Research Paper Undergraduate 1,430 words

Aboriginal Healing from Residential School Abuse in Canada

~8 min read 6 sections Health · Trauma

Abstract

This paper examines the healing process of Aboriginal communities in Canada as they confront the devastating intergenerational effects of the residential school system. It begins by tracing the formation and purpose of residential schools — government-funded, church-run institutions designed to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children into the dominant Canadian culture — and documents the cultural destruction and trauma that resulted. The paper then evaluates traditional healing practices (such as Healing Circles, Sweat Lodges, and Medicine Wheel ceremonies) alongside non-traditional psychological interventions (including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and EMDR). It concludes that while no single approach has proven fully effective, healing strategies developed by and within Aboriginal communities themselves offer the most culturally appropriate path forward.

Key Takeaways

Introduction: Thesis: Aboriginal communities need self-determined healing
Residential School Abuse: Origins, mechanisms, and harms of residential schooling
The Healing Process: Aboriginal healing movement and teaching-based responses
Traditional and Non-Traditional Healing Practices: Ceremonial and psychological healing methods described
Effectiveness of Healing Practices and the Need for a Better Approach: Critique of existing approaches; call for community-led solutions
Conclusion: Summary of argument and community-driven healing imperative

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What makes this paper effective

The paper maintains a clear, logical structure — moving from historical context to documented harm to healing responses — making the argument easy to follow even when covering complex cultural material.
It draws a meaningful distinction between traditional Indigenous healing practices and Western psychological interventions, allowing an honest critique of why neither has fully succeeded on its own.
The conclusion loops back to the thesis effectively, reinforcing that community-driven, culturally grounded approaches are the logical answer to a problem created by cultural erasure.

Key academic technique demonstrated

This paper demonstrates effective use of a literature review to support a policy-oriented argument. Rather than simply reporting what sources say, the writer synthesizes findings across multiple studies to build toward a normative claim: that healing strategies must be developed by Aboriginal communities themselves. This move from descriptive evidence to prescriptive conclusion is a hallmark of strong undergraduate academic writing in the social sciences.

Structure breakdown

The paper follows a five-part structure: (1) an introduction that states the thesis, (2) a historical section establishing the context and harms of residential schooling, (3) an overview of the Aboriginal healing movement and its methods, (4) a critical evaluation of those methods' effectiveness, and (5) a conclusion restating the argument for community-led healing. Each section serves a distinct argumentative function, and transitions between them are clear and purposeful.

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Essay 1,430 words

Introduction

The residential school era in Canada was characterized by the establishment of a network of boarding schools targeting Indigenous peoples. The school system was centered on removing and isolating Aboriginal children from their own traditions and cultures and assimilating them into the dominant culture (Hanson, 2009). This system eventually had devastating impacts on Aboriginal communities to an extent that it is commonly known today as residential school abuse. Existing literature demonstrates that residential school abuse contributed to the emergence of a generation of Aboriginals devoid of traditional or cultural means of coping with their daily lives. According to Goforth (2007), residential school abuse created devastating impacts on entire Aboriginal communities due to its intergenerational effects. However, existing literature also shows that Aboriginals have struggled to identify suitable healing methods for dealing with these effects. Therefore, healing methods and strategies for residential school abuse should be determined and established by and within Aboriginal communities themselves.

Residential School Abuse

One of the most significant features in the history of Aboriginal communities is the residential school era, which was financed by the Canadian Government's Department of Indian Affairs and implemented by Christian churches. The residential school system was established to remove and isolate Aboriginal children from the influence of their own traditions and cultures and to assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture (Hanson, 2009). The placement of Aboriginal children in residential schools was driven by the assumption that Aboriginal traditions and beliefs were inferior and unequal. Through this process, Aboriginal children were forced to adopt Western culture as the dominant norm.

Because a large population of Aboriginal children were placed in the residential school system, abuse emerged as these children were subjected to practices that would have lasting intergenerational effects. This system systematically weakened Aboriginal culture throughout Canada and disrupted families for several generations. Most of the Native Indian children who were forcibly placed in these schools would not see their families again for the next ten years, while others never reunited with their families (Pulitzer Center, 2016). In some cases, these children were punished for speaking their native languages or following their indigenous traditions and cultures.

Residential school abuse ended up having devastating impacts on entire Aboriginal communities. According to a publication by Pulitzer Center (2016), residential school abuse had immeasurable impacts on Aboriginal populations. Dionne (2008) states that the residential school system left many Aboriginal children devoid of cultural or traditional measures for coping with their daily lives. While some of these children died while in the residential schools, survivors of the system remain lost within the dominant culture (Dionne, 2008; Pulitzer Center, 2016). Spear (2008) states that the residential school system left Aboriginal people with historical trauma characterized by a legacy of destruction, despair, and pain. Some of the devastating impacts include addictions, suicide, poverty, difficulty establishing healthy relationships, crime, poor parenting skills, self-abuse, and violence.

The Healing Process

Given the devastating, intergenerational impacts of residential school abuse, Aboriginal communities have faced the need to utilize appropriate healing procedures to overcome the social and cultural harm caused by forced assimilation. Most existing generations of Aboriginal children have grown up with a sense of worthlessness, feeling that they neither belong to their own Aboriginal communities nor are fully part of the dominant Canadian culture. This sense of worthlessness has contributed to significant complexities in the healing process. The healing process for these communities began in 1996, when the Aboriginal healing movement emerged following the closure of the last residential school. This movement began focusing on some of the most devastating impacts of residential school abuse.

The Aboriginal healing movement focused on addictions and mental health problems generated by the residential school system. The sense of worthlessness among Aboriginal children had forced many into addictions and substance abuse as a means of coping with the cultural difficulties brought by assimilation. Following the emergence of the movement, one of the healing methods adopted was Aboriginal teachings — practices designed to promote a return to Aboriginal tradition and culture, fueled by a renewed commitment to regaining cultural identity (Spear, 2008). In addition to promoting a return to traditional and cultural practices, Aboriginal teachings also focused on fostering a holistic view of individual and community wellbeing.

2 Sections Hidden · 405 words

Traditional and Non-Traditional Healing Practices185 words

Aboriginal communities utilized traditional and non-traditional healing practices, which have the potential to provide suitable care to survivors of the residential school system (Dionne, 2008). In this regard, clinicians utilize collective healing approaches in which individual…

Effectiveness of Healing Practices and the Need for a Better Approach220 words

While these healing practices have been effective in addressing some of the problems associated with residential school abuse, they have failed to completely resolve all of the devastating impacts. Some traditional methods are considered irrelevant by current generations of Aboriginals,…

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Conclusion

The residential school era is a period in the history of Aboriginal communities in Canada during which Aboriginal children were removed and isolated from their families and placed in residential schools designed to assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture. The school system ended up having devastating impacts on the traditions and cultures of various generations of Aboriginals. In response to these devastating impacts, Aboriginal communities have utilized various healing approaches and practices, including Aboriginal teachings and both traditional and non-traditional healing methods. However, these practices have achieved only partial success, and this relative failure underscores the need for healing approaches developed by Aboriginals themselves — strategies that are culturally grounded, community-centered, and built on Indigenous peoples' own understanding of their historical trauma and collective wellbeing.

References

Dionne, D. (2008). Recovery in the residential school abuse aftermath: A new healing paradigm. University of Lethbridge.

Goforth, S. (2007). Aboriginal healing methods for residential school abuse and intergenerational effects: A review of the literature. Native Social Work Journal, 6, 11–32.

Hanson, E. (2009). The residential school system. Indigenous Foundations, University of British Columbia.

Pulitzer Center. (2016, July 17). Signs of your identity: Forced assimilation education for indigenous youth. Retrieved November 27, 2017, from https://pulitzercenter.org/project/western-canada-first-nations-residential-schools-identity

Spear, W. K. (2008). Historical trauma and the Aboriginal healing foundation. Visions Journal, 5(1), 26–27.

University of Ottawa. (2017, September 20). Introduction to Indigenous peoples in Canada. Retrieved November 27, 2017, from http://www.med.uottawa.ca/SIM/data/Vul_Indigenous_e.htm

Key Concepts in This Paper

Residential Schools Intergenerational Trauma Cultural Assimilation Healing Circles Medicine Wheel Historical Trauma Cognitive Behavioral Therapy EMDR Community Healing Aboriginal Identity