LOS ANGELES — GoAskAlex’s latest blog post explores her Indigenous identity and allows her to reflect on how Canada’s Residential School System harmed Indigenous children.
Marking the second anniversary of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (also known as Orange Shirt Day), she took a moment to recognize the survivors and victims of a system designed “to assimilate or otherwise erase Indigenous communities in Canada,” Alex said.
“The schools, which were glorified prisons, were run by (mostly Roman Catholic) churches and funded by the government of Canada. Between the 1870s and 1990s over 150,000 children were forcibly removed from their homes and held against their will in Residential Schools,” Alex explained.
"Children were cut off from communicating with their parents and “were forbidden to speak their native languages or practice cultural traditions,” Alex shared. “Many, were mentally, physically, and sexually abused.”
Alex also took a moment to discuss why she is highlighting this topic.
“I feel responsible as a young member of Métis Nation to amplify the voices of the Indigenous people around me. I sometimes feel that I exist in the margins between ‘Indigenous’ and ‘not-Indigenous’. I am proud of my Métis heritage and have a deep desire to share it with the world. I struggle to connect with my culture as a direct result of assimilation caused by the residential school system,” Alex continued. “Families like mine were made to unlearn their language, religion, and customs. As a result, much of our way-of-life was lost over the years.”
The full article can be found at GoAskAlexOnline.
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