“Whether you agree with a focus on education versus a widespread series of actions, it is clear much work is needed to overcome some very pervasive and damaging stereotypes”. (Chelsea Vowel, The Myth of Progress). Five Little Indians by Michelle Good, follows the lives of multiple Indigenous people from childhood to adulthood. The story begins at The Mission residential school in British Columbia. The children, Lucy, Kenny, Howie, Maisie, and Clara, reside there under the harsh, watchful eye of Father Levesque and the Sisters. The novel follows their lives leaving residential school and their individual and overlapping experiences with justice, love, and loss. I will examine the many ways that stereotypes harm the characters in the novel. …show more content…
To begin, characters have limited job prospects due to a lack of skills they obtained in residential schools or other institutions such as jail. “Wide awake now, Lucy pressed her face against the window, astounded by the lights, the endless flow of traffic, stores and malls and gas stations, things entirely new to her. Her life in the outside world ended abruptly when she was five years old.” (Good, 33). It is clear that Lucy is leaving The Mission with no clear direction or true understanding of the real world as she has been separated from it for so long. In addition, stereotypes contribute to hostile and unstable work environments for characters. Harlan cut them off and grabbed Lucy by the wrist. “And where the hell have you been? I’m docking your pay!” (Good, 76). Harlan, the boss of Lucy, Maisie and Clara at the Manitou motel, consistently docks the girls’ pay for unreasonable reasons such as missing work because of sickness after already paying them minimum wage and he is physically assaulting Lucy in this scene. Furthermore, characters suffer from limited jobs and opportunities due to racial bias: “You heard me. You know the rules. If you don’t like it, move on. Lots of guys are …show more content…
Lastly, distrust of Indigenous people and how they will follow rules related to residential schools damage individuals and relationships. ‘“We are going home tomorrow. He will go to school at Red Pheasant.”’ ‘“Sorry, ma’am.” The Mountie stepped forward. “He’s here now, and how do I know you are going to take him to school? He’s coming with us.”’ (Good, 180). Howie and his mother were in British Columbia to visit his aunt and some officers saw him at his 6th birthday party, then he was taken to residential school because his mother was not trusted to bring him to school. Given these points, it is clear how stereotypes perpetuate negative social stigma and can lead to harmful thoughts about Indigenous people. My third point will show how internalised stereotypes lead to internalised inferiority and cultural disconnect. Negative thoughts and feelings about Indigenous culture were constantly perpetuated by residential school staff. “She taught Clara the unique way of skinning a rabbit, much like taking off a sweater, once the cuts were made on the extremities. Clara would get dizzy sometimes as she watched Mariah dress the rabbits, thinking
Indigenous people across Canada have been suppressed by the government, system, and settlers still to this day. The residential school system was a system of boarding schools that were established by the Canadian government and administered by various churches to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture. Many of these children suffered physical, sexual, and emotional abuse from school staff. Even though residential schools have been abolished they can still affect indigenous people today. The book “Indian Horse” clearly represents the intergenerational trauma of Indigenous communities in Canada.
The atrocities that the children of residential schools had to endure is not something that can be ignored, just as the lessons these children learned, like shame, humiliation, hate, compassion, and forgiveness cannot be overlooked (Borrows 486-7). Borrows raises an important point, which is that the children of the Residential schools, who survived, grew up to eventually become elders (487). Although there are some who feel Residential schools had positive impacts, the high suicide rates in Indigenous communities cannot be
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good is a moving tale that exposes readers to the brutal truth of Canada's residential school system. The story follows five Indigenous people who, after years of abuse and suffering at these schools, are left to negotiate life as adults in Vancouver. Michelle Good invites readers to confront painful facts about Canadian history via their journeys of healing and reconciling with the past. The backstory for Five Little Indians is similarly interesting. Michelle Good, a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, draws on her personal experiences and significant study to bring this narrative to life.
Novel/Paper Assignment Shirika Hariram 20952694 Professor Joelle Mcneil PLAN 233: People and Plans Section 1: Five Little Indians and The Sociological Imagination (518) Maisie's story blatantly shows the effects of residential schools on Indigenous children and communities. She suffers from the violence she endured physically and emotionally in the residential school and the trauma of being unwillingly torn away from her family and culture. We can see that she deals with the trauma she's endured in unhealthy ways, like self-harm and drugs, to end her life eventually.
The establishment of residential schools marks a dark chapter in Canadian history. The residential school system was a nationwide network of boarding schools with the purpose of destroying the Indigenous identity and assimilating children into the dominant European-Canadian culture. The schools were known for their harsh environments, abuse, and mistreatment, which led to generational trauma and long-lasting effects. Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, narrates the life story of Saul Indian Horse, a young Ojibwe boy whose identity is stripped away and who is taken from his family to attend one of these schools. The book examines Saul’s journey, from his traumatic school experiences to his love for hockey.
Were there specific activities or reading materials that Horne used in her classroom that explicitly discussed tribal identity and cultural values? Or was it Horne’s mere existence in the school and daily interactions with her students as an Indigenous employee that offered a sense of pride and belonging for her students? And how did Horne learn about the varied tribal identities of her students and incorporate this knowledge to promote the sense of pride in a larger intertribal identity that Cahill describes? To gain greater insight into details behind Horne’s pedagogical choices, I believe it would be valuable to read Horne’s memoir and search for any additional student accounts or materials as evidence of the unique culture that she created within her
Thirdly, discriminatory behaviour by surrounding communities and the effects it has on First Nation children. There are many voices in this world that appreciate being heard upon their opinions, but some individuals use their voices as weapons to bring down other people. In Richard Wagamese’s Indian Horse, the audience in a hockey game perceive a hockey team full of Indigenous peoples as a source of negative energy for the game in general, and that can be interpreted as racial discrimination. “As we skated onto the ice for our game against the North Bay Nuggets, the crowd booed us. When our line us was introduced, they knew exactly where to direct their energy” (Wagamese
The effects of residential schools on Indigenous children and communities are blatantly shown by Maisie's story. She suffers from the violence she endured physically and emotionally in the residential school, as well as the trauma of being unwillingly torn away from her family and culture. We can see that she deals with the trauma she's endured in unhealthy ways like self-harm, and drugs to eventually end her life. Her experience is like a reminder of the tragic impact that Canada's residential schools had on Indigenous peoples, as well as the continued need for peace and healing. Sociological imagination helps us understand Maisie’s experiences at the micro level.
This led to loss of identity, culture and tradition, which negatively effected Indigenous people; they often returned to their communities with no knowledge of how to survive and thrive in a traditional way. The education of children was of poor quality and was often forgone because the students needed to do work to support the school and keep it running. Arranged marriages were quite common, and this was to promote the ideas and worldview that was taught at residential schools. The speaking of Indigenous language and following of customs were strictly prohibited, which dramatically reduced Canadian Indigenous cultures because if an entire generation forgets it, it is gone. Furthermore, the treatment of students was very inhumane, children were punished very harshly, and the children were often verbally, physically, and sexually abused.
We Were Children, the documentary on residential schools, is a re-enactment of two aboriginal children and their first hand experiences in the residential school system. The kinds of problems this documentary presented include mistreatment faced by the children who attended these schools, corruption and scandal inside the administration of the schools, and the false perception about these schools that resonated amongst Canadian society. These two children talk about the bullying they had to endure from the nuns which show that the children were not seen as equal to a child of non-Aboriginal decent. Furthermore, the types of abuse administration would put these kids through was immensely disturbing considering this was a state run institution.
In this essay, I'm going to argue to you that residential schools were harmful to indigenous people. Do you know why these schools were horrible well in Erin Hanson, article called The Residential School System, she says that the residents school system was an attempt to ‘kill the“Indian in the child”. And I agree with this, the Residential school was an attempt to take away indigenous kid's culture. Residential school survivors endured horrendous abuse from the so-called staff. Indigenous kids were forced away from their parents and most times never saw them again.
“Historical trauma coupled with ongoing present-day traumas such as anti-Indigenous racism and a lack of clean drinking water has had a massive negative impact on Indigenous communities, resulting in (and combining with) issues such as addiction, limited education, incarceration, violence, abuse, suicidality, homelessness and poverty” (Seto). The effects of boarding schools are evident in the high poverty rates, unemployment, substance abuse, and suicide among Native Americans. The boarding school system has also contributed to the erasure of Indigenous languages, cultures, and knowledge systems, which are essential for the well-being of Indigenous communities and preserving their unique and beautiful ways of
The TRC’s “The History” author appeals to logos through the use quantitative findings. The use of logical evidence from the collection of testimonials made by former residential school students is an effective way to aid the persuasion of a reader. Throughout “The History”, the author describes the memories of known First Nations peoples Frederic Ernest Koe, Marlene Kayseas, Lily Bruce and many others. In addition, the author quotes Vitaline Elsie Jenner’s use of ‘kaya nakasin’ (TRC, 2015, p.38) in describing her experience with residential school. The author’s example that contains the use native language reaffirms his credibility and detailed knowledge of the
Critical Summary #3: First Nations Perspectives In Chapter eight of Byron Williston’s Environmental Ethics for Canadians First Nation’s perspectives are explored. The case study titled “Language, Land and the Residential Schools” begins by speaking of a public apology from former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He apologizes for the treatment of “Indians” in “Indian Residential Schools”. He highlights the initial agenda of these schools as he says that the “school system [was] to remove and isolate [Aboriginal] children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them[…]” (Williston 244).
First Contact is effective at educating non-Indigenous peoples, but there are Indigenous peoples who were harmed by having their trauma brought up or by hearing the harmful stereotypes and opinions of the participants, sometimes against their