Indigenous Resistance

Indigenous Resistance by Michael Marker is an article about a group of native americans that were divided by the USA-Canada border. Then the white settlers tried to force them to go to their schools and forget everything about their native past. The schools in Canada were very religious and the natives were abused physically. The schools in the USA were very racist and the natives experienced psychological trauma. The natives had to learn their language and dances in secret or they would be punished. When the natives integrated to public schools in the USA the racism became so bad over fishing rights that eventually they went back to the boarding schools that their grandparents remember as the worst times of their life. It is amazing that something that was once so bad, becomes the choice because other people feel they have so much more power because of skin color. It is a good that the boarding schools are now letting the natives learn about their culture now however, because diversity is important. It would be better if the natives and white could both learn about it in a civilized manner, but no person should by traumatized by their school years. I do not really know how the Canadians go about life, but I know that forcing an entirely different religion on any person is wrong. Students should have a choice to go to a school or not that includes religion.  In this case, the natives should be taught by their elders. It is important to keep various cultures alive, if every person had the same values and beliefs, then there would be none. This article shows that an open mind is important. Some of the most amazing experiences I have had, have had nothing to do with what I believe in, but I know that it is important to have respect for anything that other people do and I cannot imagine shutting out anything without giving it a try first.

Happy embracing,
Madison Broadway