From this week’s lecture, video and readings, the most overreaching theme is the

disparities caused by residential schools. One common topic amongst these sources was the

poor living conditions within these schools, as seen in the lecture, Canada’s chief medical

officer reported that showed overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions were spreading

disease within schools1. This very topic is a major focal point in Warehousing prisoners in

Saskatchewan: a public health approach2, this video and lecture both spoke about

overcrowding and lack of food within these schools. These conditions don’t seem to align

with the methodology of removing the Indigenous culture from the students rather seemed to

just be a form of torture. Another problem that residential schools caused Indigenous is the

disconnect between family and culture, the videos Stolen Children3 and Annihilate,

assimilate, appropriate : the systemic genocide of Indigenous people in 'Canada4 both speak

on this theme. In Stolen Children, they speak of how children were a fundamental element of

the Indigenous community, by taking the children away these children were abused and

starved of parental influence. As a result, the ex-residential school parents were continuing

this cycle of abuse amongst their children. The effect of this trama is touched upon in

Annihilate, assimilate, appropriate: the systemic genocide of Indigenous people in 'Canada,

where it is shown that Youth gang Indigenous, become so revoking is due to the trauma

caused by past experiences such as residential schools. Overall, this week’s theme of effects

caused by residential schools has affected Indigenous communities historically and still to

this day, the poor treatment within these schools seems to contradict the general objective of

these schools and the results have caused havoc on Indigenous generations since.

1
Laws4504, Indigenous People, Social Context Evidence and Gladue, Week 8 lecture, Jo-Anne Muise Lawless,
2023.
2
Jason Demers, Warehousing prisoners in Saskatchewan." A public health approach, Regina: Canadian Centre
for Policy Alternatives (2014).
3
Stolen Children | Residential School survivors speak out, CBC News, 2016.
4
Jen MtPleasant, “Gangs” in Jen MtPleasant, ed, Annihilate. Assimilate. Appropriate. The
Systemic Genocide of Indigenous People in "Canada."’ (Independently published, 2019): 257-
270.