Acculturation and Exploitation in the Education of Aboriginal Students from Residential Schools

The Primary Document “Indian Residential School Commision of the Missionary Society of the Church of England in Canada” will be analyzed through the curriculum of the school  from document subject titles: “Where is it?”, “What is its History?”, “Where do the Children come from?”, “What are they taught?”, “What are their relaxations?”, “What is done for their health?”, “What is done for their religious life?”, and “What is the graduates’ future?”.  The given subject titles of the primary document “Indian Residential School Commision of the Missionary Society of the Church of England in Canada” provides a curriculum which uses acculturation and exploitation of Aboriginal students in the Elkhorn Residential School.

Beginning with the subject “Where is it” the Elkhorn Residential school explains its land used for schooling but also 320 acres of land for farming and raising animals. This creates the notion that students will have farming chores due to the additional land and animals at the  school.  The proximity of the school from the village of Elkhorn is ¼ mile which can be understood due to the large amount of land the school is on.  The scale of the residential school of Elkhorn gives to the notion of land use for the ability to exploit students through farm work for financial profit of the school.  

The history of the Elkhorn residential school begins with praise towards its founder Rev. E. F. Wilson.  This man had found the prairies in need of a residential school so with support from the Dominion Government (Canadian Government) and Mr. Roswell from the town of Elkhorn his dream came true.  The use of humor is discovered further into the reading as the first group of children to enter the residential school had ran away.  The humor created in this text discusses the acculturation that was to be established in the residential school shown further in the text.  Education for the students included learning trades exploiting the students through “bootmaking, printin, tailoring, carpentry, tinsmithing and harness making.”  

Elkhorn Residential School students commuted from reserves fifty miles away to 1,000 miles away.  The distance in proximity to nearby Reserves restricts the students from spending time with families.  This unfortunate circumstance is used in the schools benefit to keep the students away from the cultures that were expressed through families so that christianizing the students would have a increased effect.  

The students of Elkhorn Residential school follows the curriculum of the Provincial Department of Education.  However, due to the teachings of trades the curriculum is modified allow for the exploitation of students to keep the school in shape through chores.  Elkhorn Residential school is kept as a self sustaining business in which the students are the workers through various jobs that are able sustain the students while the school earns profit off products made through trade jobs.  Students are exploited through improvement in their school work through the Regina, Brandon, and Elkhorn fairs which give prizes to the top art projects done by its population.  The curriculum creates the ability for students to do industrious work in their adulthood which doesn’t allow students to meet their full potential academically. The use of this curriculum for Aboriginal students in the Elkhorn Residential school does not provide the same expectation of students towards an academic goal as white schools would have at this time.

Acculturation is clearly defined through the relaxations students are involved in throughout their time in Residential Schools.  Performing the Canadian National sport of Hockey proves the acculturation of the Residential school for aboriginal students to follow the norms of a Canadian society.  During summer months football, baseball, and basketball are played between each gender.  However, the aboriginal sport of Lacrosse is not played by students which keeps students from their aboriginal identity.  The expenses to create a hockey team for residential schools would be significant and prove the reasons to implement Canadian culture and expel the Aboriginal culture.  

In comparison to the costs of Canadian activities such as Hockey, the school is only provided one doctor and nurse for the entire school of 155.  Acculturation by becoming a member of a Canadian society is proved to have a more important influence on the students from the school then there health and well-being.   

The most important aspect that students must learn the Elkhorn Residential school is the importance of religion in the Aboriginal children’s life as it must be the centre of all that is around them.  In order for students to attain a complete education they must become religious through the Church of England.  Their religious education is implemented throughout the days as students follow various religious tasks of Christianity: “rising bedside prayers, dining room prayers at breakfast and supper, grade before and after meals, retiring beside prayers.”  The importance of Christianity in Residential schools is the most important form of acculturation for Aboriginal students adapt to the Canadian way of life.  

The graduates future summarises the importance of the Elkhorn Residential school curriculum towards the future of Aboriginal students towards a Canadian life.  Through acculturation, Aboriginal students must use Canadian culture and Christianity rather than Aboriginal to become successful in Canada.  

“Indian Residential School Commission of the Missionary Society of the Church of England in Canada” uses a curriculum to acculturate and exploit Aboriginal students to best fit Canadian culture. The curriculum is for the purpose to eradicate Aboriginal culture beginning with children through the use of Residential school like Elkhorn Residential School.  The document is explained through the Diocese of Brandon which understands this goal of residential school through the ability to better Canadian society.

Bibliography

Diocese of Brandon. “Indian Residential School Commission of the Missionary Society of the Church of England in Canada.” Indian Residential School Commission of the Missionary Society of the Church of England in Canada, 1935, 1-15. Accessed January 23-February 14, 2019. http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/10102.html.