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

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.
1