injustices to present-day challenges. This essay investigates the long-term effects of colonization
on Indigenous health, focusing on historical determinants such as the residential schooling
system as well as current factors influencing well-being.
Overview on colonization
According to Biin. (2018), colonialism is the strategy used by a foreign group looking to increase
its control over other areas, typically in order to take advantage of trade opportunities. In this
dynamic, the colonizing nation seeks its own interests, dictating how the colonized nation or land
mass is modernized to conform to the standards of the colonizers (UKEssays). A relationship
where a minority of foreign invaders dominates the Indigenous majority is established once
colonization takes hold and the autonomy of the colonized region in terms of economy, religion,
and health is given up (Biin 2018).
Colonization frequently takes the form of a battle of authority in which the colonizers
outnumber the native population, rendering the colonized nation helpless (Biin 2018). The
distribution of power quickly shifts in the new colonists' favor, changing the direction of the
colonized territory. Early colonization of Canada had a tremendous impact on Indigenous settlers
and their families, and this impact is still felt today (UKEssays).
The residential school system is one of the most important negative consequences of
colonization. Indigenous communities are diverse, and Greenwood (Take Care of the Land p.
103) highlights the part Indian residential schools played in maintaining racialized hierarchies
among them. Children in these schools were frequently overworked, underfed, and ill-clothed as
a result of chronic underfunding and understaffing (Greenwood, Structural variables Affecting
the Health of Indigenous Peoples, p. 8). Remarkably, a Department of Indian Affairs report from
1907 stated that during the preceding fifteen years, about thirty-five percent of students had
passed away in residential schools (Greenwood, Structural variables Affecting the Health of
Indigenous Peoples, p. 8) Indigenous language, culture, and attire were outlawed inside these
establishments, and those who disobeyed were frequently subjected to severe physical
punishment (Greenwood, Structural variables Affecting the Health of Indigenous Peoples, p. 8).
Indigenous peoples' health and well-being have been permanently impacted by the legacy of
colonization, which is best illustrated by policies like residential schooling.
