Running head: residential school biography

Running Head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL BIOGRAPHY Residential School Biography Running Head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL BIOGRAPHY Treaties were signed by the Aboriginal people in the year of 1872, when the European settlers came to Canada. The negotiation lead into another subject in which they would build a residential school for the children of the Aboriginal people where they can help them in improving their economic and social practices. They negotiated with the Aboriginal people of Canada about sharing the land with both parties benefiting from its resources. British, Europeans including the church itself felt that they have the responsibility to help the Aboriginal People in following or incorporating how they run their political, economic and social customs. They were promised that in signing the treaty, they would still be able to continue preserving their culture, traditions, ceremonies and anything that deals with their way of living and beliefs, which was the opposite of what Residential Schools had brought the children. This leads the Aboriginal people in signing the contract known as Treaty. The First Nations believed that the lands they have were created to be shared, not owned. The Europeans made allies with First Nations through gift giving. The treaty was an agreement to share the land as equals. They saw treaties as ways to secure lands. The treaties were understood to be legacies that bring peace, harmony and ways to show respect. The intent of the treaty was that they’d be given land and would not be interfered with. Inside Residential School, it was agreed on that they would teach the children how to cook, dew, how to solve mathematical problems, how to speak other language mainly English, how to farm and make a use of their lands and resources. When Residential Schools were built in the year of 1800’s, the Aboriginal people were shocked because of the fact that it was not built anywhere on the Reserves instead somewhere far from what they had agreed on. The Europeans decided to build the reserves to make it easier for them to control the children, it would also make it easier for them to keep the children away from their family especially their cultures. Running Head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL BIOGRAPHY When Residential Schools had finally opened, children were forced to attend school even if they don’t want to. Although First Nations and the Europeans people had both agreed that only children who wanted to attend Residential School are the only ones attending it. Children at a young age were dragged out of their homes and were thrown inside Residential School. Nuns, Priest and Nurses were the ones to pick them up. They all cried at night wishing they were backing home with their parents. They all felt alone. The children were all seeking for the same thing, love and care, which the Residential School always failed to provide, instead, they would treat them as if the children were animals. Children were physically, mentally, spiritually and sexually abused. Children were punished over small mistakes and shortcomings they have committed. Abuse is the one of the most controversial happenings that occurred inside Residential Schools. They were criticized for having dark skin and the darker you were; the more you were looked down to. Some children got their tongue run over a sewing machine for speaking their language and some were asked to scrub their skin by a steal brush to remove their tan skin and became pale just like the Europeans and the paler you were, you likely to became one of the teacher’s pet. Children were killed for being used in medical experimentations, including the removal of their organs, and they were also beaten to the point where they suffer from broken arm, leg, ribs and fractures skulls, including concussion. The administrators of Residential School including nuns and priests sexually abused children, male and female. A man down in the laundry room for a long time was molesting her. She did not know how to fight back and she did not have the guts to tell anyone and she’s also scared to what’s going to happen. They were told that if they ever tell anybody, they would never see their family again. They were threatened and blackmailed for telling the truth and they were also threatened of being striped or to be given a heavier punishment. Running Head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL BIOGRAPHY If the children finally had the guts to tell people in higher ranks, chances were they never believed them, possibly because they are one of them. Female children had gone through abortion as a result of rape. Nuns became pregnant for sexually abusing boys. There were some failures: to bring out incidents to those in higher authorities, appropriate provincial governmental authorities, to protect the children from abuses, to remove known administrators who committed sexual harassments inside Residential School and lastly, to fulfill the promise of education for Aboriginal people. Children were sickness that could have been cured but did not because they were not given a care and medicines. They were abused to the point where they felt nothing but pain. People who went to Residential Schools and had an experience and suffered from all the abuse that you can possibly think of had trouble coping up with life. The abuse had left an unbearable pain in their heart and in their memories that never failed to hunt them. The shame they have felt whenever they are reminded of what had happened inside the school the fear of telling someone what happened scared to face the consequences. The trauma and phobia which lead to addiction trying to be naive and ignore the pain. The isolation of the memories, where try to forget everything which lead to suicide. The strong impact, shame and sexual abuse, which lead her to a prostitute. The physical abuse that broke their arms, ribs and legs which caused them to be using wheel chairs in able to move from one place to another. The necessity of learning English, which caused the children to forget their own language. Some came out of Residential School not knowing anything about their culture and some wished they never were First Nations because of the criticism and the abuse they have experienced. The fact that a part of their identity was taken away from them. Think about their lost souls trying to find the real they, also, think about their lives of the children wasted and uncared for. Many innocent children lost their precious lives because of people’s ignorance. The pain they carried, kept and trying to burry Running Head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL BIOGRAPHY under their feet, but could not. The shame of telling anybody what they have experienced because they are scared to be judged, or scared to feel the burden and pain ever again. Residential Schools in Canada had failed to live up to the promised they agreed on in the numbered treaties. Due to Residential School, children of Aboriginal people lost their culture, Running Head: RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL BIOGRAPHY