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What Is Decolonization In Canada

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In the article “Decolonization as Reconciliation: The Colonial Dilemma of Canada’s Residential School Apology and Restitution”, Mrs. Patricia Elgersma explains how deeply rooted colonialism is in Canada’s history, which brought forth residential schools, and how it will only be reconciled when decolonization occurs. Elgersma brings forth information about colonization, and what it did to affect the Indigenous peoples of Canada. Elgersma explains the history and belief behind the colonization and assimilation of the Indigenous peoples into a very Eurocentric way of life. She then meshes that with current reconciliation attempts by the government, which causes the history and stories of the Indigenous peoples to go on, not recorded, talked …show more content…

She explains what they are, and some terms associated with those schools. Elgersma also addresses the colonialism and the associated mindset that it brings. Elgersma then moves on to current events, and the acts that the government is attempting to do to reconcile the past events of the government. Elgersma lists some of the issues that may arise, and those that have risen in the past, and ways that it can be changed to benefit everyone, not just the non-indigenous viewpoints. She then goes on to explain that decolonization is one of the better ways to diverge and pass this stage in Canadian history. Elgersma speaks about how decolonization would apply to the Canadian populace, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and what that would mean to future generations and future progress as a …show more content…

Elgersma argues that the people at fault for all the colonization, and the problems that Indigenous people have today, stems from non-Indigenous people. I would argue that not only was it not only the non-Indigenous, but it was more of an unequal treatment by the European governments of the time, the misunderstandings between interpreters and settlers from both sides; European and Indigenous, and lastly, the inclusion of church in government. Some of the first settlers of the ‘New World’, as the Europeans called it, were only here for a few months every year, because of good fishing off the Eastern coast. (Dickason, P. & Newbigging, W., (2015) p. 33) That contact, then lead to an increasing amount of exploration to the ‘New World’, and caused a shift in social normalities, patterns, and ways of living. This change caused another shift in language; the settlers did not know the native language, and the Indigenous peoples did not know the language of the settlers. That non-existence of knowledge caused massive misunderstandings in trading, treaty negotiations and communication between the different peoples of the area at the time. Lastly, and this is personal belief, the fact that church and state were one thing when Canada was created, led to the need of change with its people. The government wanted to assimilate and

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