Residential Schools - 898 Words

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, â€Å"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 env ironment 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 peoplesShow MoreRelatedThe School Of Residential Schools1262 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the stories and testimonies of the students of residential schools. First off, this text does have components that relate to me personally in regards to the ideals put forth by the staff at residential schools and attempt to convert the students to Christianity. I have been raised in a Christian home and brought up under Christian ways of acting and thinking in my everyday life. The attempt that the White people in the residential schools took to convert the Native children does not relateRead MoreResidential Schools2505 Words   |  11 Pagesdone in order to fit them into their ideal perception of what it was to be Canadian. With the help of the church the Canadian government implemented the residential school system, which was devoted to providing a disciplined based idea l that promoted rejection of the aboriginal culture in favor of the dominant white population. The residential system would eventually become an official Canadian policy for the education of Indian. Even though there are those that state that the government was justRead MoreReflecting On The Residential School System1509 Words   |  7 PagesRESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SYSTEM 3. In reflecting on the Residential School System in Canada, discuss why Elders teachings and courses in Indigenous studies are important today. Between 1875 and 1996, First Nations children were forced to attended residential schools to be systematically assimilated into an English-Christian society through abuse, segregation, and racism. Residential schools were created by the Canadian government to transition First Nations children into a newly colonized Canada, butRead MoreIntergenerational effects of Residential schools1559 Words   |  7 PagesIntergenerational Effects of Residential Schools Who are the people that went to residential schools, where are they, and their families today? Have you ever heard someone talk about residential schools like it was an everyday conversation? Residential schools have become so camouflaged into the back of people’s minds. People tend to forget that these schools took place and that they are real life events that can have an effect on everyone around them. These schools have left such an imprint onRead MoreDevelopment Of The Residential School System1740 Words   |  7 Pages: A quote from Aggie George recalling of her experience in the Lejac Indian Residential School (Legacy of Hope Foundation, 2001). In the 1880s all the way to the 1990’s roughly 150,000 aboriginal children where removed from their communities and homes to attend the residential school system set up by the government and operated by the Christian churches (Government of Canada, 2015). The purpose of these residential schools was to isolate Aboriginal children from their families and assimilate themRead MoreThe Indian Act and residential school1974 Words   |  8 Pagesits amending statutes contained sections that were discriminatory towards Canadian Native Indians, and that legalized suppression of Indian customs and traditions. In this paper, I will examine how one section of the Act, the one relating to residential schools, contributed to the genocide of Indian culture. Ever since the first Europeans set foot on Canadian soil in the 15th century, they have thought their culture and way of life was superior to that of the Native North Americans. Initially theRead MoreResidential Schools in Canada Essay1065 Words   |  5 PagesSociology 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 amp; Webber, 2013: pg. 237). This is because the Aboriginal children would also be taught about their culture and its customs. But the Europeans thought, â€Å"Canada’s First Nation peoples were inRead MoreResidential Schools Were Government Endorsed Schools For Aboriginal Children1749 Words   |  7 PagesResidential schools were government endorsed schools for Aboriginal children. When children were sent to the residential schools, they were taken away from their parents and placed into a strange, unsupportive environment where the standing parental figures were often abusive towards them. The Legacy of Hope Foundation (2015) says â€Å"First Nations, Inuit, and Mà ©tis children were often away from their parents for long periods o f time and this prevented the discovering and learning of valuable parentingRead MoreResidential Schools Vs. Public Schools1253 Words   |  6 PagesResidential 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 cultureRead More The Examination of the Residential School System in Canada Essay932 Words   |  4 Pagesmissionaries established a form of formal education for Aboriginal children, which was to be governed at residential schools. However, this tradition did not last long due to rising conflicts. European missionaries believed Aboriginal children were in need of assistance to become more civilized, and wanted them to be integrated into their European culture (Ravelli Webber, 2010). Once sent to residential schools, the children were prevented from seeing and speaking to their families, aside from very short