Graves at Residential schools

[Gilchy]

Oh, come on. The residential school system was established as a deliberate form of cultural genocide.

There is no such thing as "cultural genocide". That's a made-up word. Cultural heritage has nothing to do with genes. It's either a genocide (to its true meaning), or it's not.

That’s objectively not true. It’s not like this is a new concept either.

“Exterminate All the Brutes” should be mandatory viewing to everyone.

[Silverstarqueen]

I have extended family members that were in these schools. There were plenty of abuses that they experienced.

And I believe you, and understand your point. Many of my own extended family members suffered and perished in much worse circumstances during the WW2, but I don't find nowadays Germans responsible for that, even though the motivation behind it back then was pure evil. What I am trying to say, residential schools issues from centuries ago is being used today in the entirely wrong context, that being identity politics, all in the name of some so-called "reconciliation". I have nothing to reconcile with anyone.

Well you certainly have some self-education to do since you don't seem to be aware of what went on in these schools. No one is saying you personally are responsible for it, or all catholics responsible for what their church did, or all christians for what their churches did. But we are responsible for getting the history accurate, and understanding why this devastated First Nations peoples. Many of these atrocities were not "centuries ago". There are people among us today who went thru these schools, or their parents went thru these schools. How would any of us feel if our children were taken away by force to a school far away?
Do you have any idea what if feels like to be taken from your home and family, never to see them again?

[the truth]

And I believe you, and understand your point. Many of my own extended family members suffered and perished in much worse circumstances during the WW2, but I don't find nowadays Germans responsible for that, even though the motivation behind it back then was pure evil. What I am trying to say, residential schools issues from centuries ago is being used today in the entirely wrong context, that being identity politics, all in the name of some so-called "reconciliation". I have nothing to reconcile with anyone.

Well you certainly have some self-education to do since you don't seem to be aware of what went on in these schools. No one is saying you personally are responsible for it, or all catholics responsible for what their church did, or all christians for what their churches did. But we are responsible for getting the history accurate, and understanding why this devastated First Nations peoples. Many of these atrocities were not "centuries ago". There are people among us today who went thru these schools, or their parents went thru these schools. How would any of us feel if our children were taken away by force to a school far away?

closed in 1981 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/mor ... port-says/ closed in 1961
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-irel ... SKBN29I1SO

[liisgo]

Lets not jump to conclusions. The early twentieth century was rife will deadly diseases and high child mortality rates. People were often buried at holy sites such as church grounds as well.
Lets wait until we get all the facts before we condemn. It isnt sexy for fun or cool to wait for all the facts these days but it is the right thing to do.

I'll agree with you. Something isnt right with this. At least at this stage of our disgusting media's coverage of these issue's today.
There will be much facts released regarding this very soon. Right now they are creating what they want to from this.
Any part of it is wrong, and we will find out more to come.

[stuphoto]

the catholic church.................

I believe there were other churches also involved.
"Over the years, the government worked with the Anglican, Catholic, United and Presbyterian churches, which ran residential schools, to design a plan to compensate the former students."

I won't state my personal opinion on who did what.
Other than I know we won't be seeing them in heaven.

I at least hope we have learned from our past and this sort of thing never happens again.

[BC Landlord]

There is no such thing as "cultural genocide". That's a made-up word. Cultural heritage has nothing to do with genes. It's either a genocide (to its true meaning), or it's not.

That’s objectively not true. It’s not like this is a new concept either.

How is it "objectively" not true? Not sure what you meant by that, but just randomly using strong words, such as "genocide", and where they don't belong, won't advance any arguments. At least not in my books. When people have to resort to that, it means their arguments are weak.

[Catsumi]

[normaM]

Heartbreaking yet not surprising. I worked with people who were forced to go to residential schools, they spoke of the lucky ones who managed to run away. I am now thinking they never ran anywhere
For anyone to say forcing children to attend those so called schools was a " Noble effort" I agree with Brass Monkey's response.

[Silverstarqueen]

That’s objectively not true. It’s not like this is a new concept either.

How is it "objectively" not true? Not sure what you meant by that, but just randomly using strong words, such as "genocide", and where they don't belong, won't advance any arguments. At least not in my books. When people have to resort to that, it means their arguments are weak.

60,000 children (not counting burial sites not yet discovered) died at these residential schools in Canada.
That certainly sounds like an attempt at genocide. The motivation was to stamp out their culture by stealing a generation. Targeted at specific groups, First nations.
That sounds cultural.

[BC Landlord]

60,000 children (not counting burial sites not yet discovered) died at these residential schools in Canada.
That certainly sounds like an attempt at genocide. The motivation was to stamp out their culture by stealing a generation. Targeted at specific groups, First nations.
That sounds cultural.

You make no sense. Why would anyone try to educate someone who they wanted exterminated?

[Gilchy]

Digging your heels in to defend residential schools is a pretty revealing move there, buddy.

[Silverstarqueen]

60,000 children (not counting burial sites not yet discovered) died at these residential schools in Canada.
That certainly sounds like an attempt at genocide. The motivation was to stamp out their culture by stealing a generation. Targeted at specific groups, First nations.
That sounds cultural.

You make no sense. Why would anyone try to educate someone who they wanted exterminated?

I didn't say this plan made sense, or that it was a great idea, or that it was morally right. I am telling you what happened.
They couldn't exterminate all the aboriginals, so the ones they couldn't kill, they were just going to wipe out their family history, their culture, their language, their heritage. It's already been admitted that the purpose of this was to wipe out the culture and language of the First Nations (not to mention take over the property rights to their lands). As I said, you need to get some education on what actually happened, not on "what makes sense". Because it only made sense to the government in power to solve their "Indian problem". Why are we only learning about this in the last decade or so? Because the abuse was covered up and white washed for years and years.And yes, it was abuse what they did to those children and their families. Denial of history is not going to change it into something agreeable or "noble". I guess you bought the whole story that originally was used to justify this abuse, but it doesn't wash anymore as the truth comes out.

[BC Landlord]

I didn't say this plan made sense, or that it was a great idea, or that it was morally right. I am telling you what happened.

I am not saying there have not been some injustices toward these people in the past, but there is not a single ethnicity under the sun that hasn't felt injustices in one way or another, at some point in time. Today's generations of Canadians have nothing to do with it. I am an immigrant to this country, and I have never owned a slave, killed someone, nor had any of my ancestors done any of that. And I paid dearly for every square inch of land I own. I have nothing to "reconcile" with anyone. Get over it, and move on.

[Gilchy]

For your reference, residential school were specifically described designed to destroy native culture.

Duncan Campbell Scott made attendance to residential school mandatory for all Native youth.

When he mandated school attendance in 1920, he stated, “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, that is the whole object of this Bill.” Because of his radical position, it is easy to understand why he is often associated with the saying “Kill the Indian, save the man.” In the discussion about whether the Canadian assimilation policies and the Indian Residential Schools constitute, this approach is often key evidence. Scott summarized the prevailing attitudes of Canadian officials: the First Peoples, despite many agreements with the Crown that guaranteed their independence, were to be eradicated as distinct nations and cultures.

https://www.facinghistory.org/stolen-li ... ian-canada

With 1 in 25 attendees dying, it was essentially assimilate or die.

[Silverstarqueen]

I didn't say this plan made sense, or that it was a great idea, or that it was morally right. I am telling you what happened.

I am not saying there have not been some injustices toward these people in the past, but there is not a single ethnicity under the sun that hasn't felt injustices in one way or another, at some point in time. Today's generations of Canadians have nothing to do with it. I am an immigrant to this country, and I never owned a slave, killed someone, nor had any of my ancestors. And I paid dearly for every square inch of land I own. I have nothing to "reconcile" with anyone. Get over it, and move on.

And if someone took the land you own away, and your children (if you had any or even cared about them), would you just "get over it"? Injustices done to other groups or enslavement of other ethnic groups, does not justify such gross abuse toward the First Nations people. the land you "paid dearly for" likely belonged to some First Nations tribe before the government stole it and sold it to you. That doesn't mean you have "nothing to do with it", that means that this generation has yet to reconcile the wrongs that were done in the past. You have your land, so you are all right, eh Jack? But some people have never had their land returned to their families, and some never had their children returned to them either.
You are not being asked (or forced) to give up your land, but you do need to reconcile your attitude.