Racist school course sparks outrage as Canada reckons with colonial legacy

[Judi Lynn]

Course in Nova Scotia asked racist questions about residential schools, which forced the assimilation of Indigenous children



A memorial in Calgary to the children who died at Kamloops residential school in British Columbia. The government has vowed to investigate other possible burial sites. Photograph: Canadian Press/Rex/Shutterstock

Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Fri 18 Jun 2021 13.49 EDT

A series of racist questions in a high school English course sparked outrage among parents and students and highlighted persistent shortcomings in how Canada teaches the grim legacy of colonialism and its impact on Indigenous peoples.

Students taking a grade 10 correspondence course in the province of Nova Scotia were asked to list the benefits and disadvantages of being placed in one of the country’s notorious residential schools, where 150,000 Indigenous children were sent as part of a campaign of forced assimilation.

Controversy over the course comes as Canada reckons with the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at a residential school in the city of Kamloops, British Columbia.

“Coming off the heels of all the news about the children being unearthed was such a stark moment to be looking at this,” shalan joudry told CBC News. Her daughter, Malaika Joudry-Martel, was enrolled in the course.

The pair, residents of Bear River First Nation, said they cried when they saw the questions, which included: “Why are poverty and alcoholism common problems among First Nations populations?” and “Why is unemployment high among First Nations?”

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/18/canada-racism-high-school-outrage-residential-schools

[3Hotdogs]

1. I was going to refrain from this post as it is likely to be my first "hide." But the question

is important. And if it is ignored, a cure might never be found.


"Why are unemployment and alcoholism common problems..."

My question. Are there genetic components to alcoholism? If so, can CRISPR change this?

I don't expect a 10th grade student to come up with the solution to alcoholism (I could be wrong here, too.) But recognizing a condition might lead someone to search for a cure.