Social‌‌10-1‌‌-‌‌Position‌‌Paper‌ Breanna‌‌McClelland‌ 

Everything‌‌around‌‌you‌‌is‌‌a‌‌result‌‌of‌‌the‌‌colonization‌‌of‌‌Indigenous‌‌peoples‌‌and‌‌the‌‌land‌ 

that‌‌they‌‌are‌‌and‌‌were‌‌inhabiting.‌‌The‌‌author‌‌of‌‌our‌‌quotation‌‌is‌‌putting‌‌forward‌‌a‌‌message‌‌that‌‌is‌ 

in‌‌support‌‌of‌‌colonialism,‌‌and‌‌by-proxy‌‌imperialism‌‌and‌‌globalization.‌‌The‌‌perspective‌‌that‌‌this‌ 

was‌‌most‌‌likely‌‌written‌‌from‌‌is‌‌the‌‌point‌‌of‌‌view‌‌of‌‌someone‌‌who‌‌has‌‌only‌‌reaped‌‌the‌‌benefits‌‌of‌ 

colonialism.‌‌For‌‌example,‌‌they‌‌can‌‌live‌‌in‌‌a‌‌country‌‌that‌‌is‌‌no‌‌longer‌‌under‌‌British‌‌rule,‌‌can‌‌benefit‌ 

off‌‌of‌‌the‌‌land‌‌and‌‌can‌‌raise‌‌a‌‌family‌‌in‌‌a‌‌country‌‌they‌‌know‌‌is‌‌safe.‌‌This‌‌author‌‌views‌‌colonialism‌ 

as‌‌a‌‌positive,‌‌although‌‌they‌‌do‌‌acknowledge‌‌that‌‌there‌‌were‌‌damages‌‌done‌‌to‌‌people,‌‌they‌‌believe‌ 

that‌‌the‌‌pros‌‌outweigh‌‌the‌‌cons.‌‌They‌‌believe‌‌that‌‌because‌‌they‌‌can‌‌benefit‌‌from‌‌colonialism,‌‌that‌ 

means‌‌that‌‌everyone‌‌does.‌‌Based‌‌on‌‌how‌‌they‌‌talked‌‌about‌‌indigenous‌‌peoples‌‌and‌‌their‌ 

integration‌‌into‌‌a‌‌Eurocentric‌‌society‌‌we‌‌can‌‌infer‌‌that‌‌the‌‌author‌‌isn’t‌‌indigenous.‌‌This‌‌also‌‌shows‌ 

that‌‌the‌‌author‌‌approves‌‌of‌‌how‌‌the‌‌social‌‌aspect‌‌of‌‌globalization‌‌was‌‌impacted‌‌when‌‌colonizers‌ 

came‌‌to‌‌Canada‌‌when‌‌they‌‌replaced‌‌the‌‌Indigenous‌‌way‌‌of‌‌life‌‌with‌‌the‌‌European‌‌way.‌‌The‌ 

reason‌‌that‌‌this‌‌issue‌‌(colonialism)‌‌is‌‌so‌‌important‌‌is‌‌that‌‌the‌‌effects‌‌of‌‌colonization‌‌remain‌ 

prevalent‌‌in‌‌society‌‌to‌‌this‌‌day.‌‌For‌‌example,‌‌the‌‌modern‌‌school‌‌system‌‌was‌‌created‌‌because‌‌the‌ 

English‌‌arrived‌‌in‌‌Canada‌‌and‌‌implemented‌‌it‌‌to‌‌teach‌‌the‌‌youth‌‌of‌‌Canada.‌‌The‌‌reason‌‌that‌‌people‌ 

can‌‌live‌‌in‌‌Canada,‌‌America,‌‌and‌‌Mexico‌‌is‌‌because‌‌of‌‌colonization.‌‌On‌‌the‌‌other‌‌hand,‌‌you‌‌also‌ 

have‌‌the‌‌people‌‌who‌‌are‌‌in‌‌opposition‌‌to‌‌colonialism.‌‌People‌‌who‌‌have‌‌this‌‌world‌‌view,‌‌in‌‌general,‌ 

view‌‌colonialism‌‌as‌‌a‌‌negative.‌‌It‌‌can‌‌be‌‌assumed‌‌that‌‌they‌‌see‌‌the‌‌negatives‌‌of‌‌colonialism‌‌far‌‌too‌ 

harsh‌‌to‌‌mask‌‌any‌‌positives.‌‌They‌‌believe‌‌that‌‌because‌‌of‌‌the‌‌“inappropriate‌‌acts”‌‌that‌‌took‌‌place‌ 

colonization,‌‌historical‌‌globalization‌‌and‌‌imperialism‌‌are‌‌all‌‌negatives.‌‌The‌‌opinion‌‌stated‌‌in‌‌the‌ 

quote‌‌is‌‌appalling‌‌and‌‌should‌‌not‌‌be‌‌considered‌‌acceptable.‌‌The‌‌truth‌‌of‌‌what‌‌has‌‌happened‌‌to‌‌the‌ 

indigenous‌‌peoples‌‌of‌‌Canada‌‌is‌‌far‌‌too‌‌gruesome‌‌to‌‌ignore.‌‌The‌‌acts‌‌of‌‌colonization‌‌have‌ 

wreaked‌‌havoc‌‌on‌‌our‌‌indigenous‌‌peoples‌‌who‌‌are‌‌still‌‌recovering‌‌from‌‌what‌‌colonization‌‌has‌ 
Social‌‌10-1‌‌-‌‌Position‌‌Paper‌ Breanna‌‌McClelland‌ 

taken‌‌from‌‌and‌‌done‌‌to‌‌them.‌‌‌Colonialism‌‌has‌‌birthed‌‌horrible‌‌things‌‌such‌‌as‌‌residential‌‌schools,‌ 

inter-generational‌‌trauma,‌‌and‌‌created‌‌a‌‌divide‌‌between‌‌people‌‌and‌‌their‌‌culture.‌  

One‌‌of‌‌the‌‌many‌‌negative‌‌effects‌‌of‌‌colonization‌‌was‌‌residential‌‌schools.‌‌Residential‌ 

schools‌‌were‌‌a‌‌product‌‌of‌‌colonialism.‌‌This‌‌is‌‌seen‌‌through‌‌the‌‌Canadian‌‌government’s‌‌need‌‌to‌ 

integrate‌‌aboriginal‌‌people‌‌into‌‌a‌‌colonized‌‌and‌‌European‌‌society.‌‌The‌‌Canadian‌‌government‌ 

became‌‌paternalistic‌‌towards‌‌our‌‌indigenous‌‌peoples,‌‌believing‌‌that‌‌it‌‌was‌‌their‌‌duty‌‌as‌‌morally‌ 

superior‌‌beings‌‌to‌‌educate‌‌the‌‌uneducated.‌‌These‌‌residential‌‌schools‌‌took‌‌young‌‌children‌‌away‌ 

from‌‌their‌‌families‌‌and‌‌brought‌‌them‌‌to‌‌unknown‌‌places.‌‌At‌‌these‌‌schools,‌‌children‌‌were‌ 

physically,‌‌sexually‌‌and‌‌emotionally‌‌abused.‌‌Survivors‌‌tell‌‌stories‌‌of‌‌continuous‌‌crying,‌‌torture‌‌and‌ 

suicides.‌‌A‌‌great‌‌example‌‌of‌‌one‌‌such‌‌school‌‌is‌‌the‌‌Christie‌‌residential‌‌school.‌‌It‌‌opened‌‌its‌‌doors‌ 

in‌‌the‌‌year‌‌1900‌‌and‌‌remained‌‌open‌‌for‌‌83‌‌years.‌‌As‌‌was‌‌the‌‌case‌‌with‌‌most‌‌residential‌‌schools,‌‌it‌ 

was‌‌run‌‌by‌‌the‌‌Church,‌‌specifically‌‌the‌‌Roman‌‌Catholic‌‌Church.‌‌They‌‌took‌‌Ahousaht,‌‌Hesquiat,‌ 

Nootka,‌‌Opitsat,‌‌and‌‌Kyuquot‌‌children‌‌away‌‌from‌‌their‌‌families.‌‌At‌‌these‌‌schools,‌‌they‌‌held‌‌little‌ 

regard‌‌for‌‌how‌‌their‌‌students‌‌were‌‌treated,‌‌in‌‌fact,‌‌they‌‌went‌‌as‌‌far‌‌as‌‌to‌‌ensure‌‌negative‌‌treatment.‌ 

Christie‌‌residential‌‌school‌‌has‌‌a‌‌long‌‌history‌‌of‌‌sexual‌‌assault‌‌allegations.‌‌There‌‌was‌‌a‌‌priest‌‌who‌ 

was‌‌accused‌‌of‌‌assaulting‌‌a‌‌student‌‌and‌‌was‌‌later‌‌transferred‌‌to‌‌a‌‌different‌‌school‌‌down‌‌south.‌‌This‌ 

school‌‌even‌‌employed‌‌an‌‌ex-convict‌‌who‌‌was‌‌in‌‌jail‌‌for‌‌manslaughter.‌‌This‌‌man‌‌would‌‌then‌‌go‌‌on‌ 

to‌‌sexually‌‌assault‌‌the‌‌students‌‌until‌‌the‌‌school‌‌closed.‌‌One‌‌survivor‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Christie‌‌residential‌ 

school‌‌tells‌‌of‌‌how‌‌he‌‌would‌‌be‌‌beaten‌‌with‌‌a‌‌wooden‌‌pole,‌‌nuns‌‌would‌‌pull‌‌his‌‌hair‌‌and‌‌strangle‌ 

him‌‌with‌‌a‌‌towel‌‌until‌‌he‌‌passed‌‌out.‌‌All‌‌of‌‌these‌‌horrible‌‌things‌‌were‌‌done‌‌in‌‌the‌‌name‌‌of‌ 

assimilating‌‌and‌‌taking‌‌the‌‌culture‌‌from‌‌Indigenous‌‌youth‌‌into‌‌Canadian‌‌society.‌‌This‌‌example‌ 
Social‌‌10-1‌‌-‌‌Position‌‌Paper‌ Breanna‌‌McClelland‌ 

shows‌‌one‌‌of‌‌many‌‌ugly‌‌sides‌‌of‌‌colonization.‌‌Years‌‌of‌‌trauma‌‌instilled‌‌into‌‌generations‌‌worth‌‌of‌ 

indigenous‌‌peoples‌‌all‌‌for‌‌the‌‌sake‌‌of‌‌assimilation.‌  

The‌‌trauma‌‌of‌‌residential‌‌schools‌‌has‌‌created‌‌broken‌‌people,‌‌making‌‌way‌‌for‌‌the‌‌creation‌ 

of‌‌intergenerational‌‌trauma.‌‌According‌‌to‌‌the‌‌Canadian‌‌Encyclopedias’‌‌article‌‌titled‌ 

“‌Intergenerational‌‌Trauma‌‌and‌‌Residential‌‌Schools‌,”‌‌intergenerational‌‌trauma‌‌is‌‌when‌‌a‌‌parent,‌ 

who‌‌has‌‌trauma,‌‌creates‌‌trauma‌‌within‌‌their‌‌child,‌‌therefore‌‌passing‌‌it‌‌down.‌‌For‌‌indigenous‌ 

people,‌‌this‌‌original‌‌trauma‌‌was‌‌created‌‌by‌‌residential‌‌schools.‌‌Residential‌‌schools‌‌were‌‌fueled‌‌by‌ 

the‌‌core‌‌beliefs‌‌of‌‌colonization,‌‌take‌‌the‌‌land.‌‌This‌‌trauma‌‌created‌‌and‌‌passed‌‌down‌‌through‌ 

generations‌‌shows‌‌yet‌‌another‌‌horrible‌‌side‌‌of‌‌colonization.‌‌It‌‌is‌‌in‌‌stark‌‌contrast‌‌to‌‌the‌‌original‌ 

quote‌‌used‌‌because‌‌the‌‌quote‌‌states‌‌that‌‌“‌‌Yes,‌‌it‌‌is‌‌true,‌‌some‌‌inappropriate‌‌actions‌‌took‌‌place”.‌ 

This‌‌quote‌‌states‌‌that‌‌a‌‌minimal‌‌amount‌‌of‌‌wrongdoings‌‌happened‌‌during‌‌colonization,‌‌but‌‌the‌ 

simple‌‌existence‌‌of‌‌intergenerational‌‌trauma‌‌shows‌‌that‌‌the‌‌“inappropriate‌‌actions”‌‌are‌‌far‌‌more‌ 

widespread‌‌and‌‌prevalent‌‌in‌‌modern‌‌society‌‌than‌‌the‌‌author‌‌let‌‌on.‌‌As‌‌I‌‌had‌‌stated‌‌before‌‌the‌ 

Canadian‌‌Encyclopedia‌‌published‌‌an‌‌article‌‌about‌‌how‌‌trauma‌‌gets‌‌passed‌‌down‌‌from‌‌generation‌ 

to‌‌generation.‌‌This‌‌article,‌‌specifically‌‌states‌‌that‌‌the‌‌trauma‌‌from‌‌residential‌‌schools‌‌gets‌‌passed‌ 

down‌‌from‌‌generation‌‌to‌‌generation.‌‌The‌‌article‌‌presents‌‌the‌‌idea‌‌that‌‌trauma‌‌is‌‌passed‌‌down‌ 

socioculturally,‌‌psychologically,‌‌and‌‌physiologically.‌‌Those‌‌are‌‌three‌‌ways‌‌that‌‌the‌‌traumas‌‌caused‌ 

by‌‌residential‌‌schools‌‌continue‌‌to‌‌be‌‌passed‌‌down,‌‌three‌‌ways‌‌that‌‌are‌‌deeply‌‌rooted‌‌in‌‌forming‌ 

your‌‌identity‌‌where‌‌there‌‌can‌‌be‌‌significant‌‌trauma.‌‌Intergenerational‌‌trauma‌‌is‌‌such‌‌a‌‌deeply‌ 

rooted‌‌issue‌‌that‌‌there‌‌will‌‌never‌‌be‌‌a‌‌“pro”‌‌that‌‌could‌‌outweigh‌‌this‌‌“con”.‌ ‌This‌‌trauma‌‌will‌ 

continue‌‌to‌‌be‌‌weighing‌‌heavy‌‌on‌‌indigenous‌‌people‌‌for‌‌many‌‌generations‌‌to‌‌come.‌‌This‌‌trauma,‌ 
Social‌‌10-1‌‌-‌‌Position‌‌Paper‌ Breanna‌‌McClelland‌ 

which‌‌is‌‌often‌‌held‌‌in‌‌relation‌‌to‌‌their‌‌culture‌‌has‌‌the‌‌potential‌‌to‌‌create‌‌a‌‌divide‌‌between‌‌a‌‌people‌ 

and‌‌their‌‌identity.‌  

There‌‌is‌‌an‌‌association‌‌between‌‌the‌‌trauma‌‌given‌‌to‌‌indigenous‌‌people‌‌and‌‌how‌‌it‌‌relates‌‌to‌ 

their‌‌culture.‌‌Because‌‌they‌‌had‌‌been‌‌forcibly‌‌removed‌‌from‌‌their‌‌culture‌‌and‌‌were‌‌beat‌‌and‌ 

assaulted‌‌for‌‌participating‌‌in‌‌their‌‌culture‌‌there‌‌was‌‌bound‌‌to‌‌be‌‌culture-related‌‌trauma.‌‌This‌ 

relation‌‌between‌‌their‌‌trauma‌‌and‌‌their‌‌culture‌‌created‌‌generations‌‌of‌‌people‌‌who‌‌don’t‌‌have‌‌an‌ 

identity.‌‌White‌‌Imperialism‌‌and‌‌colonialism‌‌have‌‌created‌‌a‌‌divide‌‌between‌‌a‌‌people‌‌and‌‌their‌ 

culture.‌‌The‌‌author‌‌of‌‌the‌‌quote‌‌stated‌‌that‌‌“Language,‌‌education,‌‌and‌‌way‌‌of‌‌life‌‌are‌‌the‌‌welcome‌ 

gifts‌‌[aboriginal‌‌people]‌‌receive.”‌‌But,‌‌by‌‌removing‌‌someone’s‌‌culture‌‌and‌‌replacing‌‌it‌‌with‌‌their‌ 

own‌‌they‌‌have‌‌created‌‌many‌‌generations‌‌of‌‌people‌‌who‌‌have‌‌no‌‌real‌‌identity.‌‌They‌‌find‌ 

themselves‌‌torn‌‌between‌‌the‌‌western‌‌identity‌‌they‌‌were‌‌“given”‌‌and‌‌the‌‌identity‌‌that‌‌they‌‌are‌‌tied‌ 

culturally‌‌to.‌‌This‌‌lack‌‌of‌‌self-identity‌‌and‌‌cultural‌‌connection‌‌can‌‌cause‌‌delinquent‌‌behaviours,‌ 

self-destructive‌‌tendencies,‌‌and‌‌feelings‌‌of‌‌aimlessness.‌‌As‌‌someone‌‌who‌‌is‌‌an‌‌indigenous‌ 

Canadian,‌‌I‌‌have‌‌experienced‌‌many‌‌of‌‌these‌‌behaviours‌‌and‌‌the‌‌root‌‌reason‌‌as‌‌to‌‌why‌‌I‌‌did‌‌these‌ 

things‌‌have‌‌a‌‌tendency‌‌to‌‌lead‌‌me‌‌back‌‌to‌‌who‌‌I‌‌believe‌‌I‌‌am.‌‌I‌‌have‌‌grown‌‌up‌‌in‌‌western‌‌culture,‌ 

never‌‌really‌‌having‌‌a‌‌chance‌‌to‌‌experience‌‌my‌‌culture.‌‌This‌‌has‌‌caused‌‌me‌‌to‌‌feel‌‌the‌‌distance‌ 

between‌‌me‌‌and‌‌my‌‌culture‌‌grow‌‌farther‌‌apart.‌‌My‌‌mother‌‌left‌‌our‌‌homeland‌‌and‌‌didn’t‌‌teach‌‌me‌ 

the‌‌ways‌‌of‌‌my‌‌ancestors‌‌because‌‌she‌‌also‌‌held‌‌trauma,‌‌and‌‌for‌‌her,‌‌she‌‌blamed‌‌it‌‌on‌‌her‌‌culture.‌ 

This‌‌trauma‌‌was‌‌then‌‌passed‌‌down‌‌to‌‌her‌‌children‌‌and‌‌the‌‌divide‌‌between‌‌the‌‌person‌‌and‌‌their‌ 

culture‌‌grew‌‌larger‌‌as‌‌another‌‌generation‌‌grew‌‌up.‌‌Having‌‌no‌‌real‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌self‌‌leads‌‌to‌‌the‌ 

aforementioned‌‌tendencies‌‌because‌‌you‌‌need‌‌to‌‌find‌‌yourself‌‌in‌‌something,‌‌even‌‌if‌‌it‌‌means‌ 

finding‌‌yourself‌‌in‌‌something‌‌bad.‌‌When‌‌you‌‌lack‌‌a‌‌solid‌‌foundation‌‌of‌‌who‌‌you‌‌are‌‌it‌‌becomes‌ 
Social‌‌10-1‌‌-‌‌Position‌‌Paper‌ Breanna‌‌McClelland‌ 

very‌‌difficult‌‌to‌‌build‌‌up‌‌any‌‌character‌‌or‌‌self-identity.‌‌The‌‌assimilation‌‌of‌‌indigenous‌‌peoples‌ 

because‌‌of‌‌colonization‌‌has‌‌caused‌‌generations‌‌of‌‌indigenous‌‌people‌‌to‌‌lose‌‌their‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌self‌‌and‌ 

be‌‌unable‌‌to‌‌form‌‌a‌‌self-identity.‌  

When‌‌the‌‌quotation‌‌talks‌‌about‌‌colonization‌‌it‌‌is‌‌viewed‌‌as‌‌a‌‌positive‌‌despite‌‌the‌‌author‌ 

agreeing‌‌that‌‌there‌‌were‌‌some‌‌negatives‌‌to‌‌it.‌‌The‌‌general‌‌consensus‌‌of‌‌the‌‌author‌‌is‌‌that‌ 

colonization,‌‌imperialism‌‌and‌‌historical‌‌globalization‌‌are‌‌all‌‌good‌‌things‌‌that‌‌benefitted‌‌all‌‌people.‌ 

The‌‌perspective‌‌shown‌‌in‌‌the‌‌quote‌‌is‌‌an‌‌incredibly‌‌positive‌‌outlook‌‌on‌‌the‌‌tragedies‌‌that‌‌have‌ 

befallen‌‌indigenous‌‌peoples‌‌across‌‌the‌‌globe.‌‌Because‌‌of‌‌the‌‌tragedies‌‌that‌‌have‌‌befallen‌ 

indigenous‌‌peoples,‌‌this‌‌is‌‌not‌‌an‌‌opinion‌‌that‌‌should‌‌be‌‌embraced.‌‌We‌‌see‌‌the‌‌effects‌‌of‌ 

colonization,‌‌imperialism‌‌and‌‌historical‌‌globalization‌‌to‌‌this‌‌day.‌‌You‌‌can‌‌see‌‌it‌‌in‌‌everything‌‌from‌ 

the‌‌fact‌‌that‌‌people‌‌of‌‌different‌‌races‌‌and‌‌social‌‌classes‌‌can‌‌intermingle,‌‌to‌‌outcries‌‌calling‌‌for‌ 

justice‌‌for‌‌what‌‌historic‌‌colonization‌‌did‌‌to‌‌people.‌‌While‌‌colonization‌‌has‌‌presented‌‌a‌‌few‌ 

positives‌‌the‌‌lasting‌‌effect‌‌and‌‌trauma‌‌that‌‌it‌‌instilled‌‌onto‌‌the‌‌victims‌‌of‌‌colonization‌‌are‌‌far‌‌too‌ 

grave‌‌to‌‌simply‌‌ignore.‌‌Colonization‌‌created‌‌residential‌‌schools,‌‌intergenerational‌‌trauma‌‌and‌‌a‌ 

divide‌‌between‌‌indigenous‌‌people‌‌and‌‌their‌‌culture.‌‌While‌‌we‌‌owe‌‌what‌‌we‌‌have‌‌at‌‌this‌‌very‌ 

moment‌‌to‌‌colonization‌‌it‌‌is‌‌our‌‌duty,‌‌as‌‌the‌‌people‌‌who‌‌carry‌‌this‌‌dark‌‌legacy,‌‌to‌‌reconcile‌‌and‌ 

heal‌‌from‌‌what‌‌European‌‌colonizers‌‌took‌‌from‌‌all‌‌of‌‌us.‌