Residential Schools in Canada for the Aborigines

Aboriginal Education in Canada

GOVERNMENT ROLE IN ABORIGINAL EDUCATION IN CANADA

What do you believe was the goal of the Canadian government and church in planning and running residential schools? Why?

Schooling is considered one of the key aspects that bring about change in any society. Even before the establishment of the residential schools, schooling was something that was taking place in the country of Canada. As the only process that can change the structure and capacity of the human intellect and exposure, schooling is vital in Canada. Initially, the indigenous Canada was facing myriad challenges in accessing education. Schooling became a weapon that was also used by the Christian movement in a bid to reinforce the prospects of reaching out to many people with the gospel of Christianity. As with the Canadian indigenous people, much was needed to reinforce the spread of this Christianity that came with schooling (Regan, 2010). The study, thus, gives critical reasons that led the government in Canada and Christian movement in this country, to seek to establish residential schools in the country. The government, and run by the Christina movements, financed the residential schools.

Body

It is clear that the Canadian government was facing the challenge of accessing all of its population with education. Schooling was a difficult thing to come by, as many of the indigenous people were not free to let their children participate in education. The indigenous communities saw no need to have their populace access education even when it had been brought to their doorstep (Fontaine, 2010). In fact, the entire population was illiterate and hence they could not even comprehend the English language that was used to bring Christianity and education to them. In a matter of time, it became necessary that all the population of the young people is put in some place where they will be given everything including education. Education alone was not sufficient or necessary because many community members struggled to raise anything for their upkeep. Thus, the creation of the residential schools was the aim of taking out those who needed education, most of which was done by force, as a way of fostering education and Christianity to them (Sellars, 2013).

Education was a necessity for transformation. The indigenous community was not willing to let the children participate in education through schooling. For the sake of having a universal change in the lives of all of those who needed education, it became necessary that the government establishes a place where all the children would be locked up and fed with education. Education was a necessity as it was seen that the people would not easily choose education on their own and hence those who participated by their will were not likely to have any immediate impact. Most of the people were attacked to the Canadian culture, which did not suppose them to be educated in the western lifestyle (Fontaine, 2010). A transformation was necessary to be offered in a universal way and hence education as, in some way, likely to be forced on the people. Creating residential schools was a better solution to this problem (Niezen, 2013).

The indigenous Canadian culture is a massive culture that is deep-rooted in the lives of the people. This culture is transmitted from one individual to another through their interactive participation in the elements of the culture. Western education appeared to have been a direct rival of this culture. The government alone could not force the children to be taken to schools, as the parents were not educated (Regan, 2010). Accepting the western education was seen as a way in which the indigenous culture and lifestyle would be degraded. Resistance was in the form of not accepting to participate in the western education. Schooling faced the challenge of teaching its ways, and the indigenous people did not use methods as the most common language used English. Therefore, the government and the indigenous people had to create some way in which they cooperated and reached the people in the ways that they wanted. While seeking to ensure that every child ripe for schooling was not left out, it was necessary to create some place where they would be kept fro some so that Western education and Christian teachings could be offered (Sellars, 2013).

The residential schools were seen as part of the remedy measures that would solve the problem of not accessing the indigenous people with and without their will. From the schools, the students were taken through a vigorous and continuous curriculum from where they graduated with a western culture and not the initial Canadian culture. The schools offered a platform from where education and Christianity were transfigured to the learners with and without their consent. The government saw it advisable to establish these schools so that it could access all the potential students and put them under a unified educational process. From this, Christianity could also be passed to the people (Regan, 2010).

Conclusion

Christianity could not be made possible with the lack of an educated lot to pass the message to them. In contrast, the Canadian government had not managed to bring its people to access schooling and education. The language of communication was English, yet the local and indigenous people did not know it. As a way of reaching out to the entire population for the sake of Christianity and education, the church collaborated with the government to establish locations from where the indigenous people could be educated in all fronts.

References

Fontaine, T. (2010). Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools: A Memoir. Surrey, B.C.: Heritage House.

Niezen, R. (2013). Truth and Indignation: Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Indian Residential Schools. North York, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press

Regan, P. (2010). Unsettling the Settler within Indian Residential Schools, Truth Telling, and Reconciliation in Canada. Vancouver [u.a.: UBC Press.

Sellars, B. (2013). They called me Number One: Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: Talonbooks