Indian Residential Schools

Aboriginals have been on Canadian soil since the break of dawn, yet they were mistreated the most. They have gone through centuries of torture and injustice but still face and continue to face racial problems and discrimination in contemporary society due to their past. Aboriginals have gone through horrible experiences such as residential schools, faulty treaties and racism in society. Making up for past maltreatment towards Aboriginals and mending the years of damage by paying reparations and providing services is something that the contemporary Canadian society is responsible for.

Indian Residential Schools are an unforgivable and tragic event in Canadian history that is often not talked about, although it needs to be. When discussing

The first step to healing Canada and making up for maltreatment towards Aboriginals is to talk about it and how many generations were affected. Justice Murray Sinclair, has contributed many facts and information about the past and the generations of the future, he says “Contrary to what some may think, every person in Canada and many in the United States have been affected in one way or another by residential schools. Seven generations of Aboriginal families have been affected by the Residential School system. This means that over 150 years, Native children grew up without the nurturing of their parents nor learning the parenting skills necessary for raising their own children.”¹ The Canadian government is fully responsible for the 150 years of difficulty caused for Aboriginals. In all, about 150,000 Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis children were removed from their communities and forced to attend the schools. Approximately 1.9

Society does not treat indigenous people with the same level of respect as non indigenous people are treated. They are treated as if they are below society and are given less opportunities to function in modern society. The Canadian government and the Canadian community as a whole need to integrate the indigenous community into contemporary Canadian society. "The lack of opportunities and resources that are afforded to the rest of Canadians are not being afforded to our people."³ says Sheila North Wilson, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak. Aboriginals are not considered a priority and offered the bare minimum of necessary services. According to Canada health “First Nations youth commit suicide about five to six times more often than non-Aboriginal youth.” yet Aboriginal youth are not provided with half the resources and aid that non-indigenous people receive. Canada is fully responsible for the high suicide rates amongst Indigenous people, and need to begin providing full time aid and services to Aboriginals just the like rest of