Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.
The residential schools that the Canadian government used to assimilate indigenous people represent an example of the aggressive imposition of culture against ones will. The case of Aggie George, described by the Legacy of Hope Foundation (2022), illustrates the violent, intolerant treatment of Native Canadians in such an institution. It also demonstrates the interviewees attitude towards residential schools from a survivors perspective.
The cultural genocide against Indigenous children highlighted in the interview Aggie George makes me think about ethnic discrimination in current Canada through the following aspects: the poor living conditions and cultural oppression in residential schools.
Overall, the authorities imposition of Canadian residential schools was a severe manifestation of cultural genocide since these organizations adopted many practices that oppressed the Indigenous people and culture. According to Schwetizer (2019), such institutions were characterized by poor conditions, heavy workloads, and the oppression of cultural attributes, through the use of which the government expected to adapt the aboriginal people to societys standards. The purpose of residential schools was to incorporate indigenous people into society without considering the students interests and needs. In this aspect, the religious part of education was central to assimilating Native Canadian children into European-American culture. School officials prohibited students from using their mother tongue for communication, which led to a decrease in the number of speakers of several languages in Canada (Florence, 2021). As can be seen, restricting peoples cultural attributes is an improper way of social integration because it violates fundamental human rights.
In this regard, the interview with Aggie George reveals that poor living conditions in residential schools contributed to the cultural genocide against Indigenous people in Canada. More specifically, adverse environmental factors and inhumane treatment of students resulted in poor health, deaths, and dissociation from their own culture. As stated in the video by Legacy of Hope Foundation (2022), Aggie George is a former Lejack Indian Residential School student who survived the genocide. It is evident that the conditions at Lejack were severely oppressive, as they included laborious household chores, strict restrictions, poor accommodation, nutrition and healthcare, and mistreatment by school staff. Aggie George reported that Lejack Indian Residential School students had to do many chores, while school staff practiced corporal punishment for children who failed to demonstrate the expected behavior or level of knowledge (Legacy of Hope Foundation, 2022). Moreover, the interviewee mentioned a lack of appropriate nutrition and multiple examples where restricted access to healthcare services resulted in illnesses and deaths among children (Legacy of Hope Foundation, 2022). The case of Aggie George makes me feel angry because it involves the exploitation of child labor and the violation of several human rights. Combined with an intolerant approach to students and disregard for peoples cultural backgrounds and needs, such conditions exacerbate the overall negative impact on people. In my view, the use of child labor shows that the residential schools were designed to assimilate indigenous peoples in the easiest and cheapest possible way. Moreover, using corporal punishment for incorrect answers during lessons can also cause children to develop negative associations with learning and educational institutions in general. As a result, the living conditions in residential schools were a serious adverse factor contributing to the cultural genocide of indigenous people.
Furthermore, the cultural oppression in Canadian residential schools can be considered another critical factor that contributed to the cultural genocide against Indigenous people. Namely, the prohibition of the native language, religion, and culture reported by the interviewee became one of the reasons why she felt dissociated from her own culture (Legacy of Hope Foundation, 2022). Aggie George recalls beading with her mother as the only culturally significant activity from her childhood (Legacy of Hope Foundation, 2022). It is evident that there were punishments for violating school instructions which included prohibitions of native culture and forcing children to follow specific instructions (Legacy of Hope Foundation, 2022). Attendance at Christian services, specifically Catholic ones, was an integral part of the residential school experience. I believe that restricting peoples religious freedom harms cultural diversity within the country, which may cause self-identity issues. Using prohibitions on native culture is not a rational way to socialize people, and forced assimilation may not achieve the desired positive effect and, in doing so, may significantly worsen the lives of Indigenous people. The case of Aggie George makes me sympathize with Lejack students due to the intolerant attitudes toward indigenous people in residential schools, including critical restrictions on the expression of native culture and choice of religion. Thus, using direct prohibitions to assimilate Native Canadians violated fundamental human rights and contributed to the overall cultural genocide of these people.
To conclude, staying in residential schools was a severe challenge for many Native Canadians, not all of whom were able to survive such an experience. The story of Aggie George illustrates some negative aspects of being in boarding institutions, including poor living conditions, intolerant attitudes, and prohibitions on expressions of native culture and language. Thus, residency schools in Canada have significantly contributed to the oppression of Indigenous people as the personnel of these schools employed cruel and intolerant treatment methods toward students.
References
Florence, M. (2021). Residential schools: The devastating impact on Canadas Indigenous peoples and the truth and reconciliation commissions findings and calls for action. James Lorimer & Company.
Legacy of Hope Foundation. (2022). Aggie George [Video]. Legacy of Hope. Web.
Schwetizer, D. (2019). [Review of the book Residential schools and reconciliation: Canada confronts its history, by J. R. Miller]. The University of Toronto Quarterly, 88(3), 122-123. Web.
Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.