Sisters and Brothers
Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day 2022 in Canada. Here is a powerful short film by Cree artist Kent Monkman that draws parallels between the annihilation of the bison in the 1890s and the devastation inflicted on the Indigenous population by the residential school system.
I've read a number of time about graves of children who were attending government schools. Granted the schools teaching practices were questionable, but never seen a comparison of the death rate at schools vs back home.
ReplyDeleteThe uncovering of huge numbers of children's graves on residential school grounds is a Canadian scandal - sad and shocking. How did so many children die in religious institutions that were entrusted to care for them?
DeleteI understand it was covered up mostly and just coming to light. But during that time period the death rate for children was pretty high everywhere and for all social strata. That's why I wonder how they compare.
ReplyDeleteWhile many children in that era died of TB and other infectious diseases experts have labelled atrocious conditions and malnutrition in residential schools as genocide. There are plenty of studies that support this view.
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