The Poison of Residential Schools

Residential Schools are horrible stains in Canada's history. Nobody should have to be put through the torture of not being allowed to see their family and friends. Everyone deserves to be treated equally, no matter what color their skin is or what they look like or what languages they speak. We have to learn from the mistakes of the past and make the future as bright as we can. 

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The residential school where Saul went was not listed on the Truth and Reconciliation website but there were schools listed in Kenora.  This was on Treaty 3 territory and this area had six different residential schools.  St. Mary’s residential school was one of them. The school was opened on May 15, 1897 and closed in 1972.  There was physical abuse and poor conditions.  Kids there were made to do a flour-vitamin experiment where they were denied any dental.  The school was very over crowded.  They had no clean water and were made to drink from the lake.  It was run by the Roman Catholic church.

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While First Nations children were at residential schools, they were forbidden to talk in their native tongue, and were beaten and punished if they did. Nobody should have to be beaten and punished for speaking in their language. Nobody. If we can all learn not to hate anymore, we can solve more problems that might arise in the future. 

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The residential schools can be seen as just a way to steal people away from their homes, families and friends and make them "white." What even does white mean? It's just a color. It is wrong to discriminate against people just because their skin is lighter or darker than ours. 

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If you believe we as humans have no flaws, you are wrong. We are flawed in many ways. We have to accept that what we did to Indigenous children and families is very wrong or none of the mistakes we made in the past will be righted.