Friday, 18 November 2016

Treaties, Residential Schools, First Nations

Sexual Sterilisation Act, passed in1933,
repealed in 1973
Eugenics was popular in N.A.

The Dakota pipeline protests caught my interest. Canada has a history of horrific tales of settler colonisation, and the theft of the land. The USA has a similar story of broken treaties.

This history is important to understand.

Out of interest, after I have been researching the history of the colonization of Canada. As a white person, I think it is the only response to The Truth and Reconciliation Commission. There are those who believe there is no possibility that settler colonisers can be reconciled. I'm inclined to disagree.
When you know better, you do better, if it isn't too late.
Gradual Civilization Act, 1857



In the spirit of reconciliation, we must listen to their stories.

Many kids died in these schools, estimates of 50 - 60%. Kids ran away, only to get lost in the bush. We can make fun of the way the USA has treated First Nations with the #NoDAPL, but what Canadian civil servants and church employees and high-ranking church leaders have done.

A Canadian Genocide 

Head medical officer for Indian Affairs

I was researching the residential schools, I found the first report (1907), by the head medical officer for Indian Affairs, who spoke truth to power. He was fired.

The church and provinces expropriated treaty lands from Crown land, and then dragged kids away from home to place them into residential schools to make them more white.

Residential Schools were underfunded:

(We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice). Taxpayers didn't want to pay for the schools. This was a photo taken to support increased funding by the Canadian Government. They celebrated turning Indigenous boys and girls into something they were not. The schools were underfunded, and were often filled with staff who were racist, if not sexually abusive.
Fig. 1: Department of Indian Affairs. 
Thomas Moore before Tuition at Regina Indian Industrial School. 1897. 
Saskatchewan Archives Board. In A National Crime. 
Fig. 2: Department of Indian Affairs. 
Thomas Moore after Tuition at Regina Indian Industrial School. 1897. 
Saskatchewan Archives Board. In A National Crime.

Tribal locations in 1491, 1760 and 1783, 

UNREPENTANT: Canada's Residential Schools Documentary (YouTube)

Video Published on 7 Dec. 2013 

Kevin Annett
He was appointed to the United Church in Port Alberni. After exploring the common threads of murder, abuse and residential schools, he spoke truth to power. I had no idea. I've heard the horrific abuses, and listened. I didn't know what had been perpetuated by The United Church of Canada, in a ploy for land, money and power.

Annett was attacked, after being warned to be quiet, had his PhD. blocked, and United Church staff blocked his subsequent employment in B.C. He was shunned by church staff and clergy. He brought the skeletons out of the closet.

Jan. 23, 1995 Annett had served as a minister for 3 years, and was fired without cause. The church paid for his divorce, and limited his access to his children. Without the knowledge and consent of his church members, and with the collusion of those in Toronto head office, as well as the RCMP.

The Genocide

Kevin Annett
Annett listened to their stories, and did more research.  England deliberately gave people tuberculosis, by giving them blankets from those in hospital with TB. Then, it was small pox. The average death rate in residential schools was 50%. Murder, sexual abuse, medical experiments, hundreds were sterilised, unable to have children.

The United Church of Canada deliberately destroyed Annett, paid for his wife to divorce him and held a trial to de-list him for simply speaking truth to power. The 'Pales', as Annett calls us, didn't want to hear the horrific stories people told in Port Alberni.

Of course, the Church fought back. There is much controversy: Responses to claims made by Kevin Annett. There are many who continue to speak against Annett.
Read the article here:
Main stream press: thousands dead within a year
of being placed in residential schools.

March 7, 1997
Threatened with a gag order


 Published on 17 Jul 2014 

20 minute history of Canada and the Indian Residential School system. To provide historical context and intended as a prequel to the video Murray Sinclair Truth and Reconciliation. Developed for School District 27 Grade 5/10 History curriculum.


Published on 1 Nov 2013 

Return to the Healing Circle.
Residential School Survivors.
It was the Kuper Island Residential School, and it stood on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia. They called it Alcatraz. For almost a century, hundreds of Coast Salish children were sent to Kuper Island, where they were forbidden from speaking their native language, forced to deny their cultural heritage, and often faced physical and sexual abuse. Some died trying to escape on logs across the water. Many more died later, trying to escape their memories. Métis filmmaker Christine Welsh and Peter C. Campbell join survivors of the school, 20 years after its closure, as they begin to break the silence and embark on an extraordinary healing journey.

Much harm has been done by the churches, both Catholic and Protestants, i.e., Wahta Mohawks in Quebec.
The Wahta community was founded when a group of the Mohawk people moved from Kanesatake, Quebec to Gibson Township (Muskoka) in 1881. The conflict over land and religion were what brought about the move. The Catholic missionaries (of the Seminary of St. Sulpice, frequently termed the Sulpicians), Mohawks and other Iroquoians, Algonquins and Nipissings had occupied land at Oka, Quebec since early 1700, after a grant was made by the French Crown.
Sadly, this young man, Colton Boushie, was murdered in Saskatchewan. He wrote of the impact of residential schools on Indigenous Peoples. Education is so important.
Colton Boushie's notes on living in residential schools.
Preliminary hearing set for accused in Colten Boushie murder trial

Too many broken treaties

Indigenous B.C. land was sold to MacMillan-Bloedel, although land claims have been denied: MacMillan Bloedel Parks Settlement Agreement Decision


These treaties govern land only
a half mile from the Dakata Pipelines



Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Have 'bookmarked' those vids to watch Jenn... good work. What is disturbing over here in Blighty is that there are a number of investigations (at "Crown" level) with regard to abuses perpetrated by state and church organisations upon our own 'kind'... children are vulnerable regardless of where or when, and the modern media formats - for all the faults and infringements - is at least useful for this sort of awareness-raising. Abusers, individual and institutional, MUST be brought to task. YAM xx

Nancy J said...

Too sad to accept. And for those who spoke out, penalties too great. You write so well, and with great thought and insight. Hugs from NZ.

DUTA said...

Colonialism and all that has accompanied it is bad, very bad. However, there's no easy way out of what it has created (If you ask me there's no way out of it at all). As time progresses and people of what is called first nations acquire education and positions they'll want their land back, nothing less. Reconciliations and all this kind of stuff is good as a means of dragging time. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. Israel is a very tiny, insignificant piece of land, and yet nothing helps; the palestinians clainm its their land and want us to go away.

Red said...

You've done a lot of good research. Most of these things were callously swept under the carpet.

William Kendall said...

In so many ways, it is unacceptable.