Canada's history is a story worth telling, the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations. However there is a misconception about Canadian history that needs to be rectified Canada was not originally populated by Europeans, and before the Europeans there was not one giant race of supernatural, nature, magic people that talk to their grandmother the tree (sorry Disney) and no savage half intelligent race that will be defeated by the handsome singing cowboys. The truth is that before the Europeans took over and there still remains a diverse population of nations and tribes across Canada and the subsequent relationship is one that reads of broken treaties, forced relocation and attempted culturecide in the form of residential schools the last of which did not close until 1996.
However the current situation has not greatly improved in the fact that the government is still breaking treaty promises. On reserves the school system is strongly below the average set in public schools across Canada. With each aboriginal child receiving half the funding that any other Canadian child would receive. The government gets away with this by using big numbers to make the public believe they are spending the right amount of money.However Aboriginal children have take matters into their own hands with such movements as Shannen's dream. Shannen was in grade 8 and wondered why she had to go to school in badly heated portables with snakes and rats and only longed for the same education every other Canadian child enjoys. She took her fight to the minister of aboriginal affairs and the Prime Minister. However when she realized the aboriginal affairs minister wasn't going to help her she turned to her fellow Canadian students and created a movement that gained national attention. Sadly her fight ended when she died in a car accident at the age of 15. However she did manage to get the government to build a new school on her reserve and her actions inspired the organization Shannen's Dream which fights for equitable education for aboriginal children.
Check out these websites:
http://www.fncaringsociety.ca/shannens-dream
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/native-school-conditions-in-canada-are-shocking-panel-chair/article557527/
Meagan, good post. Was this really for writer's craft? I like it very much, but it reads like a social science assignment.
ReplyDeleteMeagan, I was searching for a unifying conclusion, but found none. Your title "Behind the Looking Glass" is fitting and works well as an organizational concept. Your blog deserves a final reflection.
ReplyDeleteWithout exception your posts are thought-provoking and socially relevant. 90%