Indian residential schools Compare and Contrast

The situation worsened after the Indian act was made allowing the Canadian government to have full control over the lives and property owned by the aboriginals. In this piece of work, I will start by comparing the story given through a video by Rev. Mary Battaja and an article called “Indian residential schools”. It also compares how the two readings and the “They came for the Children” tell us about how life was in the residential schools. The two pieces have served the same purpose of giving an explanation of the struggles that the indigenous Indians went through in Canada during the time when the system of residential schools was set. With time however, there came to learn that nothing was about to change and hence they would stick to the poor meals that had been used.

The struggle to get food while in the residential schools is best explained by Mary Battaja who was in one of these schools. In addition, food served at the school was poorly cooked as if it was not meant to be eaten by humans. The only time Battaja enjoyed was when to wash the rooms where teachers used to stay. Together with her friends, they would hide to go and eat the food that was left by the teachers after eating. Getting found speaking with your siblings or any other relative in the same school attracted a very big penalty (Wherearethechildren 1). For the various cases they went through, punishment awarded depended on the person awarding it and also the type of wrongdoing the student was involved in. The two sources point out that these schools were being used by Christian preachers in order to spread the word of God.

The objective of the missionaries was pure spreading of the Gospel and also utilize the classroom sessions in order to teach several things about life. Later, the missionaries came to understand that the plan of the Canadian government was not educating the aboriginals rather it was to instill civilization in them. Those found committing this offense were punished as per the set standards. As explained by both sources, the effects brought about by the experiences of children in the residential schools were devastating than a person can imagine (Regan 10). A large number of children ended up dying in the process. This was as a result of the harsh life conditions they went through, and also challenges they faced when trying to become adapted to the system of residential schools (Chartrand et al 7).

Instead of ferrying the bodies of such children back home, the schools used to bury them within the school compound. This was a strategy planned by the government in order to bring the culture of the Indigenous Indians to an end. By preventing children from the influence of their parent, the culture of the aboriginals would be destroyed. While in school, children used to go through a lot of suffering and as a result of this, many ended up losing their lives. Even though the system was helpful by improving the living conditions of the Indigenous Indians, this is not comparable to the lives that were lost (Langevin 67). Conclusion As discussed here, Indigenous Indians have suffered under the hands of the Canadian government for quite long.  No End of Grief: Indian Residential Schools in Canada.

Pemmican Publications, Inc. Burrows Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R2X 0T1, 1996. Joseph, Bob. pdf Regan, Paulette.  Unsettling the settler within: Indian residential schools, truth telling, and reconciliation in Canada. ubc Press, 2010. Wherearethechildren. Residential School Survior Stories | Where Are The Children".