Adding on to the Solutions

The main focus of the issue is cultural genocide; when the practices that define a group of people are destroyed. The social institutions of the Indigenous group of people were intended to be destroyed due to discrimination and lack of respect. In summary, languages were outlawed and spiritual practices were prohibited, and objects that represented Indigenous spirituality were destroyed. The current generations were unable to pass their cultural identity and values to the next. Therefore, in the context of assimilation, elders who have preserved Indigenous spiritual rituals, practices and languages should pass their knowledge of them down to the present-day Indigenous children. Over 150,000 Indigenous children were sent to residential schools and a majority of them lost a major part of their culture and language. One thing the Truth and Reconciliation Committee is doing part of their “Language and Culture” calls to action is increasing funding of educating Indigenous children their native languages - there should be an emphasis on this call to action and it should be made more effective.

When examining “cultural genocide”, transmission of knowledge of Indigenous traditions from one generation to the next is the most crucial and most important, in order for Indigenous culture and language to survive; especially those languages and cultural practices that are endangered. Furthermore, in the Ontario elementary and secondary education system, students are obligated to learn French. French is a requirement in elementary school, and the beginning of secondary school, but it is optional to take it in later years as well. I think it is important for there to be education of Indigenous culture and language history in the education systems that exist across Canada. Previous to European and French settlement in Canada, the Indigenous peoples existed but were seen as a “problem” . If residential schools were designed to remove the Indigenous peoples from their culture and languages, it is the right for all Canadian students to be taught about this “cultural genocide” at least once in their elementary and secondary academic careers. The only difference would be, that this upgrade in the education system would not assimilate the Canadian students to the Indigenous culture, but give them insight on its history, in order to gain sympathy and respect.