment process to address compensation for physical and sexual abuse, an establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation
commission, healing initiatives and a fund for commemoration projects. The Residential school truth and reconciliation commission was created to
inform Canadians what really happened in residential school, document the truth of survivors, families, communities and people personally affected by
the residential school

Argumentative Essay On Residential Schools
Residential Schools
"Where are they taking me, mom?! Help!" These were the screams of an Aboriginal child when he was dragged to a car that drove him away from
his family. Aboriginal kids were forcefully abducted and placed at poorly built and equipped residential schools. Residential schools are a network
of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. Like a disease, these schools spread so fast on Canadian land. They were every Indigenous child's
nightmare. Kids who attended were traumatized due to the mental, physical, and sexual abuse they suffered. Canadians felt superior to Aboriginals
which lead them to use their power excessively to civilize these communities. This issue is considered to be one of the darkest chapters in Canadian
history. It has a significant impact on Aboriginal communities. Indians suffered a loss of culture and identity. This issue violates various human rights
such as; Freedom of language, freedom of culture and religion, freedom of choice, and the freedom of safety and health. The two groups in this
controversy are the aggressors; Canadian government, and it's churches, and the victims; the aboriginals. The question is, is the Canadian government
doing enough to make it up to those who suffered the ill effects of residential schools?
In 1876, residential schools became an obligation to every Indian kid. They were forced to say their last goodbyes to their families. Over 150 000
students were forced to attend these poorly built and equipped

Residential Schools Research Paper
There has been lots of controversy about the Indian Residential Schools in Canada and its long term consequences. The Indian Residential Schools long
lasting negative effects on the Canadian Identity and Indigenous peoples are still present today. This essay will outline the legal issues, mortality rates
and poor conditions. Lasty the lasting effects from the Residential Schools present today in both the survivors, and the new generations. The conflicts
between Canada's Residential Schools and the Canadian Identity is a very problematic issue that Canadians of both Aboriginal descent and mainstream
Canadians are trying to amend.
There are many legal concerns regarding the Indian Residential Schools. Firstly, foundations of the pre–confederation...show more content...
For many survivors of residential schools, alcohol has become a solution to escape their past. However, over 50% of Indigenous peoples are alcoholics.
This poses a threat in their health (mentally and physically) as well as their influences on their children. Valuable parenting skills and transmission of
language and culture have been lost from removing the First Nations, Inuit, and MГ©tis children from their parents, for extended periods of time.
Many Aboriginal people now do not speak their traditional language currently, and lost their cultures. Parents who experienced abusive behaviours
from residential schools now pass their abuse and trauma to their children. There are high levels of self–abuse, caused by the sense of worthlessness
that teachers taught students at residential schools. This impacts Aboriginal communities greatly, even after so many years. First Nations women
attempt suicide eight more times than other Canadian women, and First Nations men attempt suicide five more times than other Canadian men. All of
these long–term impacts are still present today, caused by Indian Residential

Residential Schools Argumentative Analysis
In 1907 government health inspector P.H. Bryce recorded that 24% of previously healthy indigenous children were dying in the residential schools. He
estimated that between 47% and 75% of students who were sent home when they were critically ill, died. The residential schools were created to "take
the Indian out of the child" and to ensure that Indian culture and traditions were not passed down to future generations, essentially trying to end their
way of life and assimilate them into a Euro–Canadian lifestyle. The government committed this appalling action by using the schools as a false
pretense of trying to help the aboriginals adapt, making it mandatory for indigenous children to attend residential schools and students were forbidden to
...show more content...
The lessons at the residential schools were solely taught in French or English and the only religion allowed to be practised was Christianity. Students
were strictly forbidden to speak their own languages, even though many knew know other. These rules were rigorously enforced and many former
students speak of severe punishments including beating whipping, being shackled to their beds and needles being pushed through their tongues if these
rules were broken. If the schools had truly been to help the aboriginals adapt, instead of trying to end their way of life, there would have been no need
to punish the children for speaking their native language. Because of these punishments, and never speaking their mother–tongues from the time of
arrival at the residential schools, many students lost the ability to speak their native language. A residential school survivor, Freda Simon, told her
story of going to a residential school only speaking her indigenous language, and realizing her sister(who came two years earlier) not able to speak
their language anymore. Being able to suppress the indigenous languages, culture and traditions which caused a major overall loss of the indigenous
way of life, disrupted the natural balance of the Indian communities. In aboriginal societies many cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs are taught by
the elders. But as a result of the

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...show
more content...
In this way the aboriginals were thought to be eliminated as a threat since they are no longer banded together through their beliefs, nor were they
competent enough to gain power and success on their own. Cultural assimilation is the process by which a person or a group's culture comes to
resemble those of another group. As the each participant throughout the film narrate their harsh experiences, it is evident that this process was brutally
enforced and implemented by the Canadian government. The system separates the children from their families at a young age, and forbade them to
practice their Aboriginal rituals or speak their own language, and were taught that these ways are primitive and uncivilized. (Hanson, n.d) This process
can be analyzed through the concept of socialization agents, which is defined by the people and institutions that influence ones attitude and behaviour.
Families are considered to be primary agents of socialization, since they are the earliest source of learning and emotional connections. They play a
critical role in forming individual behaviour and passing on culture from one generation to the next through language and rituals. (Tepperman, Albanese
& Curtis 2012. pg. 57) However since the children were separated from their families at an early age, they became alienated from their roots, and the
ties through which aboriginal culture can be passed

"We are here to study history, not repeat it." One of the various reasons we study history is to reflect on the past and grow and learn from people's
past mistakes to try and avoid them in the future. The individuals/groups who were unfairly treated cannot just forget what happen to them or their
family they still feel the effects every day. For example, when Canada's did the unjust acts of opening residential schools in the 19th century (the final
one did not close until 1996) and the horrific acts that happened in them, and because of this, many future generations of indigenous people are now
forever affected. Their kids and grandkids now cannot speak their native tongue, and those indigenous people who are traumatized by what they
experienced...show more content...
Compensation is defined as "something, typically money, awarded to someone as a recompense for loss, injury, or suffering." and it can be given in
many various forms. It is not just in the form of money (even though this is the most common) it is also given in help, and land. A democratic country
that turned into an authoritarian government with arguably the worse dictator in history (Adolf Hitler) and the worst thing that has ever happen in
history: The Holocaust. After the liberation of the concentration camps and the end of World War II, the marks of the Holocaust burned deeply and the
survivors and their remaining relatives needed to be compensated for the traumatic experiences and loss. Germany was not the only country to
compensate as Germany was not the only country that was part of the Nazi regime. Other countries like Russia, Sweden, Austria, Romania, Norway,
Poland the list goes on. A direct example is Slovak–Republic's compensation for the property lost during the Holocaust (i.e. valuables,

The Purpose Of Residential Schools
Payton Stark English A30 Cheryl Loeppky November 22nd, 2017 Residential Schools Residential schools were viewed as a way to refine the
Aboriginal population and keep children from keeping their language and their cultural traditions. The purpose of residential schools was to civilize
the Aboriginal people and to make them useful and good members of society with strict punishments for any of their wrong doings. Richard Pratt is
the person who founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and he said "you must kill the Indian in him; to save the man". (Kill the Indian in him)
The goal of residential schools was to combine the Aboriginals into white society when they were children since they were much more gullible. My
research paper will focus on the residential schools and will contend that the Canadian government and churches committed genocide against the
Aboriginal population in an attempt to eliminate the Aboriginal culture. Until the 1850's, churches were in control of the residential schools. The
Bagot Commission Report of 1842 and the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 came into effect and opened the way for the Canadian government to
fund schools that would teach english, religion and other features of European culture and discipline anyone who displayed Aboriginal traits.(Can
Money Undo The Past?) The residential schools grew from 54 schools in 1898 to 81 by 1946. Residential schools expanded quickly from the Federal
government's funding and support. From 1840

Residential schools were an education system set up by the Canadian government and administered by churches with the objective to assimilate
aboriginal youth into mainstream Canadian society. For over a century, the school system forcibly separated approximately 150,000 children from their
families and forbid them to acknowledge their Aboriginal heritage, culture or to speak their native languages. , If these regulations were not followed,
the children suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse. These harsh methods of assimilation eliminated Aboriginal government and caused
Aboriginal peoples to cease to exist as social, cultural, and racial entities in Canada.
Today, Aboriginal peoples continue to experience the residual affects left by...show more content...
This section will outline the way Canada has failed to promote reparation, responsibility and reframing towards the communities of Aboriginal peoples
on their path to transnational justice. Whilst reparation and responsibility can be argued to have been adequately dealt with through Stephen Harper's
apology address to the Aboriginal peoples and a compensation package of $2 billion dollars, I will argue that these actions have not been

Residential School Research Paper
Residential schools are coming into perspective as harsh and assimilating institutions. These schools have been in place from 1870s to 1990s and were
operated by churches. The intent of these schools were to civilize and assimilate indigenous children at the age of 6–18 into the "European" world. The
assumption that Indians were uncivilized came from an ethnocentric worldview and the institutions were as to say "to kill the indian in the child".
Attendance at these schools was mandatory according to the Indian Act of 1920. Often "Indian agents" kidnaped children from their homes if their
parents did not willingly hand them over. The children were not permitted to see their families, except on rare occasions. Sometimes the children were
told that their parents and tribe had perished in order to break attachments. The schools started off as a way to provide education to First Nations,
however, the institutions became known for their harsh methods of instilling...show more content...
Many survivors of these school speak out today with hopes of preventing this kind of torture in the future. The government did eventually realize
what they have been doing is wrong but it was too late. The damage has been done. The graduates from the schools did not have any life and did not
know how to act in society. They turned to alcoholism, suicide and abuse to their own family as that was the only behaviour they knew. It's an
ongoing cycle of pain. The last school officially ended in 1996 and after that Stephen Harper officially apologized for everything in 2001. Survivors are
offered reconciliation session and given many rights to compensate for the impacts of the institutions. Hopefully this will be a new beginning for the
relationships between Aboriginals and the government. Though the past cannot be erased, it can be

Residential Schools
Case Study: Residential Schools
Examining the residential school system in Canada between the 1870s and 1996 exposes numerous human rights and civil liberties violations of
individuals by the government. This case study involves both de jure discrimination and de facto discrimination experienced by Aboriginals based on
their culture. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms specifically protects Aboriginal rights under section 25 and section 15 declares that,
"Every individual is equal before and under the law" (Sharpe & Roach, 2009, p. 307). Human rights and civil liberties of Aboriginal children and
parents were ignored and violated by residential schools which were fuelled by government policy, agendas of church organizations, and a...show more
content...
257). The programs were put in place as a method of imposing norms on a younger generation that had been deemed fit for transformation (Ibid). This
policy resulted in a vulnerable group being removed from their homes and placed into an environment plagued with physical, sexual, emotional, and
spiritual abuse. Isolation from all aspects of one's culture was degrading, isolating, and discouraging.
The implementation of residential schools can be considered an action taken with societies best interests in mind. The policy initially appeared to
be free from de jure discrimination since the purpose was to empower the aboriginal population and give them the tools they needed to succeed in a
modern society. The abuse suffered by the students did not appear to be an intentional result of the assimilation policy adopted by the government.
Policy makers had a desire to create a generation of aboriginals accustomed to the ways of civilized life (Llewellyn, 2002, p. 257). Unfortunately the
policy had flaws and experiences in residential schools have resulted in numerous accounts of injuries sustained and psychological damage (Akhtar,
2010, p. 263). The fact that discrimination actively occurred to this group of people is an example of de facto discrimination.
Church Organizations The Catholic Church and United Church of Canada are responsible for discriminating aboriginal peoples

Residential Schools' Impact on Indigenous Culture

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