Impacts of the Stolen Generations on Canadian Life Essay

During the colonial era in Canada, thousands of Aboriginal children were moved far away from their families. This kind of an action is what came to be commonly referred to as the 'Stolen Generation.' In the process of moving the young ones away, they were either taken up by residential schools run by churches or by the white families. This essay addresses the events surrounding the Stolen Generations. It gives an analysis on the nature of the impacts of the events to the Indigenous people of Canada. A reflection on the relevance of an understanding of such an historical event on the part of educators is then given. This piece of work eventually examines how such an event could either undermine or support indigenous language usage.

During the Stolen Generation era, the Canadian public was made to believe that the young ones who were being taken away were underprivileged, ill-treated and were generally at risk within their own families and communities. They were also persuaded into believing that such a move would enable the young ones to attain the best education and would be brought up in families that were more caring and loving. They would in the end achieve a more civilized upbringing as compared to when they were with their families. However, the truth behind all this was in the contrary to what the public was made to believe. The children were taken away with an aim of incorporating 'work habits' and 'Anglo values' on them. Working for the white settlers away from their homes and communities would act as a way of preventing their respective families from transferring to them their language, culture and identity. The results of such a move were assimilation into the white culture and the rise of mixed indigenous individuals in the Canadian society (Cassidy 131). Up to today, members of 'The Stolen Generation' child removal policy are still affected in one way or the other, be it first, second or third members (Trocme et al 590).

There exist a number of challenges that members associated with 'The Stolen Generation' are confronted with and this could probably have a great impact on their lives. As a result of the traumatic encounters that the young ones went through as they were being taken away from their families, they might find it hard to come out now and share their experience (Kirmayer 620). Some of the reasons that can be advanced with an aim of trying to explain this could be because of; confusion and shame, lack of awareness by friends and family, the sense that no one potentially cares about them and in most cases, affected individuals prefer not to open old wounds but just leave them the way they are. At the hands of the white settlers and the colonialist, most of the young ones who were taken away from their families underwent through sexual and physical abuse. They had psychological issues as a result of such traumatic experiences and may find it had to come out and explain what took place. As a result of this, anxiety, depression and an up rise in violence is a common occurrence in adulthood with regards to the victims. This is clearly manifested in individuals who were largely affected by 'The stolen Generation.'

The stolen generation's action of taking the children away from their families has greatly impacted not only the first generation members but also their children, grandchildren and the society in general. They were either kept in institutions or foster homes where they were never taught the basic principles of love and care. The resultant impact on their adulthood is them not being able to relate and take care of their own offspring and giving them a proper upbringing in the process.

During the period where the children were being taken away, individual records were not kept accurately and many of the young ones being taken away lacked the proper birth identification details or even adoption papers. In today's society, individuals who lack birth records find it hard to prove their identity and cant access the basic systems set up to help them. Having no records made it impossible for the individuals who had been taken away to trace their roots in terms of family and community. Lack of knowledge of the language and the culture of a community can also form the basis of someone being rejected by members of such a community. In most cases, they would have a feeling that you don't belong and fit in their cultural system.

Largely due to the fact that the young ones were taken away from their families at a tender age, the Aboriginal community was at a higher risk of developing health complications and problems as compared to the non-indigenous Canadians (MacMillan 160). Health concerns that were associated with them may include heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, premature birth, increased smoking and eventually excessive drug abuse (alcohol). The major contributor to such health issues was largely due to their emotional and psychological related issues. Inherited condition such as heart disease was also a major concern in terms of treatment because those affected could not easily track down their families and so helping them became quite a challenge.

The children taken away were either kept within government institutions or in foster care homes. They therefore had maximum contact to the criminal justice system and as a result, such kind of children had a higher chance of getting the attention of the police as they grow up.

Conclusion

In conclusion, educators are encouraged to have adequate knowledge on the history and culture of the Indigenous people so that they are in a position to develop a relationship with their students and impact the rightful knowledge to them (Neegan 10). This would go a long way in teaching the students the history and culture of the indigenous people. It would particularly be of help to students who were by large, affected by the Stolen Generation in learning about their culture and so in the end they end up being accepted and integrated fully within their respective communities. As a way of keeping children engaged in class, educating them through the use of indigenous music, stories and art is very important. This piece of work has discussed and clearly brought out the events surrounding the stolen generations era. It has analyzed the effects and impacts the Stolen Generation had on the Indigenous Canadian people. It has explained the importance of educators having an in-depth knowledge of such happenings and lastly brought out how the event undermined the indigenous language and culture.

Works cited

Cassidy, Julie. "The stolen generations-Canada and Australia: The legacy of assimilation." 2006, pp. 131.

Kirmayer, Laurence J., Gregory M. Brass, and Caroline L. Tait. "The mental health of Aboriginal peoples: Transformations of identity and community." The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 45.7 (2000), pp. 607-616.

MacMillan, Harriet L., et al. "The health of Canada's aboriginal children: results from the First Nations and Inuit Regional Health Survey." International Journal of Circumpolar Health, vol. 69, 2010, pp. 158-167.

Neegan, Erica. "Excuse me: Who are the first peoples of Canada? A historical analysis of Aboriginal education in Canada then and now." International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol. 9, 2005, pp. 3-15.

Sinclair, Raven. "Aboriginal social work education in Canada: Decolonizing pedagogy for the seventh generation." First Peoples Child & Family Review, vol. 1, 2004, pp. 49-62.

Trocme, Nico, Della Knoke, and Cindy Blackstock. "Pathways to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in Canada's child welfare system." Social Service Review, vol. 78, 2004, pp. 577-600.