With the new revelations about more experiments at the residential schools recently, with continued underfunding of indigenous schools in Canada still today, essentially a continued attempt at the cultural genocide of indigenous peoples, I was wondering, what is our place in Canada?
I myself am a member of the so-called two founding races (French Canadian on my mother's side, English Canadian on my father's), and was raised in one of the 'four founding churches' (Catholic, the other three for those who aren't as familiar with the residential school system being the Anglican, Presbyterian, and United Churches). Yet with all of this, I can't remember ever learning about the residential school system in school. I can't remember it ever even being mentioned the whole time I was raised Catholic. Why is that?
Though I no longer profess the Christian Faith (actually, I never really did), I still respect the teachings of the Gospels. But where are these teachings practiced besides on an individual basis among individuals? Where is it being practiced in our institutions?
Many indigenous peoples today are suffering from PTSD or intergenerational PTSD as a result of the residential school system, as witness alcohol and drug dependency, violence on reserves, high suicide rates, and the list goes on. Their population was purposely decimated and then much more than that over the centuries, and they continue to be marginalized. We have inherited so much materially from this, yet have destroyed our nation spiritually in the process.
When are we, the member of the 'two founding races', and the members of the 'four founding churches', prepared to sacrifice our unjustly acquired privileges for the sake of justice. As Jesus says:
3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ¶ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 ¶ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 ¶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 ¶ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 ¶ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 ¶ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 ¶ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ¶ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Again he says:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
In all of this, he asks for sacrifice, yet all we can concern ourselves with is maintaining our ill-gotten privileges, whether in the form of language rights, the separate school system, etc.
We continue to look down on indigenous peoples as drunken Indians and other such stereotypes, continue to block UN investigators from entering Canada to inquire on the situation on reserves, and the list goes on.
Why are we so intent on holding on to our privileges when we know the blood that was shed for this (in the residential schools alone, 50,000 dead under their care is now considered a highly conservative estimate, and it was not ancient history; people alive today witnesses of these murders).
What will it take?
I myself am a member of the so-called two founding races (French Canadian on my mother's side, English Canadian on my father's), and was raised in one of the 'four founding churches' (Catholic, the other three for those who aren't as familiar with the residential school system being the Anglican, Presbyterian, and United Churches). Yet with all of this, I can't remember ever learning about the residential school system in school. I can't remember it ever even being mentioned the whole time I was raised Catholic. Why is that?
Though I no longer profess the Christian Faith (actually, I never really did), I still respect the teachings of the Gospels. But where are these teachings practiced besides on an individual basis among individuals? Where is it being practiced in our institutions?
Many indigenous peoples today are suffering from PTSD or intergenerational PTSD as a result of the residential school system, as witness alcohol and drug dependency, violence on reserves, high suicide rates, and the list goes on. Their population was purposely decimated and then much more than that over the centuries, and they continue to be marginalized. We have inherited so much materially from this, yet have destroyed our nation spiritually in the process.
When are we, the member of the 'two founding races', and the members of the 'four founding churches', prepared to sacrifice our unjustly acquired privileges for the sake of justice. As Jesus says:
3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ¶ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 ¶ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 ¶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 ¶ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 ¶ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 ¶ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 ¶ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ¶ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Again he says:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
In all of this, he asks for sacrifice, yet all we can concern ourselves with is maintaining our ill-gotten privileges, whether in the form of language rights, the separate school system, etc.
We continue to look down on indigenous peoples as drunken Indians and other such stereotypes, continue to block UN investigators from entering Canada to inquire on the situation on reserves, and the list goes on.
Why are we so intent on holding on to our privileges when we know the blood that was shed for this (in the residential schools alone, 50,000 dead under their care is now considered a highly conservative estimate, and it was not ancient history; people alive today witnesses of these murders).
What will it take?