A Detailed Analysis of the Impact of Residential Schools in Canada

This essay examines the profound and devastating impact of Canadian residential schools on Indigenous communities. It delves into the historical context of colonization, forced assimilation, and the establishment of these schools, highlighting the Euro-Canadian imposition on Indigenous ways of life. The essay analyzes the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harm inflicted upon Indigenous children, including abuse, malnutrition, poor health conditions, and cultural displacement. It explores the concept of historical trauma, detailing the intergenerational effects of these experiences on survivors, their families, and communities, including health issues like diabetes, obesity, and STI's, as well as psychological effects such as Residential School Syndrome, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Furthermore, the essay discusses the loss of language, heritage, and cultural practices. The paper concludes by summarizing the significant outcomes of the residential school system, emphasizing the long-lasting consequences on Indigenous peoples and the importance of understanding this history.

Running head: IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

1IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Introduction
Colonization of Canada has affected the indigenous population of Canada in an adverse
way. It has not only disrupted the physical health and well-being of the indigenous communities,
but also ruptured their mental, emotional as well as spiritual wellbeing (Milloy, 2017). The
colonizers of Canada had been assumed to be imposing Euro-Canadian way of life on the
indigenous communities forcefully. The imperialist colonizers had forcibly admitted almost
150,000 aboriginal students from their communities into Christian schools where they were
subjected to bullying, health issues and abuse. The respective paper is an essay which focuses,
introspects, analyses and comments on the impact and outcome of residential schools on
indigenous communities of Canada. The paper intends to summarize and revise the outcomes of
such impacts and the present situation of the indigenous people and their relationship with the
residential schools of Canada.
Discussion
Before the arrival of European colonizers, the land of Canada was inhabited by the
indigenous people and apparently, the first settlers of Canada with distinct physical features,
socio-cultural dynamics and spiritual beliefs (Conrad, 2012). Since the mid and the late 15th
century, the entry of the French and British explorers paved way for colonization of Canada by
them which resulted in total dismantling and mutilation of the indigenous communities of
Canada. The European colonizers who considered the indigenous people to be “sub-human”,
demeaning them for their racial and ethnic differences, had forcibly induced on them “European
values and ethics” to make them “civilized”. The Canadian indigenous people were forced to
follow the dynamics of Euro-Canadian culture and societal norms which not only dismantled and

2IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
mutilated their integrity, but also affected them adversely in terms of health, wealth and well-
being . The indigenous students who were forcibly admitted to Christian schools in order to
make them “civilized and educated” were socially as well as culturally displaced. Due to the
forced socio-cultural displacement, many indigenous students got alienated and ostracized which
led them to go ashtray completely. They were subjected to verbal, mental, physical, sexual as
well as psychological abuse and bullying by their mainstream peers who did not consider them to
be a part of mainstream population due to their ethnic and cultural differences. Many residential
schools which were functional during that time were poorly funded which caused the indigenous
children to be subject to high malnutrition with poor sanitary conditions and less medical aid
which even resulted in fatal disease and catastrophic death (Elias, 2012). The forced disruption
and displacement of the ethnic communities of Canada not only affected its survivors, but also
throughout the generations. Historical trauma, as the name suggests, echoes the fact that the
historical events of dominion and forceful displacement of the indigenous communities of
Canada not only affected the individual survivors, but also their families, greater families and
communities. Historical trauma can be broadly defined as a concept that studies and analyses
trans-generational effects of oppression or traumatic event endured by different communities
which apparently not only impacts negatively to the lives of the individuals, but also creates
hindrances for their descendents in near future. Research has found out that by keeping the
concept of historical trauma, it had been observed that children from the indigenous communities
of Canada who attended the residential Christian schools showed considerably poor health status
than the children who did not attend them. It has also been observed that the indigenous families
which attended residential schools for generations had shown a reasonable magnitude of distress
than the other indigenous families which did not attend. It has been determined that the health

3IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
and well being of the indigenous population of Canada was and is still highly linked with
“colonization-specific” experiences and socio-cultural dynamics (Coulthard, 2007). The
residential schooling policies have not only hampered the physical and psychological well-being
of the indigenous people, but also challenged their spiritual belief and self-actualization
processes. Since most of the indigenous students had borrowed, inculcated and survived negative
aspects of physical as well as mental health in the residential schools of Canada, they are
considered to be the major carrier of current health conditions of the indigenous demography in
Canada. In the present time, there is a high tendency of acquiring chronic ailments such as
diabetes and obesity among the indigenous population who were the attendees of residential
schools than the population who were not the attendees (Kaspar, 2014). Even diseases like STI
(Sexually Transmitted Infections) which had been very common among the survivors have been
apparently considered to be genetically transferred from the survivors to their descendents.
Negative psychological effects can be observed among the survivors of the oppression of the
residential schools. “Residential School Syndrome” that has been diagnosed among the survivors
is basically considered similar to post-traumatic stress disorder with an impact of sociological
surroundings and dynamics. The symptoms generally exhibited by the survivors included
anxiety, depression, social alienation and isolation with reactivity to stimulus and
hypersensitivity. Most striking and specific symptoms which the indigenous student survivors
exhibited were unwelcoming and unwanted memories, nightmares, periodical and occasional
flashbacks of their past school memories and avoidance of any aspect that made them remember
about the residential schools and factors related to their experience (Corrado, & Cohen, 2003).
Among the indigenous population of Canada who attended the residential schools, it has been
observed that there is a subsequent and significant alienation, isolation and detachment from the

4IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
society. Since they are conditioned to be considering themselves less in terms of the mainstream
European population of Canada, they have been subsequently ostracized and subdued which had
led them to be completely alienated and desolate (Coulthard, 2007). Relationship complicacies
and difficulties are common among the surviving communities. They have been marked with
having a reduced interest and involvement in indigenous festivals, cultural activities and
celebrations. As they have been subject to torture, distress and ostracism, they have less
knowledge about their own indigenous religion, culture and spiritual beliefs. The reason why the
youth of the indigenous communities of Canada had been influenced with drugs is because of
neurotic disorders they sometimes get affected with due to PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder) such as insomnia, difficulties in anger management, hysterical tendencies and loss of
concentration in their work, profession and life (Corrado, & Cohen, 2003). Moreover, it has also
been observed that most of the survivors who were the residential school students with a serious
lack of parenting in their lives developed themselves into individuals who were psychologically
and psychosocially ashtray. Therefore, the only way of salvation and annihilation from the
psychological and physiological pain which they had to bear, they considered, was to seek refuge
in drugs, alcoholism, and substance abuse such as intake of cannabis and other neurotic and
psychotic drugs (Ross, 2015). As they were influenced by abuse and addiction of drugs,
therefore, they were observed to be developing psychosomatic symptoms and physical ailments
which had further made their position get degraded in the society of Canada.
There has been a history of oppression and dominion over the indigenous students by the
colonizing schools of Canada. The inability of the indigenous students to use and speak in their
language at the schools created a great psychological impact on the indigenous students in the
residential schools (Ball & McIvor, 2013). Often the students who communicated with each

5IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
other in the school premises by their language were ridiculed and tortured mentally and
physically, humiliated and insulted in front of their peers that deliberately made them think that
their culture, language and ethics were “primitive”, savage and uncivilized. Most of the
residential school survivors among the indigenous communities still consider themselves
unfortunate and ill-fated for their race, color and ethnicity (Woods, 2013). The European
colonizers’ intentions in creating a separate residential school of the indigenous children and
imposing foreign language upon them was a socio-political tool to amalgamate the indigenous
population into the mainstream Canadian society that might lead to complete extinction of their
culture and tradition in the near future. However, the consequences of residential school system
on the indigenous communities resulted in a considerable loss of their language, heritage and
matriarchal culture in the passage of time in the contemporary world though there had been
evidences of apologies on behalf of the colonial government to the communities (Kirmayer,
Simpson & Cargo, 2003).
Conclusion
The respective paper is an essay which concludes by summarizing and analyzing the
impact and outcome of residential schools upon the indigenous communities and people in the
context of Canada. Canada has a rich history of colonization, exploitation and amalgamation of
various ethnicities and culture from all around the world. Presently, the least xenophobic Canada
was once the most racist and white supremacist in the colonial times. The creation and function
of residential schools in Canada for “civilizing and Christianizing” the indigenous children can
be considered a socio-political tool to oppress the colonized. The result and outcome of such
residential school system was obnoxious and completely gruesome. With a plethora of physical,
social, psychological as well as sexual abuses, the children were also not provided with proper

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sanitary conditions and medical aid whenever required due to the underfunding of the schools
which led to prolonged illness and eventually death of the children. Apart from that, the
indigenous culture, tradition, language and heritage of the children were also lost. The paper
summarizes and analyses the significant points of impact and outcome of such system over the
indigenous communities in Canada.

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