The film seeks to bring to light the experiences of Lyna Hart and Glen Anaquod who attended one of the Indian Residential Schools that were run by Christians. The two narrate their experiences in the film punctuated with dramatization of the experiences. The IRS system that ran between 1880s and 1970s was purposed to assimilate and integrate the indigenous children to the western culture converting the young stars to Christianity. The film represents very few moments of resistance to the assimilation displaying forceful culture erosion and the trauma experienced.
According to Lyna, “they hear all these stories and they tell us to get over it. But when they actually see it, it’ll have an impact on them. They will finally know what happened to us.” (Wolochatiuk, 2012). This re-enactment seeks to bring to life the tales of over 150,000 children. On her arrival to the school Lyna is stripped off what she knew as beautiful. When a nun cuts off her long beautiful hair, as a four year old Lyna narrates how that made her feel stripped off her identity. Her body is referred to as “savage”. The naming continues in the classroom where a nun shouts down her ear that she henceforth be referred to as “Number 99” her locker identification. The power of the name changing to digits is seen as degrading. Glen’s experience was alike, he begins his narration with his identification number “118” (Wolochatiuk, 2012). The dehumanizing aspect of the naming is that it gave power to the nuns and altered the way the indigenous children saw themselves.
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The mandate of the schools was to get rid of all traces of the students’ aboriginal identity. They received Christian names in the schools to match their transition. “The savage and carefree ways you are accustomed to are over, your world is dying, but we in the civil world want to save you from certain death.” The nun claimed, believing their role was to transform them into productive society members (Wolochatiuk, 2012). The “saving” however consisted of physical abuse for speaking their native languages, dark room isolation for breaking rules and sexual abuse. For Lyna and Glen their imaginations were their retreat. This would be a good escape from all the humiliation and pain felt.
This sad chapter in the history of Canada should not be disregarded. The impact of the treatment the children went through is still being felt in families and the community today (Wolochatiuk, 2012). The film reveals a shocking and embarrassing past that many are not informed on. Lyna and Glen narrations disclose what many First Nation students experienced. It is in sharing their ordeals that the healing process for many begin, encouraging other survivors to talk about their experiences.
The aftermath of the Residential School has left most indigenous languages on the verge of extinction. For generations the government and the churches believed the Aboriginal families did not have the capability of raising their children to be proper Canadians. The children were cut off from their families and constantly told how worthless and evil their culture and languages were. The savage treatment was seen as rehabilitation from their religious indoctrinations (Wolochatiuk, 2012). While in the schools the children were forbidden from speaking their native languages and if they did, they would be punished severely. On holidays when the children would return home, they were traumatized to speak their native language. Consequently when these children had their children, they would encourage them to be fluent in the dominant language. Fast forward it is believed that less than 20% of the indigenous people can today speak their languages.
Traditionally the Aboriginal natives personified nature forces. Their culture as believed was in tune with the natural environment. This unique understanding mirrored their purpose. The physical environment served as an example on how to exist. In acknowledging the different cultures we understand the different perspectives of our world. Lack of awareness depicted in the horror stories of the survivors shows the poor decisions made by the government and the churches. The effects of these schools damaged the interactions of the students, they experienced hostility and lacked family nurturing. The outcome is the epidemic we face today, violence in families and a dysfunctional generation. The argument that introducing the children to Christianity was a good intention is over-ruled by the misfortunes manifested thereafter.
The shift from the residential school contributed to drug abuse, suicide and high incidences of domestic violence. The schools debatably have led to damaged communities and maliciously broken families. It is sad that the education system reveals little on the impact that the schools had on the community. Today, the residential schools are only viewed as a distant past and the present disassociated from the events that took place then. The generation of the survivors were left confused not fully belonging to the Aboriginal society or the dominant society. The film generates insight on the struggle to fit in experienced by the survivors. The extent of the abuse and the intentions of the schools reveal the schools were no more than institutionalized bondage centers.
The last residential school closed its doors in the year 1986.
References
Wolochatiuk, T. (2012). We were children. Writ. Jason Sherman. Eagle Vision. https://www.nfb.ca/film/we_were_children/trailer/we_were_children_trailer/
