Thank you Michelle for a very touching and insightful article. I agree completely with you that scapegoating residential schools is a coping mechanism for dealing with traumatic childhoods. Certainly the case of Wilton Littlechild, in the words of Winston Churchill, "is a riddle, inside a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. It would be really interesting to know why he stayed all those extra years in a dangerous environment where babies were thrown in ovens and children buried in mass graves. Was he a Kapo guard supervising the other prisoner children ???
The truly bright side of your article was the information on the iconic western actor, Chief Dan George.
His movie roles along side of Clint Eastwood are remembered fondly by an entire generation of movie goers as well as his famous line, "today is a good day to die" which was always averted in the film. His success as a famous entertainer should be considered as a stunning example of how initiative triumphs over adversity.
I never realized the line "today is a good day to die" was from Chief Dan George! I remember it as the mantra of the "Klingons" on every version of Star Trek. Thanks for the info!
What a brilliant and thought-provoking article! And so true. Families often create myths about various members to conceal their sense of shame and elevate their status to others. I learned some truth when my father had vascular dementia (mild at that stage). One of his symptoms was disinhibition. He told me things about certain family members that he never would have told me before having this condition. I learned, for example, about marital troubles with his parents which no one had talked about. Also (and this made me chuckle) my mom's desire to have sex with him before their marriage when her family reputation was that of a pure, pristine "angel". From a cousin, I learned some truth about one of my aunts. A woman who came across as sweet and fun-loving to the outside world but who could be very abusive to her immediate family. (I actually got a glimpse of her "Ms. Hyde" personality after a death in the family.) From Stirling's article and our own experiences with family myths, it's hard to take the mantra about abusive residential schools seriously. Yes, I do believe there were certain schools and certain individuals in those schools who were abusive. But I'm sick and tired of my country being forced to take the blame for all of the suffering caused by aboriginal peoples' own families, not the residential schools.
My father & his two brothers were sent to Onion Lake residential school after their mother died. I've often wondered if feelings of resentment towards his father was one of the factors in his addiction to alcohol. I can't imagine how unwanted and frightened they were especially as their two sisters stayed with their father & housekeeper. Thank you for the timely articles.
About this delightful and wise article, most families do the “right thing by creating a nebulous family myth — one that respect[s] those who did what they had to in order to survive.”
I appreciate this thoughtful essay. I think it hits very close to the mark.
I also do genealogy research. There is a proven story in my family history in which "Indians", by trickery, gained access to the garrison in which the extended family of my ancestors sheltered. Most of those people were brutally murdered, including infants. Survivors were driven on a death march to Quebec, where they were bartered away as slaves who were "adopted". Their descendants still live there. By the time they were found by their own people, they were so enculturated, and so separated from their people, they mostly chose not to return. One woman, taken as a youngster, left both "families", and went to the church. She became a nun.
This is only one story. There are many. What people meant to do, Macdonald's idea of wanting to provide the "Indian" access to a world he knew was going to be worlds away from their experience, that's very different than what some "settlers" experienced in their interactions with "Indians", and very different than what "Indians" inflicted on one another. They were a very different people than they imagine, on reflection, today. They were a violent, war-like people, who tortured and murdered others. And so were we, But let's stop pretending there was some peaceful, joyous, safe, plentiful, Garden of Eden aka "Turtle Island". It simply isn't true. Life was "nasty, brutish and short", and if the next village didn't kill you, your uncle might, both in the UK and here.
Just wrap your head around the truth and go from there.
yes it was a different time. Back when I was a youngster on our farm we learned that our neighbour discovered a sister (as adults) that he didn't know about. The 30's depression and a large family and they gave up the baby to (presumably) a childless couple. I came to know the parents (they would have beed elderly by then) who seemed like the sweetest caring couple one could meet. Tough times indeed.
Thank you Michelle for a very touching and insightful article. I agree completely with you that scapegoating residential schools is a coping mechanism for dealing with traumatic childhoods. Certainly the case of Wilton Littlechild, in the words of Winston Churchill, "is a riddle, inside a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. It would be really interesting to know why he stayed all those extra years in a dangerous environment where babies were thrown in ovens and children buried in mass graves. Was he a Kapo guard supervising the other prisoner children ???
The truly bright side of your article was the information on the iconic western actor, Chief Dan George.
His movie roles along side of Clint Eastwood are remembered fondly by an entire generation of movie goers as well as his famous line, "today is a good day to die" which was always averted in the film. His success as a famous entertainer should be considered as a stunning example of how initiative triumphs over adversity.
"Palma non sine pulvere."
Dare to try.
I never realized the line "today is a good day to die" was from Chief Dan George! I remember it as the mantra of the "Klingons" on every version of Star Trek. Thanks for the info!
May the force be with you.
What a brilliant and thought-provoking article! And so true. Families often create myths about various members to conceal their sense of shame and elevate their status to others. I learned some truth when my father had vascular dementia (mild at that stage). One of his symptoms was disinhibition. He told me things about certain family members that he never would have told me before having this condition. I learned, for example, about marital troubles with his parents which no one had talked about. Also (and this made me chuckle) my mom's desire to have sex with him before their marriage when her family reputation was that of a pure, pristine "angel". From a cousin, I learned some truth about one of my aunts. A woman who came across as sweet and fun-loving to the outside world but who could be very abusive to her immediate family. (I actually got a glimpse of her "Ms. Hyde" personality after a death in the family.) From Stirling's article and our own experiences with family myths, it's hard to take the mantra about abusive residential schools seriously. Yes, I do believe there were certain schools and certain individuals in those schools who were abusive. But I'm sick and tired of my country being forced to take the blame for all of the suffering caused by aboriginal peoples' own families, not the residential schools.
My father & his two brothers were sent to Onion Lake residential school after their mother died. I've often wondered if feelings of resentment towards his father was one of the factors in his addiction to alcohol. I can't imagine how unwanted and frightened they were especially as their two sisters stayed with their father & housekeeper. Thank you for the timely articles.
About this delightful and wise article, most families do the “right thing by creating a nebulous family myth — one that respect[s] those who did what they had to in order to survive.”
I appreciate this thoughtful essay. I think it hits very close to the mark.
I also do genealogy research. There is a proven story in my family history in which "Indians", by trickery, gained access to the garrison in which the extended family of my ancestors sheltered. Most of those people were brutally murdered, including infants. Survivors were driven on a death march to Quebec, where they were bartered away as slaves who were "adopted". Their descendants still live there. By the time they were found by their own people, they were so enculturated, and so separated from their people, they mostly chose not to return. One woman, taken as a youngster, left both "families", and went to the church. She became a nun.
This is only one story. There are many. What people meant to do, Macdonald's idea of wanting to provide the "Indian" access to a world he knew was going to be worlds away from their experience, that's very different than what some "settlers" experienced in their interactions with "Indians", and very different than what "Indians" inflicted on one another. They were a very different people than they imagine, on reflection, today. They were a violent, war-like people, who tortured and murdered others. And so were we, But let's stop pretending there was some peaceful, joyous, safe, plentiful, Garden of Eden aka "Turtle Island". It simply isn't true. Life was "nasty, brutish and short", and if the next village didn't kill you, your uncle might, both in the UK and here.
Just wrap your head around the truth and go from there.
John A. would appreciate your thoughts that Macdonald was naive to believe Indians would adopt farming and a Canada that was a new world.
Your work is so important. Too often I can't look because it's like a back-breaking straw.
yes it was a different time. Back when I was a youngster on our farm we learned that our neighbour discovered a sister (as adults) that he didn't know about. The 30's depression and a large family and they gave up the baby to (presumably) a childless couple. I came to know the parents (they would have beed elderly by then) who seemed like the sweetest caring couple one could meet. Tough times indeed.
Everyone has pointed to family memories to hide truth. Why has Niigaan Sinclair not admired the reality of attendance at Residential Schools?
His father didn't go there?