A discussion on the brainwashing and abuse in Indian residential schools, based on three articles.
This paper deals with the brainwashing and the physical, emotional, sexual and cultural abuse that took place in residential schools. The paper discusses how residential schools are one of the worst examples of Canada’s treatment of Native peoples; all that they accomplished was damage to Native people as individuals and as a culture. The paper points out that the main goal of residential schools was not assimilation but the destruction of Native culture, and the final result was that the children educated in those schools lost their place in their own society, along with receiving no skills to enter white society.
Residential schools are one of the worst examples of Canada’s treatment of Native peoples. During the nineteenth century, residential schools were of two types: boarding schools for the younger children and industrial schools for older children. All these schools were situated far from the reserves so that they all finally became residential schools. Everything that took place in these schools, even their original goal, was nothing but abuse and oppression. The entire idea behind residential schools is completely hypocritical. Long (1996, p. 273) states, The legacy of residential schools takes on an element of tragedy when set in the context of their initial, publicly enunciated goal. The schools were established by the federal government for the purpose of assimilating Native children into Canadian society. Residential schools were operated for the government by the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches. Every type of abuse and even torture took place. The real reason for residential schools was the government’s attitude that Native people are useless, and the children really did learn this lesson.