Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Great War Was Not A White Man s War - 1141 Words

The only roaring that came from minorities in the 1920s were roars against the injustice they faced. The Great War was deemed a white man’s war, which impeccably illustrated society’s opinion of people of colour and women’s worth in this decade. After a period of such trauma, one would think that Canada would have become united, but this was not the case. Minorities experienced the twenties much differently than those who remember the decade as exciting. For instance, aboriginal people were expected to give up their cultures and assimilate into mainstream society. Also, the Klu Klux Klan had made its way to Canada, which threatened immigrants and people from foreign ethnicities. Finally, women spent the decade struggling for equality with†¦show more content†¦Duncan Campbell Scott, Head of Indian Affairs Canada from 1913-1932, spoke for many when he said, â€Å"I want to get rid of the Indian problem. Our object is to continue until there is not a singl e Indian in Canada who has not been absorbed. They are a weird and waning race†¦ ready to break out at any moment in†¦ dances.† (Quinlan et al#######) Additionally, native children in residential schools were not allowed to refer to their own cultures in any way, especially through language. The only language they were allowed to speak was English, a language that none of them knew. If caught, the children were severely punished. Many children experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse while in residential school. Brenda Cardinal, an aboriginal who once had to stay in residential school, describes how school affected her, â€Å"I became withdrawn, painfully shy, and I just couldn’t communicate with anyone. I couldn’t receive love or show anyone love. I didn’t even love myself.† (qtd in Freeman-Shaw, Haskings-Winner 38) Residential schools had a very negative impact on those who went through the horrible experiences and many of these former students do not have positive stories to share. By the end of the 1920s, there were eighty residential schools in Canada. The forced assimilation of native children had greatly impacted those who went to residential school and will always remain as a dark shadow cast on Canada’s history. In addition, the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) made its way to

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.