Indian Residential Schools: A Journey of Survival and Self-Acceptance

This article delves into the novel 'Indian Horse' by Richard Wagamese, which tells the story of Saul Indian Horse, a survivor of the Indian Residential School system. It explores Saul's journey of self-awareness and self-acceptance, highlighting the struggles he faced and the resilience he displayed. The article also discusses the impact of residential schools on Indigenous communities and the importance of acknowledging and understanding this dark chapter in history.

INDIAN
RESIDENTIAL
SCHOOLS

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Indian Horse is a novel which has been written by Richard Wagamese, published by
Douglas & McIntyre in 2012. The country in which novel was published was Canada. Novel was
being published in English language and also it was preceded by Runaway dreams. Indian Horse
was highest Grossing Canadian movie. It also won the top award in Vancouver International firm
festival. Report will lay emphasis on main experience of main character which is Saul Indian
Horse.
MAIN BODY
1
It has been analysed that Indian Horse which has been written and published by Canadian
writer. Novel put centre on Saul Indian horse who was the first nation boy that has survived the
Indian Residential school system. It has also been analysed in Novel that boy grows up and has
become a star ice hockey player. Novel is all about Saul Journey to self-awareness and self-
acceptance. All the struggles which has been faced by Saul is been described in Novel. A movie
was also being made on reference of the novel. Movie was being directed by Stephen Campanelli
(Niezen, (2016). It has been analysed in the novel that Saul brother was left ill after attending
Indian residential school and after few time his old brother was found dead. After this incident
Saul parents left Saul with his Grandmother and they never return after that. After some time, it
was analysed that Saul Grandmother also died because of illness. When his Grandmother dies
Saul faced a really hard time and then he was moved to residential school forcefully by some
authorities. Moving to residential school made Saul really tensed and worried, as the memories
from past related to his brother and his parents leaving has hit him back up (McKee & Forsyth,
(2019).
In residential school Saul also witnessed that the nun and instructors presented were
involved in abusing children and all children who were enrolled in Indian residential school
found it hard to survive. One of the instructor that is Father Gaston was looking for change and
then he convinced father Quinney to provide them a platform so that they can play ice hockey on
that area (Matheson, Bombay Dixon n& Anisman, (2018). Saul really wanted to learn how to
1 When your innocence is stripped from you, when your people are denigrated, when the
family you came from is denounced and your tribal ways and rituals are pronounced backward,
primitive, savage, you come to see yourself as less than human.
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play ice hockey. It was noted that Saul was not given chance to play as he does not meet out the
age requirement. So he was really disappointed when he was not selected for playing. But, then
he Convinced father Gaston to give him a job of maintain rink. This was done by him so that
Saul can spend some time on ice and he can also view game over there. Saul really wanted to
learn ice-hockey, so then he got involved in learning techniques related to ice hockey on his own.
He also learned techniques from televised hockey. Saul really wanted to play on filed so when
one of the player got injured and was not able to play he joined the game as a substitute and
showed Father Gaston is his efficient skills and talent. Saul also declines to join Lonnie's escape
attempt; Lonnie is recaptured and punished. Indian Residential school after this analyzed Saul’s
talent and ask him to foster home in a mining town and pursue lessons related to ice hockey.
After going to a different place it was analyzed in Novel that Saul joined all-indigenous team
which was known as the Moose (McQuaid and et.al., (2017).
Saul was taken in team and also he was given Jersey number 13, that was his lucky number.
Saul was engaged in making his team win the game and after some time when result was
declared, Saul’s team has won the game. Saul was the star player in tournament and he was also
awarded in Hockey night in Canada style. Saul was really excited and happy on that day as it
was his life’s biggest achievement. But when in Pub when awards were being given, the team
also faced racial discrimination (Feir & Auld, (2017). . By this Saul really became unhappy. Saul
was also being offered by Toronto Monarchs, but Saul really didn’t want to leave his friends who
were living in Moose. His friends insisted him to take the offer and also join Monarch. So Saul
agreed to them and join Monarch. Saul kept his number as 13 as this was his lucky number. After
this he also met Father Gaston, as he was really pride that Hockey has placed Saul in a good
position. Father also agrees that incidents which happened in school with him was really wrong
and he felt really sad about this. But Saul after this become victim of racism, where audiences
have thrown toys on ice. This really made Saul disappointed. He was also being pushed into
violence and after this he was charged with penalty (Niezen, (2017). Then Saul has to leave team
and find other jobs. Then this made Saul really depressed and then he joined a rehabilitation
center Rising Dawn, where the group therapy leader encourages him to confront the root cause of
his suffering. Then he travels back to the Indian residential school that was no being closed. But
after going back he realizes that father Gaston has did sexual exploitation with him. He was
shattered after listening to all this. This made him anxious and depressed again. He makes a
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pilgrimage back to his ancestral lands, and then returns to his foster family, where he is happily
welcomed by his foster family and former Moose teammates.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarized that Saul was send to Indian residential school
and that too forcefully. Saul was also being separated from his family. In movie Saul’s
grandmother also died because of illness. He was really sad and frustrated after this. Also it was
analyzed that Saul learn from televised hockey. He really wanted to perform on ice platform.
3

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Niezen, R. (2017). Truth and indignation: Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission on
Indian residential schools. University of Toronto Press.
Matheson, K., Bombay, A., Dixon, K., & Anisman, H. (2018). Intergenerational communication
regarding Indian residential schools: Implications for cultural identity, perceived
discrimination, and depressive symptoms. Transcultural psychiatry.1363461519832240.
McQuaid, R. J., Bombay, A., McInnis, O. A., Humeny, C., Matheson, K., & Anisman, H.
(2017). Suicide ideation and attempts among First Nations peoples living on-reserve in
Canada: The intergenerational and cumulative effects of Indian residential schools. The
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.62(6). 422-430.
Niezen, R. (2016). Templates and exclusions: victim centrism in Canada's Truth and
Reconciliation Commission on Indian residential schools. Journal of the Royal
Anthropological Institute.22(4). 920-938.
McKee, T., & Forsyth, J. (2019). Witnessing Painful Pasts: Understanding Images of Sports at
Canadian Indian Residential Schools. Journal of Sport History.46(2). 175-188.
Feir, D., & Auld, M. C. (2017). The Effect of Indian Residential Schools on Height and Body
Mass Post-1930 (No. 1703). Department of Economics, University of Victoria.
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