No healing, no reconciliation without our education

Dear editor,

In response to Charmaine Wood’s letter entitled “O’Toole right about residential schools,” published Jan. 12.

Teachers call this “a teachable moment.” Charmaine Wood bemoans Opposition Leader Erin O’Toole facing criticism for suggesting the “benefits” of Indigenous residential schools. Yes, these students learned English. But there was nothing commendable in forcing First Nations to forsake their culture, language and religion to resolve what Conservatives, old and new, saw and see, as “the Indian problem.”

Wood believes it is “narrow minded” to focus on lost Indigenous culture. In fact, her focus on sexual abuse in these schools is supremely narrow. A wider view is the near-total devastation of the social, religious and moral traditions that were the essence of Indigenous life before white settlement. Families were forcefully separated. Parental guidance robbed. There is nothing commendable in this.

George Henry, a star student from a rural Yukon community, voluntarily attended high school and government residence in Whitehorse. I will never forget his story. George asked a white classmate to graduation. She accepted; her parents intervened. George lamented becoming an “apple.” Red on the outside, but accultured to white society inside. He had left his family and made every effort to adopt Caucasian ways. In spite of academic success, some — perhaps many — in the predominant society only saw the colour of his skin. This was the best our white society could do for George. What about the horrors?

Not so many decades ago a successful Indigenous trapping community at Lower Liard, Yukon, was visited by a float plane with government officials. Everyone was excited by the arrival and especially by an invitation to take a ride on the plane. Children of school-age were loaded in... and taken by force to a residential school. It was the law enforced by abduction. To be near their children, the successful isolated community broke camp and moved near the school located on the Alaska Highway. There was little hunting and trapping near the highway. Economic dependence ensued. One of the only community meeting places available was the hotel bar in Watson Lake. The consequence was disastrous. Get the picture?

Our government condemns the Chinese for their enforced enculturation of the Uighur nation. The Chinese are taking a lesson from the Canadian and American playbooks.

I’m frustrated and annoyed by hypocritical politicians and ignorant Canadians who do not connect the dots. Destroy a people’s culture and reap the whirlwind of social destruction.

When will we learn?