Mrs.Anteater
Just keep going....
I am observing the reactions of the average Canadian with interest. My younger ( in their late 30 ties/ 40 ties), colleagues show signs of “ I don’t deny bad things happened, but they had good intentions”- and “ back then a lot of kids/ people die, they can’t all have been murdered” and “ I am so tired of all the bad news, Covid and residential schools” and “it’s been a long time, they are really blowing this up right now”.
I am comparing this to the reaction in Germany. My and the following generation were dumped with pictures of mass graves and thin jews rescued when the concentration camps were liberated. While my generation never developed a “ healthy” pride of being German, the next generation had a good chunk of people who were longing for this, requesting to no longer be bothered with the past.
When I heard about kids in residential schools being called not by names but by numbers, the similarity hit me. Concentration Camp inmates had their number tatooed on their arms and were told they are send to work camps- which they actually were at the beginning. Residential school inmates were told they are getting an education.
Both survivors of concentration camps as well as of residential schools did not speak about their experience for a long time, but their experience damaged their families for generations to come.
I am comparing this to the reaction in Germany. My and the following generation were dumped with pictures of mass graves and thin jews rescued when the concentration camps were liberated. While my generation never developed a “ healthy” pride of being German, the next generation had a good chunk of people who were longing for this, requesting to no longer be bothered with the past.
When I heard about kids in residential schools being called not by names but by numbers, the similarity hit me. Concentration Camp inmates had their number tatooed on their arms and were told they are send to work camps- which they actually were at the beginning. Residential school inmates were told they are getting an education.
Both survivors of concentration camps as well as of residential schools did not speak about their experience for a long time, but their experience damaged their families for generations to come.