Residential Schools In Canada

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Canada views itself as “...a nation that values and respects the contributions and individuality of many different cultures,” (Government of Canada. About Canada). In other words, Canada is a multicultural country. Residential schools were a dark spot in Canadian history that had very serious negative impacts on over 150,000 aboriginal students and their families. The philosophy of residential schools contradicted Canada’s vision of being a multicultural country; in fact they were in place to destroy the aboriginal culture by attacking the native religions, languages and customs. One of the purposes of residential schools was “...to teach native people to read English so they could learn the Bible and convert to Christianity,” (CBC Archives.…show more content…
Residential schools had strict rules against native children speaking their language. The Department of Indian Affairs wrote in its 1895 report, "So long as he keeps his native tongue, so long will he remain a community apart," (CBC Archives. Losing native languages). Residential schools made it very hard for native children to speak their own language. Punishments were given out to students who conversed in their native tongue. Students also came from a variety of different tribes within a school, making the easiest language to communicate in being English. It is predicted by Statistics Canada that only three of fifty prominent aboriginal languages will survive the century, (Norris, Mary Jane. Canada’s Aboriginal Languages). Residential schools played a big role in this prediction. Language is a huge part of a culture. Within a language are terms and phrases that make a culture and hold it together. Native children losing their languages was a serious blow to the aboriginal…show more content…
Residential schools were a cultural genocide. Canadian citizens and the government realise today what a horrible mistake these schools were. In 2008 the Canadian government offered an apology to the former residential schools’ students, making Canada one of the first nations to do this (the only other country apologizing for this being Australia in the same year). The Canadian government not only recognized the mistake that residential schools were, but they have also built off this mistake as well. The Canadian government is doing its best to help rebuild the native culture through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was created to help former students. From residential schools Canada has gained a “this will never happen again” attitude, and from this, Canada has solidified itself as the multicultural country that people view Canada as

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