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Aboriginals In Richard Wagamese's Indian Horse

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Richard Wagamese brings to light the troubles of aboriginals living in Northern Canada in his book Indian Horse. Wagamese demonstrates the maltreatment aboriginals have faced at the hands of the Zhaunagush and their residential schools. The disgusting truth of the treatment of aboriginals in Canada is shown through recovering alcoholic, Saul Indian Horse, who recounts his life from the time he lived in the bush with his native family, the Anishinabeg, to the the time he checked into The New Dawn Treatment Centre. Seen through Saul’s eyes, the Canadian government captures and transports native children to residential schools. Not only are these children stripped from their native way of life, they are placed in an environment that eerily resembles an internment camp. Children are forced to work and are beaten with no remorse when they refused to conform. Often times these beatings resulted in death. Even through Saul’s greatest release, ice hockey, he comes to the conclusion that it is just another mechanism used to conform the aboriginal children. Saul played for the love of the game, but when he was pressured to compete with the Zhaunagush, he lost his passion. While reflecting on his …show more content…

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a starting point; however, it is simply not enough to integrate the aboriginals into Canadian society. Apologizing for wrong doing and compensating individuals that have lived through the terror of residential schools is not enough to prevent the issue from recurring again. There are multiple steps that need to be taken in order to correct for Canada’s original sin. First, negotiations between the federal government and the aboriginal people need to take place. Next, Canadians need to educate their youth of the historical truth. Lastly, it is necessary to look at aboriginals as people, and not a foreign

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