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with a little bit of help …

Dr. Ursula Osteneck, RN

CACCE Conference

May 28th, 2015

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Background

•Colonialism

•Post colonialism

•Indian Residential Schools

•Today

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COLONIALISM

•Political ideology: “might is right”

•Forceful:

• Invasion

•Occupation

•Exploitation

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European colonial expansionism

•1500 to 1900

•1916 (First World War) European Empire controlled 85% of the worlds’ countries

•Nations involved:

•Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain

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Why expansionism?

•Conquered and dominated other countries:

• rich in raw materials needed for markets

•manufactured products

•Cheap labour

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Immediate Effect of Colonialism

• Imposition of foreign:

• Rules

•Language

•Education

•Culture

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Residual effect of colonialism

•Colonial rule affected people’s perception and consciousness of themselves relative to others

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If Kenya was a train, then first class coaches would be occupied by the whites, the colonizers; the second class compartments would be occupied by the Indians, the merchants; and, the third class compartments would be filled with us, the Kenyans. We are still strangers, third class citizens, in our own country. (N’ganga 2006)

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Post colonialism

•The time since colonialism when nations were given their independence from colonizers

•Canada formed the Dominion of Canada in 1867

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Indian Residential Schools

•Operated 1870’s to 1996

•Children aged 4 to 16

•Education: manual labour schools

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Premise for these schools

•“….assimilating Indians, deemed to be the most effective way to “civilize” the Indians. If anything is to be done with the Indian, we must catch him very young. The children must be kept constantly within the circle of civilized conditions.” Nicholas Flood Davin, “Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds”, 1879

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2nd premise

•“I want to get rid of the Indian problem, I do not think as a matter of fact, that the country ought to continuously protect a class of people who are able to stand alone… Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department.” Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs in Canada, 1920 (on record)

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Life is a struggle

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What’s to tell?

• 12 siblings, she is the 5th born child

• Mother a heavy drinker; multiple relationships; non-supportive

• A number of siblings have FAS (and “maybe in a small way I do too”)

• Much of life spent in foster homes; some were better than others

• Residential school from 1991 to 1996

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Good Not good

Enjoyed sports Being removed from family

Sports kept her busy

Hair was cut off, had choice of how short

Enough to eat Segregated from male studentsLearned no additional skills

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Postsecondary Education

• Completed GED 12

• CCA program, started in September

• Assessed by educational psychologist

• Accommodations: more time for exams, tutor, reader for exams

• Commented: I was so glad to finally know that something was wrong

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Personal Comments

How are we supposed to know how to function in a family when we have never been part of one?

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References

Conversations with a CCA Student/Graduate, 2015

Nicholas Flood Davin, “Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds”, 1879

Osteneck, U. (2011). Dissertation Thesis The Experience of Women Involved in an International Curriculum Development Project

Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs in Canada, 1920 (on record)

 

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Questions?