Investigate the six main categories of the Calls to Action, and discuss with your classmates how ALARF exemplifies the issues as a work of fiction based on truth. Focus on which of the Calls to Action you feel is/are most important to generate opinionated and respectful discussion.
Respond to this post by leaving a substantial comment of your own including points and evidence, then comment on at least two of your classmates' posts to continue conversations. See rubric for expectations and use the link below for a starting point in your research.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/beyond-94-truth-and-reconciliation-1.4574765
As Long as the Rivers Flow, written by James Bartleman is a work of fiction based on the horrifying truth of the atrocities that many Indigenous peopled have suffered from in the past and continue to do so. Many issues are outlined within this novel, such as residential schools, the prevalent issue of substance abuse and the adoption of Indigenous children to white families is also explored. From the vast range of topics covered within these pages Bartleman is able to touch on all six of the Calls to Action; including education, language and culture, health, justice, reconciliation and, in my opinion, the particularly important topic of child welfare.
ReplyDeleteAs we all know residential schools were government-sponsored religious schools that were established to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture; but what you might not be aware of is the impact these schools have generations later. Through Bartleman’s book, we gain an understanding of how children like Raven have been affected by these schools that they didn’t even attend. Because of the abuse Martha suffered during her time in James Bay residential school, she no longer knows how to show affection; she never even tells Raven that she loves her, leaving Raven feeling unwanted and contemplating suicide. The same can be said for many other indigenous families, one example can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ64DItsIi0 and is demonstrated in the following quote, “ I wasn’t able to parent my children as well as I wish I could have, no one ever read to me, you know no one ever came in and cuddled me, or you know gave me a hug if I was feeling sad or upset.” (Louise Longclaws) It is clear to see that residential schools fall under many of these six categories but the one I believe is the most important is child welfare, as it is still a prevalent issue today that affects many children’s lives.
In many of our class discussions, we have talked about substance abuse and how this affliction often affects the children of the addict. This is shown through numerous characters found within this novel, particularly Spider, Martha’s first child. Spider was born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and his life is greatly affected by it, he is plagued with unprovoked aggression and jealous rages. While Spider is a fictional character there are many more Indigenous children suffering from this condition who are very much real. While doing research on this ailment I found the following statistic online, “It is estimated that in Canada, more than 3,000 babies a year are born with FASD, and about 300,000 people are currently living with it. Research suggests that the occurrence of FASD is significantly greater in Aboriginal populations.” (Health Canada, 2017, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, para. 3) As Long as the Rivers Flow demonstrates this heartbreaking reality perfectly and is another example of how Bartleman incorporates child welfare into his novel.
In the novel, As Long as the Rivers Flow, Spider is taken away from his biological mother and adopted by a white family, although, his adoptive parents are loving, they aren’t Indigenous. Spider’s culture was stolen from him before he even had the chance to experience it; something that has happened to many indigenous children and is what is commonly known as the Sixties Scoop. The Sixties Scoop refers to the removal of Indigenous children from their homes, communities and families of birth through the 1960s, and their subsequent adoption into non-Indigenous, middle-class families across Canada (find out more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nmd6HXKXYU). Again, Bartleman depicts the many different aspects of child welfare through his novel.
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DeleteI 100% agree with the argument you have made Kristina. Children's lives do matter no matter the race and beliefs they are, this is something the government had failed to realize all those years ago. Because of their early on actions it's effected their children and potentially further generations. This has been shown like you said through Martha's relationship with her kids Spider and Raven. Spider was taken from her and Raven joined a suicide pact by the time she was thirteen. Agreeably, child welfare is a significant part of ALARF, portrayed through maltreatments from Mary, which was shown when Martha became a mother. She failed to have a relationship she was hoping for and her motherhood was non-existent for years. With this said you are right residential schools brought on many issues especially post school living.
DeleteIn conclusion, all six of the Calls to Action can be seen within Bartleman’s writing but child welfare is particularly relevant. From any of the numerous issues he wrote about, their link to child welfare can be seen, from the residential schools to substance abuse and the adoption of Indigenous children. While I’m of the opinion child welfare is the most important subject found in As Long as the Rivers Flow, I’m sure you all have your own opinion and I would love to hear them, so feel free to comment!
ReplyDeleteI am of the same sentiment as you are, Kristina. The well being of children, indigenous or not should be the number one concern of the government. As you said, the mistreatment of Martha as a child resulted in the poor upbringing of her two children, Spider and Raven. The child welfare of Martha’s generation effects that of her children, and her children’s children, thus creating a cycle of mistreatment. In ALARF we can see the causes of this cycle through Raven’s joining of a suicide pact as well as Spider having trouble progressing through life because of his fetal alcohol syndrome. Not only does this cycle hurt real people but it also effects the economy, the more children there are who choose the same path Spider had, the more poverty it creates. If child welfare is not enough of a motivator for the government to make a change, then surely the economy should be.
DeleteWorks Cited
ReplyDeleteCanada, Health. “Government of Canada.” Canada.ca, Government of Canada, 10 Nov. 2017, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/diseases/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder.html.
CBC News. Residential School Survivor Explains the Impact on her Family. YouTube, 19 March, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ64DItsIi0.
CBC News. Separating Children from Parents: The Sixties Scoop in Canada, YouTube, 22 June 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nmd6HXKXYU.
Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. New York, N.…Y.: Penguin Books, 1986.
Bartleman, James. As Long as the Rivers Flow. Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2011.
Delete-Kristina
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you Kristina, I believe that Martha lacking the ability to care for her children is due to the fact that she did not grow up with the love she should have, to know how to care for her children. ALARF has demonstrated a lot of major issues amongst the Indigenous population and child welfare is definitely a big one as Spider ended up living on the streets. Although, he was not on the streets at a young age it is still a sign that his life did not turn out the way it should have by him living on the reserve with the Indigenous culture surrounding him. The big city of Toronto having been where he ended up was not the right place for Spider because he needs to be on the reserve learning and practicing the Indigenous culture is crucial. The next generations of Indigenous children are who will keep their traditions alive. Spider has no understanding of his culture and I’m sure he is not the only one. Raven, however, has been growing up on the reserve but has had no one teaching her the culture. I’m wondering if Raven does not go through with the suicide pact she will end up with the same fate as Spider, on the streets, becoming an alcoholic and having no understanding for the Indigenous culture?
ReplyDelete-Chelsea
We now are hearing about many victims of residential schools who were sexually, physically and mentally abused by figures of power within the school. These victims all remained silent and suffered a great deal of pain by keeping their traumas hidden. Call to Action #21 states, “We call upon the federal government to provide sustainable funding for existing and new Aboriginal healing centres to address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual harms caused by residential schools, and to ensure that the funding of healing centres in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories is a priority.” (Government of Canada) Adults with higher authority take advantage of their power and use it to get what they want to fulfill their own needs.
ReplyDeleteIn As Long as the Rivers Flow, we see many examples of physical, sexual and mental abuse. Martha was physically abused by Sister Angelica. She slapped Martha across the face just for crying. Honestly, if I was going to a mysterious place when I was six years old, I would be crying myself. We see sexual abuse when Father Antoine continuously assaults Martha. These two individuals use their power over young, defenceless and innocent children. In the novel, Indian Horse, Saul Indian Horse played for the residential school’s hockey team. He used hockey as a way to escape the tortures of the residential school. We did not find out until the end of the novel that in fact he had continuously been sexually assaulted by the man running the hockey team to whom he was grateful towards for creating the hockey team. Father Leboutilier was abusing his power of having the hockey team to get young boys to “worship” him. The Indigenous people wanting sustainable healing centres to help the population heal, whether they have been abused or not is fair to ask because for people like Martha and Saul their wounds are extremely deep and they both show signs of PTSD and resort to alcohol. While doing some research, I found a website that discussed Richard Wagamese’s style of writing by having the truth about Father Leboutilier’s kindness come out at the end of the novel when Saul is an adult. The website states, “…the aftermath of abuse can be as painful (and in some ways more painful) than the experience of abuse itself.” (Indian Horse; Abuse and Trauma) This shows that no matter how much you try to ignore the things that hurt you, you can never forget them. Therefore, there are ways to cope with the abuse and having healing centres could potentially help.
In conclusion, we do not only see the abuse of power within residential schools, it is still something that comes up within different athletic teams having coaches or trainers abuse their power against innocent individuals. The very public scandal between Larry Nassar and the USA Gymnastics team has shed a light on doctors abusing their power. Larry Nassar was convicted for hundreds of cases of molesting athletes. Very famous athletes including Simone Biles and Aly Raisman testified against him. This is a sign that individuals who we are supposed to trust, abuse their power for their own needs. Joan Ryan wrote a book about the abuse gymnasts suffer and how hard it is for them to overcome all the obstacles thrown at them especially the abuse. She says, “We need change to come from lawmakers, not organisations. There needs to be government oversight with hard and fast rules, because these girls are children, and if they win fewer medals, so be it.” (Freeman) It is because of cases such as the ones in residential schools and outside of residential schools that we hear of adults abusing their power. I did not realize how prominent the problem is until I started learning more about the residential schools. This topic of individuals in power who take advantage of their younger and innocent victims should not be overlooked by the government and should be a priority to help all people who have been abused to receive the healing they deserve to overcome all their mental, physical, sexual, emotional and spiritual harm.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Freeman, Hadley. How was Larry Nassar able to abuse so many gymnasts for so long? 26 January 2018. .
Government of Canada. 05 09 2019. .
Indian Horse; Abuse and Trauma. n.d. .
I think you bring up a great point Chelsea, people in power constantly abuse their positions in order to take advantage of others. Not only can this be seen in residential schools but in all walks of life. Action #21 is a step in the right direction for a better, safer future; but this isn’t the only positive thing, for years people have been speaking out against abuse, an example of this would be the Me Too Movement. In 2006 the Me Too social media movement was born; The #MeToo Movement is a social movement against sexual violence and sexual assault that advocates for females who survived sexual violence to speak out about their experience. Through the Me Too social media movement I have gained a greater understanding of how many people have been sexually assaulted and were too scared to come forward. The Me Too Movement has inspired thousands of women to step forward, seek justice and begin healing. It is my hope that action # 21 and other programs like this will help many people in their journey towards healing.
Delete-Kristina
You brought some great points in to perspective Chels. Call to Action #21 is a great one to shed light on. Indigenous people shouldn’t have to be silent any longer and the least the government can do is help them heal by providing more healing centres. Martha did go through very traumatic things which effected the rest of her life. Maybe if she hadn’t buried all that had happened to her deep down for such a long time then she could’ve had relationships with her kids. Great connection between ALARF’s Father Antoine and Indian Horse’s Father Leboutilier. Both girls and boys were sexually abused by superiors which we have not read about in either books in class. Simone Biles is a well respected gymnast who suffered against men whom have more power over her like girls in residential schools. It’s good you brought this up because it’s a constant problem we still have today obviously. People of high ranking abusing the power they have over others to take advantage of them. Things like this need to be talked about not kept hidden. Especially for victims of Residential Schools to get the healing they deserve.
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ReplyDeleteAs Long as the Rivers Flow written by James Bartlemen is a novel that brought depth to the doomed fates of children in residential schools that I would have never imagined could happen. One of those fates was death. Many children died in the 130 schools across Canada, and many families never knew it. Call to action #74 reads “ We call upon the federal government to work with the churches and aboriginal community leaders to inform the families of children who died at Residential Schools of the child’s burial location, and to respond to families wishes for appropriate commemoration ceremonies and markers, and reburial in home communities where requested.” (Government of Canada) In ALARF we meet Little Joe who had gone to the Residential School with Martha after her summer home. Martha promised to keep him safe but she was no match for the brutality of the cruel nuns who beat Little Joe practically right to his death. Little Joe was buried at the James Bay Residential School. At his burial site, there is a cross with his name and birth date on it and beside his are dozens more. When Martha went home the next summer the look on her Aunt's face made her realize that the school never told her he had died “ Martha did not know when Native children leave Residential Schools often from pneumonia, tuberculosis, malnutrition and heartbreak, school administrators did not notify their parents.” (Bartleman, 54) In September/October of 2019, a ceremony was held for the estimated 4,200 little kids who never returned home after being in the schools, whom 1600 were unnamed or unidentified. For the 4200 kids who never came home most families were never told. “The governments payments to the schools was based on quarterly reports, which is the list of residents, they got a per capita grant. So if a student died or went missing under any circumstances, it was in the school’s financial interest not to report that or document it in anyway because they would continue to receive funding for that student.” (Miranda Jimmy) I couldn’t believe this. The families of those who never found out or knew if their child had passed away was because of the money the schools received. Most schools and registries never offered a lot of clarity on where particular students were buried. “ It hardly ever said if a student was buried at the school or not, or whether they were sent home,” (Cecile Fausak) A 50 foot cloth was unravelled at the ceremony with 2, 800 Indigenous childrens who were known to have died in Canada’s residential school system. To see some of the ceremony here is a short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KH6HGkYI2c.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Chanie Wenjack known has The Secret Path is one that brought attention to all Canadians as was told through Gord Downie’s music and picture book. Chanie also known as Charlie at the school escaped the school with two of his friends because he wanted to see his dad. Wenjack travelled for a whole week of walking on a train track. He made it 60 km from the Cecilia Jeffrey School, then died of exposure and hunger. A Canadian National Railways engineer found his body beside the track extremely bruised from repeated falls. Wenjack's mother requested the body be sent home but the school continuously refused because of expenses. Eventually days later, they made the travel arrangements. Chanie Wenjack’s story as well as other similar tragedies of Residential School students, led to eventual legislative reforms and class action lawsuits, including the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. With this said, Call to Action #74 is something that must happen. Many families still do not know what happened to their child, and it's truly heartbreaking. Parents should have had the right to bury their child as they would be able to grieve with the support of family and friends. Little Joe and Chanie Wenjack's stories are tragic and these are few that were known.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
https://www.thestar,com/edmonton/2019/09/30/thousands-of-indigenous-children-died-in-canadian-residential-schools-now-we-know-some-of-their-names.html
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/charlie-wenjack
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/logform-single/beyond-94?&cta=74
Mariessa's Blog Response
DeleteI think you raise a great point si. It was not fair for the families of the young indigenous kids to not find out right away that a family member had died. I know if I put myself in Martha’s aunts’ shoes, I would have been devastated to hear about little joes’ death. I think in every situation family member have the right to know that a family member had died over anyone else. This goes to show that the catholic people weren’t thinking of the indigenous people as humans at all, and they were just thinking of them as a project to fix.
You raise a fabulous point Si. It is very cruel of the residential schools to bury the children who have died and not notify parents. This is another way the residential schools did not respect the traditions of the Indigenous people as I am sure they have their own ceremonies for death. It is quite saddening to hear about these types of stories because I could not imagine the pain felt by my family thinking I’ve been doing well somewhere and then find out months later I had died. I think this goes to show how terribly the catholic people who ran these schools treated the great people who were on our land first. It is extremely heartbreaking and unfair to the Indigenous people. Gord Downie used his celebrity platform to raise great awareness and shed light on a situation we as the non-Indigenous Canadians did not know of. I wish everyone was like Gord Downie and used their voice to raise awareness and help the people who were in Canada long before us.
ReplyDeleteJames Bartleman’s book As Long as the River Flows exemplifies many of the constant struggles that Indigenous people must go through on a regular basis. The book outlines an important part of our history and what came from it in the end. The effect that the residential school had on Martha in the book mirrors very closely the experiences that many Indigenous people had in real life. Education is a very important topic to look at to understand how the Indigenous people lost their identities, languages and culture so rapidly and destructively. In my opinion, education is the most important aspect of the calls to action because it affects how much the future youth will learn about who they are and where they came from.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, we see that Martha loses much of her identity throughout her time in residential school and by the time she comes home at the age of 16, is seemingly unrecognizable. While she does slowly gain back her identity, it is difficult and is never fully restored. Call to action #12 states, “We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate early childhood education programs for Aboriginal families.” (Beyond 94) This call to action is extremely important to teach younger generations about the things that were stripped away from the generations before them, so that they will grow up in safe teaching environments, essentially the opposite of the residential schools, and become knowledgeable about their culture. There is a gap from the residential school period, of which Martha is a part of, that essentially extinguishes much of the teachings that used to be passed on from generation to generation in Indigenous culture. Call to action #12 is supposed to help these teachings be reintroduced so that those that are left are not lost. If children are immersed in their own culture at a young age, it will also help avoid an identity crisis that many young people, such as Raven and her friends, went through in the past. The following link is of a video that I found that explains, from an Indigenous person’s perspective, the history of residential schools, what was taken away from the survivors and what the future should hold to be able to educate the youth and reconcile what was taken away from their ancestors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu0aIw1vdiE
The first residential schools were open as early as 1840, and the last was closed in 1996. An estimated 150 000 Indigenous people passed through the system and went through similar horrors that Martha did. (The Canadian Press, 2015) This is an important thing to understand because while reading ALARF, we see the residential schools from a one person’s perspective, so it easy to understand what she went through. Now think about the fact that there were thousands upon thousands of others with similar experiences, and you will start to understand the magnitude of how destructive and traumatic the schools were and why it is so important to give future generations the education that their ancestors should have had. In conclusion, I would like anyone reading this post to take a minute to think about the fact that all around our country there are Indigenous people who have been impacted by our government’s failure to protect them. The calls to action are the things that these people now need to be able to build a future of inclusion, education and understanding.
Works Cited
DeleteThe Canadian Press. “By the numbers: A look at residential schools.” Global News. 29 May 2015,
https://globalnews.ca/news/2024481/by-the-numbers-a-look-at-residential-schools/
Grass, Starleigh. “Reconciliation and Education.” TEDxWestVancouverED. 28 October 2015,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu0aIw1vdiE
Julies blog really caught my attention and incorporated many interesting points. What I found most interesting is the process of how the system of how residential schools worked. For example, how the young children were manipulated in the assimilation into a more Caucasian culture and religious beliefs. It was a very tragic process how they were stripped away from their families along with losing their culture, language and beliefs. Your point of much needed education and justice is highly valid due to this.
DeleteIn As Long as the River flows, James Bartleman demon straights his knowledge of the 94 calls to action. Particularly the 66th call “We call upon the federal government to establish multi-year funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation, and establish a national network to share information and best practice.” In the struggles his youthful characters go through, there should have been a youth center for Raven, Spider and the other children. In the link below it explains how not having a youth center effects the children and what it can do to their mental and physical health. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/children-and-youth.html In my opinion if there was a center for the children, they would have people that understands what they are going through and could talk them through it. Help them understand that they don’t have to contemplate committing suicide, turning to drugs and alcohol. They would have someone to lean on when their parents can’t help because of their own problems and what they’ve gone through. Instead of thinking that they’re useless and having parents who did not love them Raven said “I just wanted my mother to say she loved me. I think the others just needed some reason to live and the love of their families.” (236 James Bartleman) Having a youth center would be a very brilliant idea, children could go for help as well as meet new people and seeing that their problems are almost the same and talk to someone their own age. Make friends and support each other through their hard times, understand that they don’t need to become homeless and addicts to try to forget about things. James Bartleman did put a center in the book but for indigenous women, that shows how much a center could help because look how Martha changed for a bit it helped her and she had someone to talk to. I think that the Canadian government is doing a wonderful thing by adding youth centers to help children’s lives become happy and well.
ReplyDeleteSydney
Works cited
DeleteBartleman, James. As Long as the Rivers Flow. Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2011.
“Beyond 94: Where Is Canada at with Reconciliation? | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 19 Mar. 2018, www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/beyond-94-truth-and-reconciliation-1.4574765.
“Children and Youth For Indigenous Peoples.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/children-and-youth.html.
Sydney
You've made some really great points here, Syd! I fully agree with Call to action #66, and think that youth centres are a really beneficial thing, and once more are added around Canada, I believe that they will help out a lot of our Indigenous youth. Personally, I think that they can be extremely helpful in the area of mental health. This is because, as you previously mentioned, they can provide youth with a shoulder to cry on and somebody to talk to. I think that if alot more Indigenous youth had access to Youth Centres, it would be super beneficial, and could even lower the amount of suicides. Having somebody to talk to can, sometimes, make all the difference.
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ReplyDeleteIn James Bartelmans’ “As Long As The Rivers Flow”, we get a look into just how badly Indigenous people were affected by Residential Schools. Call to Action #5: “We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families.” If these parenting programs had been implemented during the times where Residential Schools were running, everything would be so different. Martha would’ve been taught how to love her children and make them feel as though they can talk about their past. This would result in Raven not making her suicide pact. As well as this, parents who were left with an unexpected child, just like Martha, would be taught how to properly care for it and would hopefully not resort to alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism. All of this would possibly result in children who are properly cared for, meaning a lot less children would turn up like Spider and get taken by CPS and grow up with white families. Instead, they would be growing up with their own, biological families, immersed in their own culture. As well as this, because they wouldn’t be being taken away, their quality of life would go up, as they would be feeling like they belonged because they are with their own families. The damage inflicted on many of the children who went through the residential schools can be seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nmd6HXKXYU .
ReplyDeleteAs well as Call to Action #5, I think that Call to Action #13 would’ve been very beneficial during these times. Call to Action #13 states “We call upon the federal government to acknowledge that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language rights.” If this Call to Action was active, Martha would not have lost her language at the school, and her relationship with her mother wouldn’t have been so broken, as one of the main reasons they grew apart was because Martha lost more of her language every time she came home. This caused her mother great sadness and anger aimed directly towards Martha.
In conclusion, I think that Call to Action #5 would’ve been very effective if it had been implemented during the Residential School Era. I think it would’ve improved quality of life for many Indigenous children as well as parents, and that it would’ve eliminated many of the problems we currently have, such as the large amount of Indigenous children still in foster care and without families to love and care for them. As well as this, I think Call to Action #13 would’ve been really beneficial at the time as well.
jamie i totally agree with your points! All your connections were great. The call of action #5 i find is very important, if the call was added in Martha's time she would of treated her children better and as well as given them more love. Her children would have had a better life like what mariessa had added above. The call of action#13 was crazy the RS not giving the children their language to speak is insane everyone should be able to speak their mother tongue. (Sydney)
DeleteWorks Cited
ReplyDeleteBartleman, James “As Long As The Rivers Flow”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nmd6HXKXYU
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=13
Mariessa's Blog Response
DeleteI agree with you 100% Jamie. You have made excellent points and excellent connections with the book and the calls to action. I agree that the call to action # 5 is a very important one. If that call to action would have been implemented the ripple of affects caused by bad parenting may have been shorten because Martha would have known to love her kids and treat them with respect. It would have also resulted in Raven and Spider having better lives. Especially Spider since he was living on the streets. I think call to action #13 is also very important. Everyone should have a right to their own language no matter what. If that call to action was active Martha wouldn’t have had to go to residential school and go through the traumatizing things that went on in that horrible place.
James Bartleman’s novel ‘As Long as the Rivers Flow” is a novel following the story of Martha Whiteduck, a young indigenous woman’s childhood and adulthood as she goes through the horrors of residential school and its long-term effects. Though sad, this novel incorporates all six Calls to Action known as, Child Welfare, Education, Language and Culture, Health, Justice and Reconciliation, in a fiction book to try and promote these issues as a way to shine a light on it and help bring a stop to it.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Bartelman’s novel in class, I couldn’t help but be enlightened on how little programs were created to help fix some of the problems we created, which is why I chose to talk about act #40. This act states “We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal people, to create adequately funded and accessible Aboriginal-specific victim programs and services within appropriate evaluation mechanisms.” While this acts states that it is under progress, more should have been done while residentials schools were still opened. Had Martha had some of these programs, she might not have been caught into some of the problems she faced. She might have also been able to bring Father Lionel Antoine to court for a fair chance at putting him away for his crimes or even gotten a full apology quickly out of him. It might have also finally put a stop to all the abuse he put the little girls through during his time in residential school. Though the church was behind him, maybe with the help of this act, it would have stopped him. In the article Beyond 94 | CBC News, it states that " The CSC cited one example: a booklet called The Victims of Crime; Staying Informed, which is a reference guide for victims of crime seeking information on the judicial process and the supports available.” (https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=40) This would have helped and is currently helping hundreds of indigenous people who were having trouble with the justice system. This act could have also brought forth the problem of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, which could have encouraged us to take quicker action into the problem. Act #40 would be a huge help to those who need it to help get justice for what was wrongfully committed to them. It would help with putting ease into the people that have deserved nothing but it.
I 100% agree with your statement Ariel. The government took longer than they should have to realize their wrongdoings. Many lives of the generations that came from those residential school survivors would not have been altered so drastically to the point where Indigenous peoples are most known to suffer mental illnesses which is above the populated average. You bring excellent connections with the novel, Martha and the residential school survivors should have been heard and gained justice and have equal rights as the rest of the population but, I historical events like these happens and it's beneficial to learn from it.
DeleteI agree that act would have been helpful to many individuals if those programs were offered when residential schools were still open, but I don’t think that would have been possible. The church in their minds were helping the kids and didn’t realize they were traumatizing the students through their abuse. If these programs were offered when residential schools were still open, it would be admitting that what the church was doing was wrong. We both know the church values its reputation highly. I do feel though that this act should already be completed, one of the first steps of forgiveness should have been providing mental help and support for the trauma.
DeleteWith that being said, given all six calls for action were talked about in James Bartlemen’s novel “As Long as the Rivers Flow”, I believe that these problems will be brought more forwardly to light. Though all themes need to be worked on with only 10 of the 94 Calls to Action being completed, and though we should work hard to complete all of them, I believe we should maybe start with some help in the Justice department. I also believe that if act #40 should be completed, a lot of people would benefit from it. It would help giving some people the relief and ease they desperately need. It would also help bring forth some of the judicial problems associated with indigenous people to the light. If you would like more information about the 94 calls to actions, I recommend this following interview with Murray Sinclair. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vc1PcIDV_I ) All opinions are accepted, please make sure to comment bellow.
ReplyDeleteWork cited
ReplyDelete“Beyond 94: Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=40.
Mas, Susana. “94 Ways to Redress the Legacy of Residential Schools and Advance Reconciliation | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 16 Dec. 2015, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/truth-and-reconciliation-94-calls-to-action-1.3362258.
YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vc1PcIDV_I.
ReplyDeleteMariessa's Blog
The book that our class has been reading for a couple months, called As Long As The Rivers Flow, written by James Bartleman is about the protagonist Martha and her struggles through her life. Some of the many issues that indigenous people had to go through and are still continuing to go through are covered in this book such as, the residential schools, Drug and alcohol use, and the adoption of indigenous babies from the white people was touched on as well. As I was reading this book, I was really able to see how the indigenous people suffered over these topics and the aftermath that was brought with them as well. When I went through the 6 different categories for the 94 calls to action; Child welfare, Education, Language and culture, Health, Justice and reconciliation. In my opinion all these calls to action are equally important and all are still having an impact in todays generation. If I would have to pick the ones that stand out the most to me would be justice, and child well fare.
In the novel, Bartleman talked about the topic of drug and alcohol use all throughout the novel. In my opinion we really see what these addictions have on the characters when we learn that Spider has fetal alcohol syndrome and because of that, it led to a ripple of problems throughout the book and Martha’s life. I was also able to see that Martha, and probably most of the survivors from the residential school was suffering from PTSD. We are not told directly in the book that she is suffering from this disorder, but we can make assumptions. For example, when Martha saw Father Antoine at the healing circle, she felt very unsafe and uncomfortable because of the traumatic memories she has of him. If you guys want to learn more about PTSD click on this link and let me know if this helped your understanding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_n9qegR7C4 I think that the book touches on the 5th call very thoroughly. The 5th call reads “We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to develop culturally appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families”. In residential schools the indigenous youth were taken away from their families to wipe away their culture and learn about the white people’s cultures. As demonstrated in the book we were able to see the impact of Martha not able to have her culture had on her and her family. While I was scrolling through the website, I was also able to relate the book to the 36th call to action. This call of action reads “We call upon the federal, provincial and territorial governments to work with Aboriginal communities to provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence, and overcoming the experience of having been sexually abused.” In ALARF the topic of sexual abuse and family and domestic violence was shown throughout the novel. For example, when Martha was at the residential and was being sexual abused by Father Antoine. We also saw how that specific situation traumatized Martha her whole life, and the memories of that man would never leave her. An example for family and domestic violence would be when Martha has the tendency to hit Raven because of Martha childhood and Martha’s lack of good parents as well. Furthermore, when spider lashes out on Martha because of the disorder he has, and when Russel also lashed out on Martha early in the novel. On this website it explains the difference in percentage that aboriginal people suffer from sexual abuse and how much the non-indigenous people suffer from it. Check it out and let me know what yous think. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/jf-pf/2017/july05.html
In conclusion Bartleman did a very good job on interpreting almost all the calls to action in this novel. He also did a very good job on letting the reader be able to put themselves in the characters shoes. Most of these calls to action are still happening to this day. For example, sexual abuse. A lot of people in today’s generation still suffer from rape. The statistics show that women are at a higher risk of suffering from this horrible traumatic situation. Even though all the calls to action are extremely relevant to the novel I would love to hear what you guys think the most important to you is!!!
ReplyDelete
DeleteWork cited for Mariessa's Blog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_n9qegR7C4 https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/jf-pf/2017/july05.html https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=36
Mariessa, The points you've made here are really great! I especially agree with call to action #36 because, as you have mentioned, many people today still suffer from abuse and rape. I feel that these two calls to action are heavily included in our novel, ALARF, and that you've made that connection perfectly. In my opinion, the child welfare category in the is the most important in the Calls to Action, as our children are our future! I also agree with Call to Action #5 being very important, as if parents had been educated on how to properly care for and love their children, there would've been many more successful lives and less suicides.
DeleteIn my opinion, the most important category out of the six that are a part of the 94 Calls to Action is health. Health is crucial in a happy and safe life. If someone is healthy, then it would lead to more opportunities such as getting a job, starting a family and living your life to the fullest. From past events that took place in the residential schools and the adoption crisis, it created many health issues such as trauma or PTSD and drug or alcohol addiction. This lead to a butterfly effect that affected several generations. In the novel As Long as The River Flows, this is demonstrated when Spider was taken away from Martha by Child Services. Due to the trauma of residential schools, she developed a drinking problem to cope with the trauma, and this lead to Spider being taken away. He was then born with Alcohol Fetal Syndrome and later was homeless and an alcoholic. If Martha has access to therapy or rehab for her drinking problem, then she would have been fit to be a mother and would have been able to raise Spider. Then Spider would have never been homeless and an alcoholic because he would have had access to health care to help him deal with his syndrome. To be more precise, the 20th call to action is requesting that “distinct aboriginal health issues to be recognised, respected and addressed”. I think this applies to the novel because if this demand was met earlier than Martha could have gotten help sooner in her life and Spider would have never been put up for adaption. If you would like read further on the subject, this video goes into further detail. https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/toolsResources/Member-Videos-and-Stories/Pages/Breaking-down-the-barriers-indigenous-people-face-in-Canadas-health-care-system.aspx
ReplyDelete(Seiddy's Response)
DeleteI think you bring up some excellent points Vanessa, health is a crucial in a happy life, as you said you need to be healthy to have more opportunities such as jobs and starting a family. Many people were affected by these past events that took place in the residential schools and for the adoption crisis, as it created many health issues such as trauma, PTSD and drug or alcohol addiction. If indigenous people had health care than, all their past traumas that they went through could have been behind them and possibly have never of taken place.
I find your points very interesting Vanessa. It is intriguing to think about the fact that Spider was born with fetal alcohol syndrome and later became an alcoholic himself. There is an obvious chain reaction and, as you said, a butterfly effect. I think that the call to action you decided to include will help put a stop to these issues. The first and most important thing is to recognize the problem before it can be solved. Health is a very important part of reconciliation with the Indigenous people and it is important to be able to point out the sources that cause harm to health. Additionally, I found your video very striking because I had not previously been aware of the dangers of overmedication and how Indigenous people have been mistreated, even in the health industry that is supposed to help people and make them better, not worse. It really shed a light on how many basic human rights were taken away from so many simply because of their background.
DeleteI totally agree with you Vanessa! I really liked you point on trauma and PTSD. It is a very serious and common amongst Indigenous people especially the ones who went to residential schools. Their identity was taken away from them and were physically abused. The people didn’t like to talk about what they have been through back then and like you said, if they had therapy, they would be better they where they are today.
DeleteSean
ReplyDeleteAs our class has spent the last few months reading James Bartlemans “ As Long As The Rivers Flow”, we have learned of the ripple effect that Residential Schools can have on it’s victims, and their future generations. For this reason, along with many others, the Indigenous people of Canada have put together 94 calls to action for the Canadian government to fulfill. As the 63rd amendment, it states “Developing and implementing kindergarten to grade twelve curriculum and learning resources on Aboriginal peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools”.
As we have learned in ALARF, children as young as 12 years old have been joining suicide pacts, and have been going through with it. This is all the results of residential schools, and how they affect the future generations, and the impact that they can lead to.
As for schools, if more school boards were to implement Indigenous studies into their curriculums, then maybe situations like Ravens could have been prevented. For starters, maybe if young people were to learn what their parents and grandparents have gone through, they would have a better understanding of why they feel the way they do. For most kids, they feel their parents don’t love them, and that they aren’t worth anything to the world. But if they learned about why their parents are the way they are, these things could be prevented.
In conclusion, the 63rd amendment is not to be downplayed as a less important one just because of it’s high number. None of them are. Schools are encouraged to implement these studies into their school years to ensure that our future will not be blind to our nations history. These Residential Schools have shown time after time the ripple effect that they have on its victims, and how terrible they can come out to be, worst case scenario being suicide.
Works cited:
Deletehttp://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/memos/nov2017/responding_trc_calls_en.pdf
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/truth-and-reconciliation-94-calls-to-action-1.3362258
James Bartleman-“As Long As The Rivers Flow”
Sarah Dagg- NBE 3U
You brought up a great point here Sean, if all schools were introduced to indigenous studies and their cruel past,it would most definitely help avoid suicide pacts and unfortunate situations like Ravens. I also agree with you that the 63rd call to action is very important just like all the other 93 calls to action.
Delete(damien) ^
DeleteSean, you made an excellent point in stating that the 63rd Call to Action is an important one. I agree with this, as I too think that it is important. I have personally been affected by suicide, as I once knew someone who committed. I think that it is important for everyone to be aware of the past mistakes our nation has made. sydney
Delete(Callum)
ReplyDeleteYou raise an excellent point Sean, the goal of teaching history in school is to make sure the mistakes of the past aren't repeated. I'm sure that's part of the reason that this was integrated was to make sure history doesn't repeat itself. As well as the educational system offering more courses about the indigenous cultures for those who had parents or grandparents who lost that culture and want to learn what they lost. It's going to be definitely a difficult thing for them to relearn what they lost but it's a step in the right direction for sure. As often the survivors suffer in silence and aren't willing to share that traumatizing and damaging chapter of their lives because they want to push down the pain to never properly process it. Their children are now learning about the residential school systems and that will hopefully explain some of their parents behaviors and perhaps lower the staggering amount of cases of suicide among indigenous youth Adding indigenous content as mandatory in our education system is also a good step as even though the residential school system is a dark and regretted chapter of Canada's history it's something that every person living in this country should learn.
(Callum)
ReplyDeleteIn James Bartlemans novel “As long as the rivers flow” Martha’s first child Spider was taken from her as she was an unfit mother. Spider was taken in by a white family that though loved him he never felt like he belonged because his indigenous culture was taken from him before he was even taught it. In the very first call of action, one of subcategories was “Providing adequate resources to enable Aboriginal communities and child-welfare organizations to keep Aboriginal families together where it is safe to do so, and to keep children in culturally appropriate environments, regardless of where they reside.” Which essentially means that even if the child isn’t under good care he’ll still be attempted to be adopted into a family where he’ll still learn the traditional ways. If Spider was adopted into another Indigenous family maybe he wouldn’t have turned to the bottle to fill that gap and he would’ve had less internal struggles over the course of his life.
If we do not try to place these children under indigenous care, then we are essentially returning to the adoption assimilation project that took place previously. Even though those children were forcefully taken from what were in some cases very capable parents we have to more often give the benefit of the doubt as there are some white families who are also even more incapable of child-care that get to keep their children so we should be at the very least providing equality on that front.
There are thousands of stories pertaining to the infamous 60s Scoop. Stories like those of Dave Herman where he had a perfectly capable mother and they were living in Vancouver when he was taken from his mother and adopted by a white family, but when he parents took him to a Powwow he broke down in tears and was angry that this life was taken away from him for no good reason. I believe there’s a reason this is the very first call to action because keeping indigenous children in indigenous families is the only way for the culture to not only recover, but to survive at all.
Sources: http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
https://aptnnews.ca/2017/02/21/sixties-scoop-survivors-then-and-now-stories-of-separation-and-healing/https://aptnnews.ca/2017/02/21/sixties-scoop-survivors-then-and-now-stories-of-separation-and-healing/
Callum, I think you bring up an excellent point in that if an indigenous child is to be put up for adoption it should be to a native family preferably their own tribe/clan. However i do agree with Sean, what would they do if there would be a case if no indigenous family would be fit to adopt the child? What would they do in that case?
Delete(Damien)
You raise a very good argument Callum, and I completely agree with you. If kids are to be taken from their families, they should at least be adopted into a family where they can still learn traditional ways of life used by their ancestors. However, if a family is unfit to have a child, wouldn’t it make sense to have them moved into a family that can give them what they didn’t have before? Not that they wouldn’t get it in another indigenous family. Just a thought.
DeleteWhile we have been reading As Long as the River Flows, by James Bartleman for the past couple months, we learn how bad the impact of residential schools were on the Indigenous people and how the residential school system later affected their life, if they were lucky enough to survive in the first place. Call to action #33 states : We call upon the federal, provincial and territorial governments to recognize as a high priority the need to address and prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and to develop in collaboration with aboriginal people, FASD preventive programs that can be delivered in a culturally appropriate manner.” Throughout the entirety of the novel, we see how Martha is treated throughout her days at the residential school and learn about all the abuse. All Martha’s issues end up leading her to Russel as well as alcohol. Russel and Martha’s toxic relationship caused Martha to develop a reliance on alcohol. Martha drank so much alcohol while she was pregnant that her son, Spider, inherited Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. This disorder made life extremely challenging for Spider as he was challenged in school and eventually turned quite violent towards his adoptive family. Spider eventually ran away from home and because a “punk/bum” on the busy streets of Toronto. He eventually turned to … you guessed it, alcohol, and became an alcoholic. All this could have been avoided as if the abuse during the “RS” times never happened, Martha would've been strong enough to leave Russel and not turn herself into an alcoholic while pregnant. Not only did the alcohol mess up her own life and result in her kids being taken away, but it also transmitted (FASD) to Spider, which then messed up his life as well. I can 100% understand why call to action #33 has such a high priority to prevent and address the disorder so people don’t have to go through what Spider had to go through due to Martha’s poor decisions. A survey was conducted in a small indigenous community of 350 registered members in British Columbia during the 1980’s. Out of 155 children under the age of 18, 14 of them tested positive for FASD. That means 9% of the community’s children suffered from the disease. What do you guys think about call to action #33 and how helpful it could’ve been to Martha and all indigenous?
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited :http://bccewh.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Indigenous_approach_FASD.pdf http://www.ahf.ca/downloads/fetal-alcohol-syndrome.pdf (Ch.7)
I completely agree with you Damien, as well as the fact that kids should not have an additional challenge to their already seemingly impossibility way of life now. Although I understand that turning to alcohol seems like the easiest way to cope with their pain, people should not feel as though it is their only option and they should have access to mental health institutes to help them recover from the ripple effect cause by residential schools. Just my take.
Delete(Callum)
DeleteI agree with you as well Damien, the government should be placing motions to educate the indigenous on the effects of alcohol consumption while pregnant to try to reduce the children who are inflicted with this additional obstacle. An additional obstacle in what will likely be an abusive upbringing based on the little care shown during the pregnancies. The government should also be prioritizing rehab for these women to so we can try and limit some of the generational ripples of trauma stemming from the residential schools.
I completely agree with you Damien. Residential schools had so many negative effects, one of the biggest I think was FASD. So many RS survivors turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism and were either unaware of how it can affect pregnant women or were too out of it to care. I think in Martha's case the implementation of Call 33 would have changed her life completely. With more information about FASD, Spider could have avoided the disorder completely. Even if he hadn't, he could have received the proper care and support to deal with it and may have never turned to the streets and alcohol to dull his own pain. All in all, I think that Call 33 can provide great results for the Indigenous community.
Delete-Alex
DeleteI agree with your points Damien, the government definitely should have made a change to their system much earlier. If they had done so, not only would Martha and others of her age be better off, but their children would most likely not have been struck with the effects of the syndrome. Although even with residential school abuse, alcohol was not the only thing people like Martha and Russel struggled with; mental illness also developed as a result of little to no treatment given out to help treat and diagnose it. Assuming treatment was given out, and FASD was treated better by the government, I believe we would see far fewer cases of the syndrome occur.
DeleteThe Novel As Long as the River Flows by James Bartleman is a good introduction to the 94 calls to action made by the Indigenous people. This novel accurately represents all six calls such as child welfare, education, language and culture, health, reconciliation and most noticeable to me, justice. The act of justice covers a range of topics such as the need to deal with fetal alcohol syndrome in a culturally sensitive way, particularly in call to action 33, “Develop FASD preventative programs that can be delivered in a culturally appropriate manner.” As well as reasonable prices for Indigenous-specific victim services. Furthermore, it touches on a need for culturally relevant services on issues such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence.
ReplyDeleteMartha’s struggle with alcohol is an ongoing theme throughout the book. When she returns home from residential school she turns to alcohol as a means of coping with the traumas she has faced. Her struggle with alcohol, however, did not solely affect her, but her then unborn son, Spider. While reading ALARF, it is clear to see Spider struggling with fetal alcohol syndrome. In my opinion if the government were to implement preventative programs such as counseling for struggling alcoholics just like Martha there would be less people put into Spider’s situation, what do you think? Here’s an article that provides proof counseling programs actually work for addicts; https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/2/16181734/12-steps-aa-na-studies
It’s safe to say that the majority of Martha’s problems stem from her childhood at the residential school. Instead of seeking counseling for her traumatic past, she turned to alcohol in an attempt to self-medicate. Martha’s generation wasn’t well informed or properly equipped to deal with mental health issues, however this generation is. The 40th call to action “Create adequately funded and accessible Aboriginal-specific victim programs and services” would make it so that suffering indigenous people could get the help they need before resorting to drugs and alcohol like we read in the book.
On the topic of alcohol and drugs, both Spider and Raven’s father Russel is undoubtedly a criminal as well as an addict. He was in the business of spreading drugs across the reserve while also heavily drinking. However, call to action 36 is,” Provide culturally relevant services to inmates on issues such as substance abuse, family and domestic violence” This call would be highly beneficial to Russel and even the community. Something like this would reduce the flow of drugs on reserves. Call 36 would also reduce the amount of domestic violence faced by indigenous families just like Martha’s.
I think the calls to action, especially those corelating to justice, were all well represented in the novel As Long as the River Flows. Martha’s struggle with alcohol while she was pregnant with her son shows a need for FASD preventative programs like call to action 33 suggests. Along the lines of helping struggling Indigenous individuals, inexpensive programs that would help them deal with the traumas they’ve faced could help stop an alcohol abuser in their tracks. Finally, developing programs for Indigenous inmates on drug and alcohol abuse, domestic and family violence could end cycles of abuse after those inmates are released back into the world. However, if you don’t feel the same way feel free to let me know.
(Andrea) Works cited
ReplyDeleteBartleman James, As Long as the Rivers Flow
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/2/16181734/12-steps-aa-na-studies
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=36
I think you bring up some excellent points Andrea, the Indigenous people would benefit greatly from government funded counseling programs. The Indigenous population as a whole has suffered, and continues to do so, as a result of our poor choices; it is only right that the government offers a helping hand in their journey words healing. As Long as the Rivers Flow is just one of many depictions of the suffering these people have endured, from residential schools to fetal alcohol syndrome, the Indigenous people are constantly in a state of turmoil I believe it is time for a new stage of healing and peace.
Delete-Kristina
You raise a very good argument Callum, and I completely agree with you. If kids are to be taken from their families, they should at least be adopted into a family where they can still learn traditional ways of life used by their ancestors. However, if a family is unfit to have a child, wouldn’t it make sense to have them moved into a family that can give them what they didn’t have before? Not that they wouldn’t get it in another indigenous family. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteJames Bartleman brought his pages to life in his novel “As Long as the Rivers Flow” through the treacherous stories of the main character Martha and her family members. Being a member of the Indigenous community himself, Bartleman is aware of the 94 Calls to Action put into place by the Truth and Reconciliation Commision. In this novel, Bartleman managed to subtly incorporate each Call to Action throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteThe Call to Action that appeared to me the most throughout the novel was the Language and Culture Call to Action, specifically number 13. Many of the characters we meet in “As Long as the Rivers Flow” faced the brutality of residential schools or the repercussions the schools had on future generations through their parents, despite the physical scarring they endured, their language and culture truly took a toll as well. When Martha’s time at the residential school was finished, she said it herself that she had lost her language just like all the other children who attended the school. Despite this novel being a work of fiction, Indigenous people all over Canada and the United states are losing their languages, thus making their languages extremely endangered. For multiple indigenous languages in Canada, there’s an average of 370 speakers total, most of which are over the age of 60 (https://passport2017.ca/articles/endangered-languages-of-canada). In certain cases, their languages have depleted so heavily there’s only one fluent speaker left. This is the case for the Wukchumni language, the language of the Tule-Kaweah Yokuts of California. The last living speaker’s name is Marie Wilcox, she’s 87 years old and when she dies, so will the Wukchumni language (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl1O1Fmb2uE).
To conclude, despite this Call to Action being labeled as completed, I believe this is a task that can never truly be completed to its full extent. Their language is part of who they are, and despite our best efforts as a country to help the Indigenous people of Canada, it saddens me to hear of the near extinction of certain Indigenous languages. Alas, this is something we cannot change due to the ignorance many youths possess; we cannot force a child to learn a language they don’t wish to learn, but we can provide classes of more common Indigenous languages for the youth to take to strengthen their culture.
I really enjoyed reading your opinion on this. I completely agree. Indigenous language is one of the key components to their culture and without it a large chunk of their history will be gone and forgotten. So many of Indigenous peoples traditions and stories rely and are still alive because of language. Without language there is no culture. And without the key to their culture, how can Indigenous people truly be connect to their roots which in many articles and reports say is an essential part in Indigenous people feeling "whole?"
Delete-Alex
(Seiddy)
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, out of all six parts of the 94 calls to Action that Bartleman covers in his writings; such as; education, language and child welfare, culture, health, reconciliation and in my point of view the most important one is justice. Justice is one of the main things that Indigenous people want; they all need some justice for their suffering and all the horrifying things they had to go through in life such as, residential schools, getting their children taken away from them (children's aid), giving up their children to get money. The parents did not even actually know what was going on in the schools either.
Residential schools were government-sponsored religious schools that were established to grasp Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian cultures. These schools had many impacts on the families and especially all the children who attended them. The children who made it out alive, were never the same after. They developed ptsd, felt unimportant, unloved, they no longer knew how to show affection; they turned to drugs and alcohol, which led up to women getting pregnant and then their children were being born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. This happened to Martha in the novel ALARF with her son Spider, who later turned to drugs.
Therefore, justice has a big role to play throughout this novel and for everything Indigenous people needed while growing up. As the role of justice is portrayed throughout the novel As Long as the Rivers Flow, we get a big picture of how everything was back then, and things that could still be happening to this day, such as; Indigenous people losing their language, culture and children, losing loved ones and also losing their land which is a big part of who they are.
In this novel Mary puts Martha in a residential school and she went through horrifying things and suffered extremely; same as all the other children there except that she was priest Antoine’s favorite. Which means she got it a little better than the other children. All the children who made it out alive were too scared to say what was really going on in residential schools and had to keep going back just like Martha.
This is a horrific part of our country’s history and the multi-generational negative impact the residential school system has had on our native community. Children of school age (5 or 6 and above) were taken away from loving homes, hundreds of miles from the parents to be trained “the white way”. They were physically, emotionally and sexually abused. Supposedly it was being done to remove the “savage way” and replace it with the “learned, better way”. How very ironic. Ask yourself who is acting like a so-called savage and what exactly was wrong with the native way of life. Today, many realize that the holistic life of the natives then - living off the earth but taking only what was needed and taking care of the earth so it could continue to provide for future generations was and is a highly evolved way of sustainable living. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7P-fLHkpzs
In conclusion, this book is a fictional story, but I have no doubt that it is highly representative of many residential school experiences, not just in Canada but around the world. The story shows us there was an attempt to annihilate a whole culture. Imagine being a child and taken away from your family and not being able to see them every day, every weekend, even every month because the distance for visits was deemed too great and too expensive. Imagine a child being so alone with the abuse, with no one to step in and stop it, or console them and tell them that they loved them, that they were okay, and it wasn’t their fault for anything that happened.
ReplyDeleteCall to action #41 states that, “We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal organizations, to appoint a public inquiry into the causes of, and remedies for, the disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls. The inquiry’s mandate would include: Investigations into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls; Links to the intergenerational legacy of residential schools. These are important actions to indigenous people because it is bringing justice to their people.” and #33 states that, “We call upon the federal, provincial and territorial governments to recognize as a high priority the need to address and prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and to develop, in collaboration with Aboriginal people, FASD preventative programs that can be delivered in a culturally appropriate manner.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siMal6QVblE
Work Cited
Dagg Sarah. Class notes/discussion. (2019/2020). Print.
Bartleman, James. “As Long as the Rivers Flow”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/a-history-of-residential-schools-in-canada-1.702280
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/april-2018/the-injustice-system-and-indigenous-people/
http://www.ajic.mb.ca/volumel/chapter2.html
http://www.ajic.mb.ca/volumel/chapter7.html
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/fund-fina/acf-fca/ajs-sja/index.html
https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/inquiries/ipperwash/policy_part/research/pdf/Rudin.pdf
https://aptnnews.ca/2015/10/17/top-5-indigenous-issues-all-canadians-should-care-about/
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=33
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=41
The novel As Long As The Rivers Flow written by James Bartleman makes deep and detailed connections with the 94 calls to action required by the Indigenous peoples. In this novel, many examples of the demanded criteria in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC) are shown. The two most prominent categories in the book I find to be the greatest issues and heavily impacted for the indigenous are language and culture, and health.
ReplyDeleteWith the establishment of residential schools in 1880, began many other laws affirmed by the Canadian government to assimilate the Indigenous peoples into their highly praised, civilized society. The members of the catholic church who were praised to be part of “taming” those stolen children abuse them mentally, spiritually and physically until those children were no longer capable to remember or be proud of their heritage. In an interview by global news with Elder Armand McArthur, he explains how the staff in his residential school indoctrinated him and the other students to make them believe that their language was “a devil’s language” which justified their reasons for cruel punishments1. After years of forceful assimilation into an unknown culture, the remaining survivors of residential schools returned to their homes with traumas of being abused and incapability to connect to their culture. In a Smithsonian Magazine interview with Cynthia Kipp says, "We were told, 'You'd be better off learning only English, so what happened to us won't happen to you.” 2 This implies how parents who attended residential school feared to speak and teach their language to the next generation due to the traumatization of what they had gone through. Moreover, with this issue, I strongly believe in the statement pass down from my family of “Where there is no vision the people perish.” Language and culture is identity. It defines who you are and gives you hope and a path to follow for the future, but what meaning does life have when you are ridiculed and your culture undervalued. In James Bartleman’s novel, a representation of this issue is shown by Raven’s friend, Sara who enjoyed her culture; speaking her native language and listening to stories. One factor that led to her death was being made fun of learning her heritage by her own people who most likely received intergenerational trauma from their ancestors, which mindlessly makes them hate their culture. The call to action #13 states, “We call upon the federal government to acknowledge that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language rights.” The fact that this as already been completed proves that the Canadian government is making its way to give justice to the Indigenous peoples for their language and culture which were once an abomination.
Many calls to action considering the category of health have been started or are in progress. The call to action #22 states, “We call upon those who can effect change within the Canadian health-care system to recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal leaders and Elders, where requested by Aboriginal patients.” The intergenerational traumas that the Indigenous peoples endured are impossible to repair with European medical practice. The effects of residential schools are the greatest struggles for the Indigenous community. Indigenous peoples living off reserves suffer from more depression compared to the general population which is 13.2% vs 7.3%. As more mental issues began to rise, they confide in alcohol as a coping mechanism to remove themself from their reality which only resulted in more pain, mentally and physically. I find that the Indigenous would not have suffered much if the Canadian government would have realized and fix their wrongdoing earlier on. For example in the novel, Martha wouldn’t have to struggle alone during her depression outbreak and would have healing centers with proper care considering her history as stated in the call to action #22. This is similar to Medicine Walk, by Richard Wagamese. If there was governmental help for Eldon and his people, he would have been aware of obstacles that he faced and he could have had a chance to rehabilitate from his alcohol problem with cultural healing practices.
DeleteTo conclude, the impact of residential school and racial injustice towards the Indigenous people was immense. The Canadian government is taking part in the first step to making what was done to Indigenous peoples known and also bring awareness, reconciliation, and acceptance for what has already happened and what can the government do better. The calls to action #13 and #22 for language and culture and health are important to be completed because we see the struggles that those Indigenous peoples face without those demands. Newfound laws will create a more aware environment throughout all of Canada. Tell me what you think of this. Comment below!
Works Cited
ReplyDelete1-Ah NationTalk. A residential school survivor’s incredible journey to save his language. Global News. Feb 21, 2019http://nationtalk.ca/story/a-residential-school-survivors-incredible-journey-to-save-his-language
2- Michelle Nijhuis. Immersion schools try to revive and preserve Native American languages. SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE. NOVEMBER 2003. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tribal-talk-93636590/
J.R. Miller. Residential School in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia.
October 10, 2012
You bring excellent points Kery. Language and Culture, and Health are a very important part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commision. And I agree that our language and culture are part of us, it makes us who we are. It shapes us into the people we are meant to be. This is why I find it sad that so many had their identity stolen from them. I also think that Martha was lucky to get back some of her culture back. For example, the fishing, hunting, and even some of her native language. I also agree with your point that Martha would have suffered less had the act #22 been active. Had it been active, Martha might not have had rebelled against her mother the way she did and in the process lost Spider.
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DeleteI love the connections you made with Raven’s friend, Sara. I agree with you on the importance of one’s language. Language is a big part of my identity, especially since I’m an immigrant. My mother tongue, Urdu represent my Pakistani roots. It’s heartbreaking how little kids, people around my younger sisters age were physically abused just because they were trying to communicate. Most of them didn’t have any knowledge about English. It's already difficult learning a new language with the help of your family and teachers, just imagine forcing yourself to learn a new language just to make sure you had food or didn't obtain a new bruise. I already expressed my importance of action 22, how lots of people are losing traditional healings and medication, because they’re told there’s only one way, and that’s our way.
DeleteI completely agree with you Natalia, the language and culture of the indigenous people is something that should be more carefully looked after. Too many languages are being lost to the traumas indigenous individuals have been put through. Not everyone had someone to reteach them their language like Martha had her mother. Residential schools were a large part of the loss of culture and language. This is a bit frustrating considering this was the goal for those running residential schools. Like you were saying, I think the government should do more to uphold these endangered languages.
ReplyDelete-Andrea
DeleteLooking at the 94 Calls to action, the sections I think to be the most important are Justice and Health. There are so many inequities that Indigenous people face to this day, but in my eyes, everything revolves around health care. In As Long as the Rivers Flow, Martha’s mother passed away from diabetes because she did not receive the proper healthcare and support for her healing. Call #19 asks that “the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal people, establishes measurable goals to identify and close gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities…” One gap that can be seen with Mary is her being unable to get proper healthcare where she was living as it was a rural, fly-in community. Although we cannot please everyone, this problem would not have occurred if there had been a clinic or hospital on the reserve to meet Mary’s needs. But this is not the only healthcare gap Indigenous people face. In areas where there is a large population of Indigenous people, the infant mortality rates increases greatly, Inuit communities 3.9 times, First Nations 2.3, and Metis 1.9 compared to non-Indigenous communities. The reason behind the large difference is the impact of colonialism and the taking away of Indigenous land, rights, and forcing them onto reserves and into residential school (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2019).
ReplyDeleteThe state of reserves that Indigenous people also play a part into their health. In 2016 there was a Cree Community north of Winnipeg that had 16 youth with a serious skin condition that needed immediate infection. They called for federal support but only received it after 2 months of waiting, 6 suicides, and 140 attempts. This community was overcrowded with up to 27 people living under one roof and lacked proper mental health support and emergency and serious health resources. The normal care would be given by nurses rather than doctors, and it was typical of people who lived on reserves to look at nursing as a way out and get a job in a more populated area. If someone is needed to have medical attention outside of the reserve they are taken by a transport vehicle which often breakdown and have been deemed unreliable. In one case a young man with strep-throat died because the van was not fast enough in bringing him to the medical center. This is the perfect example of why I think health is such an important section to look at as people are dying because of something as simple as strep-throat which is usually an easily treated infection (Goraya, 2016).
Related to call #19 is #34 which is “calling upon the governments of Canada, the provinces, and territories to undertake reforms to the criminal justice system to better address the needs of offenders with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is a manageable disorder if individuals are worked with by therapists, given medical care, and/or put on medication (FASDs: Treatments, 2017). The experience of Morgan Fawcett shows that with support and proper care, people can live with FASD and excel in life (his experience: https://youtu.be/K0VrkLQfkFg). As previously stated, Indigenous communities often don’t receive proper support to deal with instances and may have trouble giving mental health and developmental support to individuals growing up with FASD. Those with the disorder often have a tendency to act out against authority figures which later on in life can be the law. 50% of people with FASD run into trouble with the law, and can get into further problems when incarcerated. This is because those with FASD may have trouble understanding and remembering rules within the jail, leading to negative consequences. Additionally, crimes committed can be a result of lack of understanding good/bad, social norms, and because of brain damaged caused by alcohol. Call #34 asks that people affected by FASD are given more resources and support, exemption from mandatory minimum sentences, provide resources to enable them to live more comfortable in a community, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and ensure community safety. This takes into account that people with FASD aren’t always able to think straight about the repercussion or about the wrongs of what they are doing (FASD and the Law – Criminal Justice).
DeleteGoing back to Spider in ALARF, it is now easy to see how much him having FASD affected both him and his family. When looking back at his decision to run away from his adoptive family, it is very clear that he regrets it and probably wishes he could go back a undo that life changing decision. It very well could have been an impulsive decision, as many people with FASD have that trait, and he didn’t clearly think it through. Martha may also feel guilty for burdening him with FASD and on the flip side, Spider might resent her for it, causing a strain in their relationship.
DeleteIn the end, I believe that to solve many of the problems that Indigenous people face and are asking help for in the “Calls to Action” starts with healthcare. Lack of support and resources results in unhealthy and unequipped reserves. Being unprepared for certain situations can lead to those with mental health issues or disorder like FASD to function at an all time low. It is important that everyone is healthy and treated equally for the FNMI community to thrive and survive.
Works Cited
Goraya, J. (2016, April 6). Access to Health Care on Aboriginal Reserves. Retrieved from Public Policy and Governance Review: https://ppgreview.ca/2016/04/06/access-to-health-care-on-aboriginal-reserves-2/
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. (2017, November 21). FASDs: Treatments. Retrieved from cdc.gov: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/treatments.html
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. (n.d.). FASD and the Law – Criminal Justice. Retrieved from NoFAS.org: https://www.nofas.org/criminal-justice/
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. (2012, February 24). Morgan Fawcett on living with FASD. Retrieved from Youtube.com: https://youtu.be/K0VrkLQfkFg
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2019, April 24). Inequalities in Infant Mortality in Canada. Retrieved from Canada.ca: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/science-research-data/inequalities-infant-mortality-infographic.html
-Alex
As we finished reading the novel “As Long as the Rivers Flow” (James Bartleman), we had some time to think about how phenomenally he incorporated the six main areas of needs of the Indigenous people in his characters and plot. We see the negative effects of the child care system through Spider and his struggles with feelings of abandonment. We see the biased rules of the Church and how they affect both Indigenous and Catholic people, especially with priest Antione molesting little girls, even in Quebec city, and getting away with it. Most members of the church caring for nothing, but their reputation, “ I understand your anger and I must tell you I would feel the same way if I was in your shoes. However, I am a bishop and must think of the well-being of the Church. If you press charges, its reputation would be damaged. As good Catholics, you wouldn’t want that, would you?” (Bartleman, 39-40). I could go on forever about the 94 calls to action made by the Indigenous people, but two topics that really spoke to me through Bartleman’s remarkable novel were health and reconciliation.
ReplyDeleteEverybody craves to live a healthy life, be in great shape physically and mentally, but every race and culture have their own set of healing practices and medicines which should be respected. The only problem with that is people are afraid of change and always believe their way is better and the only way and it should be forced onto the people around them. Action number 22 and 23 are regarding the medical practices of Indigenous people. “Recognize the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients” and “Increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health care field.” In “ As Long as the Rivers Flow” Martha’s mom, Mary is struggling with diabetes and continues to get worse, doctors advise her to seek medical attention in a different city, but she refuses. It mentions in the book, “..she would rather end her days at home rather than go to a big, impersonal hospital on the outside.” (Bartleman, 175). Mary did not have a life-threatening disease that couldn't be cured. She would have survived had she received treatment. The problem wasn’t that she didn’t want to live. The problem was that she didn’t want to leave home. With the completion of these two actions, real people that are struggling with the same dilemma as Mary can get traditional healings from people of their own culture and in their own communities. The traditional healings and medication of people from different races and cultures are part of their identity. People are losing that part of their identity as their healing practices aren’t taken seriously. Even back in Pakistan, people are using traditional remedies and cures less often, as a lot of imported medication is heavily advertised as the best cure for their disease.
Reconciliation for the Indigenous people seems to be the most important thing as 51 of the actions are under that topic. Though we can not change the actions of the church and how they mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and sexually abused people of the Indigenous culture. The first step to forgiveness for the church should be a formal apology issued specifically to the Indigenous community. This relates to action number 58, “The Pope to issue an apology to residential school survivors.” The act of apologizing means that they have recognized the issue and give importance to it and realized their mistakes, which is meaningful for the Indigenous community. The only problem is this request was already denied by Pope Francis back in March of 2018. A letter was released by Bishop Lionel Gendron, which stated, “The Holy Father is aware of the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which he takes seriously. As far as call to action 58 is concerned, after carefully considering the request and extensive dialogue with the Bishops of Canada, he felt that he could not personally respond.” I absolutely believe the Indigenous community deserves an apology for the horrors they faced and still face today because of the actions of the church. Maybe the church shouldn’t worry so much about their reputation now. What I find ironic is the Pope has already apologized for the abuse of the church before for a different reason. Back in 2010, the pope released a formal letter to the Irish community apologizing for the decades of sex abuse they faced by Catholic priests in Ireland. I don’t get why this action isn’t being completed as something similar has already been done. For more information on the apology issued back in 2010, you can visit the website listed. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/pope-apologizes-to-irish-sex-abuse-victims-1.902607.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, Bartleman has a phenomenal talent of storytelling and has brought awareness to the six topics of needs of the Indigenous community. I discussed two that I had strong opinions of, reconciliation and health. What are your thoughts on my opinions and what are your ideas on the action I discussed. Feel free to comment. Thank you.
You could not have said it better Aaish. I also believe that with the help of action 22 and 23, more indigenous people would feel comfortable being treated. I believe that it would make it easier on them to be treated by an indigenous doctor in closer proximity using ways that are familiar to them. Maybe Mary would have made it to an older age had these actions been put into place which would have given Raven a better and more carefree childhood instead of having to take care of her dying grand-mother and growing so quickly at such a young age. I also understand where you're coming from when speaking of the pope. I find it strange that he would apologize for some of the things that have happened but refuse to apologize for other things. It's kind of unsettling if you think about it.
DeleteI am in same agreement as you Aaish, especially concerning the call to actions #23. Knowing that the Pope had released an apology concerning the latest news of the Irish sexual assault almost right after its demands and had the nerve to send men lower than him to respond to the request of the Indigenous community vexed me. The Pope, who is a known "leader" of the catholic church should have taken responsibilities honorably to respond to the cultural genocide that the catholic had allowed for residential school. I find this extremely selfish and disrespectful considering the Indigenous community fought against standards to be seen as humans and a title apology the Pope himself won't dare to be humble and say personally. In his actions, I question if he,-who is also representing the catholic church-even cares about the 94 calls to action.
DeleteWork cited
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cbc.ca/news/world/pope-apologizes-to-irish-sex-abuse-victims-1.902607
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=58
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/7489455/Popes-apology-You-have-suffered-grievously-and-I-am-truly-sorry.html
Ashleigh Picard
ReplyDeleteThe novel As Long As The River Flows written by James Bartleman does an amazing job at showing readers the many challenges that Indigenous people had to face and are still facing today. Bartleman shows consistently throughout the novel many of the problems that Indigenous people went through and how they cope with these struggles as the novel incorporates the 94 calls to action. The 94 Calls to action is split into 6 sections and the novel demonstrates all of them; child welfare, education, language and culture, health, justice and lastly reconciliation. The section that stood out the most to me was child welfare and to be even more specific the call # 5; develop culturally appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families. Many Indigenous families get ripped apart and children have no choice but to live with a new family and most of the time their foster family ended up being a family of a different culture. This is one of the main reasons that indigenous people are losing their culture as their children ended up in foster homes which results in them never adapting their own culture from their biological parents. Sadly, this has happened far too many time and deserves more attention from the public. In an article on cbc.ca, in Ontario, Indigenous children were 12 times more likely to be identified as foster children than non-Indigenous children, according to a Residential Services Panel Review from 2016. The novel demonstrates this call to action through the character Spider. Spider was taken away from his family at a really young age which not only took him away from his mother, but also took his identity and culture. He ended up living with a new family who had no indigenous background or understanding of his culture which resulted in him never knowing his true identity. Not only did he never learn about his background but he also turned out to be nothing that his foster parents would have expected. He ended up running away, becoming a punk and an addict. If his foster parents or any other parents who adopted or took in indigenous children knew more about their culture, the children would be able to know more about themselves, adapt more to their lifestyles, and grow up to keep the culture alive instead of having these cultures disappear. In conclusion, If there were appropriate parenting programs for Aboriginal families, Children in these families would be able to know more about their backgrounds, understand and adapt with what is going on with their lives, and be able to keep these cultures alive.
Work Cited
Bartleman, James. As Long as the Rivers Flow. Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2011.
“Beyond 94: Where Is Canada at with Reconciliation? | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 19 Mar. 2018, www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/beyond-94-truth-and-reconciliation-1.4574765.
“Indigenous Children Lose Cultural Connection in Child Welfare System | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 23 May 2017, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/indigenous-overrepresentation-in-childrens-aid-societies-1.4120487.
I completely agree Ashleigh,the problem of foster homes with Indigenous children is overlooked and is in desperate need for recognition. In my opinion, Indigenous parenting styles are underestimated and authories are quick to judge their living style and take their children away too easily. So much of the Indigenous culture has been lost and needs to be retaught to the newer generations.
DeleteI agree Ashleigh. I believe it to have been a big mistake to have encouraged so many people to adopt Indigenous children to “save them” from what was simply their heritage and culture. It is truly heartbreaking the magnitude at which Indigenous children end up in foster care. While it is great that people want to adopt, they must understand that this child will not be the same as them and that they should embrace their culture. I also agree that it is very important to give Indigenous parents the education and tools necessary to be good parents in the first place. All in all, you have brought up very good points as to why child welfare is such an integral part of the calls to action.
DeleteIn the novel, As Long as the River Flows we see Spider who has FASD. Fedal Alchol Spectrum Disorder can cause learning disabilities, hyperactivity, attention/memory deficits, inability to manage anger, poor judgment, difficulties with problem solving, and delayed growth. It can also cause such physical disabilities as heart defects, cleft lip and palate, spina bifida, cysts or cavities in the brain, vision problems, kidney problems, liver defects, hernia, seizure disorders, and skeletal problems, according to homeless hub. According to the 34th amendment (Undertake reforms to the criminal justice system to better address the needs of offenders with FASD) the Canadian Government is looking to firstly, “Providing increased community resources and powers for courts to ensure that FASD is properly diagnosed and that appropriate community supports are in place for those with FASD.” Secondly “Enacting statutory exemptions from mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment for offenders affected by FASD.” Thirdly “Providing community, correctional and parole resources to maximize the ability of people with FASD to live in the community.” And lastly, “Adopting appropriate evaluation mechanisms to measure the effectiveness of such programs and ensure community safety.”
ReplyDeleteSpider is seen to have FASD in the novel. This is commonly seen in Indigenous children due to parents drinking while pregnant. It is seen that the number of Indigenous children being born with FASD is increasing. Spider is a fictional character but faces many issues one with FASD may face. We see that he is often in spouts of personality chances. Spider decides he would like to be punk and rebels and lives on the streets. According to homeless hub “Often, individuals have lifelong problems with day-to-day living and are likely to experience early school dropout, substance use, problems securing and maintaining employment, homelessness, trouble with the law and mental health problems.” Spider reflects all these.
The Canadian government should be allowing extra care to Indigenous peoples who are dealing with FASD because of past trauma put on Indigenous parents. Allowing extra aid and legal help would help people with FASD to get back on their feet.
https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/substance-use-addiction/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=34
Mrs dagg- NBE 3U
As Long As The River Flows, James Bartleman
-sarah
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ReplyDeleteIn my opinion while reading the novel of As Long As The Rivers Flow by James Bartleman over the past couple months, out of the 94 calls to action I’ve read and made connections to from the book the most important call to action is #34. Undertake reforms to the criminal justice system to better address the needs of offenders with FASD. This is an important call to action because they want to increase the number of services available to these people so they can have a chance at a normal life. Also if they are diagnosed earlier in life at a young age like they want to do, they might have a chance to fix the problem that caused them brain damage before it is too late.
Unfortunately for Spider he didn’t have any of these resources when he was taken away so he had to grow up with this issue and eventually became an alcoholic himself and aggressive towards his adoptive family. Which later caused him to leave home and become a “punk.” Furthermore, the government is also trying to increase the number of resources because instead of putting them in prison for thinking they are crazy or just a criminal they will be able to diagnose the problem and help them. When Spider did decide to try and clean up his act by moving back to the reserve he still resulted in drinking and eventually abused his mother, the same way Rusell did. However they didn’t have the education about this problem and he couldn’t get help.
I think that just putting the FASD diagnosed people in prison was unfair because it wasn’t their fault and it should’ve been the parents that were blamed for their poor decisions and that’s why this is an important call to action. Also i think that’s why it is a good idea to come up with more resources to help these kids who suffer and hopefully get rid of the issue at a young age or fix the problem so they can have more of a normal life later on. However if you guys don’t agree or would like to add something to why this is important feel free to share your ideas!
(Valerie)
DeleteWorks Cited
https://canfasd.ca/trc34/
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=34
(Seiddy's Response)
DeleteI think you bring up some excellent points Valerie, justice is an important call to action. I agree with the fact that if the government had the proper resources, it would have been beneficial for indigenous people, and they could have had a chance of having a normal life. However, I do believe that people getting FASD is the parent’s fault for drinking while being pregnant, which could have been prevented. I believe that indigenous people with FASD should not have been blamed for actions that they can not control. It is not like they wanted to be born with it, they had no choice for how they got FASD, their parents basically made that decision by drinking while being pregnant.
I completely agree with the points you brought up here Val; with a better system put in place to support people with FASD Spider definitely would have ended up better off. However, I believe parents are not the only people to blame as they too experienced trauma and abuse in life, meaning they needed some sort of outlet for emotions (as health care was almost non-existent at the time for them).
Delete(Tucker)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Sean, this is awful way for young these young teenagers to go through they're young lives. These suicide pacts and cases of depression are not only effecting these young people now but are making a large negative impact on there future. I believe that the 63 amendment should be paid more attention to because these young teens deserve the same education as us and it will hopefully help bring these trapped children to a better way of life. This is something that we take for granted but a great everyday education is something we need and is something that everyone deserves.
I completely agree with you Seiddy. Many people where effected by Residential schools and have to live with trauma from it. They need to be brought to justice. Justice not only for them but for their families. This issue has effected multiple generations, and the novel really displayed that.
ReplyDeleteThroughout "As Long As The Rivers Flow" by James Bartleman, it is evident that equitable health care is not available for any indigenous family, or family member. Out of the 94 calls to action, the 3rd (Health: Implementing Jordan's Principle) is by far the most important in relation to characters in the novel. Not only would Spider, Marhta, Raven, and countless other people from the residential schools been helped my this call to action; but it would have given Martha a much better shot at keeping Spider as a child.
ReplyDeleteTo begin, Jordan's Principle is a law ensuring children of any household of indigenous background, on or off reserve, have access to adequate healthcare. If this principle had been implemented earlier (before Martha was sent off to "school"), she not only would have not suffered from the school, but also would have been a better mother. Although she had not been a good mother to Spider, assuming she had healthcare, she would have been much better suited. Keep in mind that healthcare does not only mean illness from a virus or flu, but mental and physical abuse/illness. Martha almost definitely suffered PTSD and other mental issues as a result of being abused, taken advantage of, and also having her mother turn her back on her.
Furthermore, children like the punks in cities (off reserve) having healthcare would have made it so they could have treatments offered for their addictions. Many more children would have been saved, either from suicide or from overdosing. Spider and his friends would have been much better off, even if they hadn't been given a good hand in life. People in the community along with Raven would also not have made pacts as they probably would have been happier if they had received any form of mental health treatment. Multiple communities and individuals were dead either literally or spiritually, and without help the problem only got worse. Having a suicide occur with healthcare not only would have been a complete one-off, but would also have been dealt with having this principle in place. Perhaps people didn't know it was so bad because of the lack of healthcare because people think so little about not having it; although is someone opened their eyes I'm sure they would have been very aware of the affects.
To conclude, if Jordan's Principle had been established well before the children and parents of communities had suffered the pain of suicide, things would have gone down much differently compared to how they actually happened. Not only would many more people still be alive, but those alive currently would be much happier knowing their relatives and friends are still alive and well.
Works Cited:
DeleteBartleman James, As Long as the Rivers Flow
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=3
https://www.canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada/services/jordans-principle.html
As Long as the Rivers Flows by James Bartleman relates to all the categories of the 94 calls to action such as child welfare, education, language and culture, health, justice and reconciliation. The category that I immediately though of was Language and Culture. Language and Culture are call numbers 13 to 17 and the call to action that I though was most relatable to the book was #13- Acknowledge that Aboriginal rights include Aboriginal language rights. In the book, Martha and a whole bunch of other kids were sent to residential schools against their wills, and their parents couldn’t do anything about it. They were sent to the residential schools to take away any indigenous practices including their language and culture. Language and culture are a big part of a person, it is who and what they identify as. Language is important because it is a form of communication. If they get their language taken away from them, they would not be able to speak to their family members anymore and are forced to learn and adapt to a new language such as English. Culture is important because it is where you come from and what you are used to. In my opinion, not only did they take away their language and culture, but they physically tortured and abused them to do so. If you would like to educate yourselves more about how they were treated in residential schools watch this video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdR9HcmiXLA .
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdR9HcmiXLA
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform-single/beyond-94?&cta=13
Bartleman, James, As Long As The Rivers flow, 2019, print
Cassidy's blog had many valid and interesting point. What caught my attention the most was all the mental abuse the children had to go through. It was extremely tragic how the children were stripped away from their families and identities. It must have been hard for them, having residential schools force them to learn different languages, be forced to not speak but forget their own language with severe consequences and to forget their own cultures. I would not be able to deal with the kind of abuse let alone children around the ages of six.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you Cassidy, culture and language are an important aspect of identity. Many Indigenous people suffered by losing parts of their culture in residential schools. It is injust that they had to go through these traumatic events and multiple generations were also affected. by educational programs in courses their language and culture can be restored in younger generations.
You raise a very good point here Callum, you as a person are build upon your culture and background. This is something that should stay in your family background forever and you should always be able to know your back story. A family name is meant to last lifetimes and is a truly great privilege we have that should never be taken away just because of our different culture.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, we still have lots of work to do and lots of apologies and corrections to make but for now the government is trying their best. But honestly i think they could do better and they should do better, they’ve only completed ten so far. “We found that in the first year there was about five calls to action that were completed,” Jewell said in a telephone interview. “And since 2016… only four more have been completed.” “That gives us an average of about 2.25 calls to action being completed per year, which is dreadful progress.” (Eva Jewell, an academic, co-authored 2019 status update) In 2016, the Canadian government adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and still hasn’t implemented it. Moreover, when I work or when I’m out shopping and as an Indigenous person takes out their status card to get their rightful tax exemption people begin to stare at them in a deminering way or give them the dirty look and honestly that disgusts me, it shows how we still haven’t learned anything from our past. There are many problems in executing some of the 94 calls to action for many reasons such as for actions #71 to 76, most of the missing children and burial information section may not be easy to accomplish because some graves don’t have name on their graves or don’t have graves and they didn’t keep correct records of who died to keep getting money for them. Another example of problem that’s being faced in the execution of the 94 Calls to action is action #58 it states “we call upon the Pope to issue an apology to Survivors, their families, and communities for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in the spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Catholic-run residential schools. We call for that apology to be similar to the 2010 apology issued to Irish victims of abuse and to occur within one year of the issuing of this Report and to be delivered by the Pope in Canada.” But the pope isn’t willing what so ever to cooperate with the government or the Indigenous people. This is a link to a video explaining the reason why the pope doesn’t want to apologize: https://youtu.be/DqcUpEt2_KQ
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion I think all 94 Calls to action are important and it’s the least we owe them. I hope we end up accomplishing them and making up for our past mistakes as a nation. These people only deserve kindness to happen to them in view of the fact that they’ve shown nothing but kindness. We live on their land and use their recourses and we should preserve it as much as we can, for their sake. Let’s not lie to ourselves it’s impossible to make it up to them after all we’ve done but there’s no harm in trying, we can give it all our best like we gave it all our best in ruining their lives from the beginning and putting them in the trouble and pain they’re in right now, it shouldn’t be hard. So yeah, that was my blog thanks for reading and I would really like to hear you thoughts. This is a link to a video that explain furthermore on the progress of the 94 Calls to Action: https://youtu.be/E8e-OguZ7EU
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ReplyDeletereferences:
#1: http://www.ajic.mb.ca/volumel/chapter2.html
#2: As Long as The Rivers Flow by James Bartleman
#3: https://www.tribaljusticeprograms.com/indigenous-justice-systems/
this site gives information on Dual justice systems that exist in several contemporary tribal communities.
Beyond 94 is the website tracking the process or TRC’s 94 calls to action and provides information on the process of each call in the sections regarding Child Welfare, Language and Culture, Justice, Education, Health and Reconciliation. An important call is the call number forty-two, under justice, “Commit to the recognition and implementation of Aboriginal justice systems.” In indigenous Culture, Indigenous people have their own ways of raising children, including the use of elders, etc. It is the same with the judicial system. As people, they have a right to their own culture and ways of life that shouldn’t be limited to the white mans standards of living. Indigenous people have always had their own government, ways of solving disputes and laws in communities that differed between circumstance. Indigenous people have a very distinct cultural identity and on a legal stand, many consider this discrimination. In relation to the fact, an indigenous woman named Barbara Whitford, explains her place on indigenous people and their struggle with the judicial system regarding their culture and language. She says, “How many Aboriginal people have been denied the right to defend themselves because this man is not capable of understanding and interpreting their testimony? How many Aboriginal people have been convicted because this man was unable to translate a Crown attorney’s questions accurately so that they understand what they were being asked; therefore, unknowingly, and perhaps falsely, incriminating themselves?” (link #1) The novel, “As Long as The Rivers Flow,” written by James Bartleman, exemplifies this call to action because, for example, when Russell came back a to Martha after getting released, he drank and beat her again. In fact, many indigenous people who are put in jail to take their time alone and confined tend to re live the mistakes they’ve made due to the way the government deals with them. For example, in the novel, when Martha, Raven and spider head to the healing circle in the gymnasium of the school which was organized by Joshua due to ravens suicidal thoughts, Marthas depression and drinking, teen suicides, the entire communities and peoples nightmares they're living due to their pasts in residential school and the children harmed by the past residential school survivors, he invited Father Antoine and the parents of the kids who have killed themselves to provide closure for the hurt. To put it clearly, the core of the aboriginal restorative process is the healing circle. The healing circle aims at developing a unanimous agreement on how to repair the result of the offenders offence, in this case Father Antoines offence of violating young girls during his time in the residential schools. The healing circle includes members of the community including elders, the offender, and the victim if they agree to participate. In Marthas case, her participation had a great impact on every other member of the circle, those who experiences were similar to hers and even those who’s weren’t. The parents who said they loved their kids after their deaths, and regretted everything they had and hadn’t done for them while they were still alive, had also aided raven and the epidemic of teens and children committing suicide pacts since they understood their parents positions and the parents were able to understand the position of the children. In conclusion, “As Long as The Rivers Flow,” proves solid points that allowing their people to follow and solve things in their own cultural manner is more stable and works better for them. In comparison to their followed behavior once through the governments judicial punishments, being placed in solitude, the Indigenous people cope with these “mistakes,” better though community and dispute. The government should take this in mind when punishing indigenous people for their crimes to prevent further crime from the individual in the future since the indigenous people react better to their own ways as a result to the governments ways.
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As Long As The Rivers Flow by James Bartleman covers most of the 94 calls to action, such as the 6 main topics: education, language and culture, child welfare, health, justice, and reconciliation. The topic that caught my attention the most was child welfare like many others which is number 1 to 5 in the 94 calls to action. All of these topics are thoroughly covered in the novel, but in my opinion child welfare was brought to light more than the other topics since Spider had lived on the streets for years with nothing while scavenging for food and a place to sleep which is something no child should have to live through. Number 1 to 5 consist of monitoring and assessing neglect investigations, providing adequate resources to keep families together in culturally appropriate enviroments, ensuring social workers and people who conduct child welfare organizations are properly educated and trained about the history/impacts of residential school and about the potential of aboriginal communities and families to provide more appropriate solutions to family healing, and lastly requiring that all child welfare decision makers consider the impact of residential schools experience on children and their care givers. The call to action that appealed to me the most was call number 2 which is providing the resources to keep families together which is crutial as we saw how important it is keeping family together in As Long As The Rivers Flow by James Bartleman. Clink this link if you wish to learn more about child welfare which is call to action #1-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiJFEiJemhk
ReplyDeleteWorks cited:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/truth-and-reconciliation-94-calls-to-action-1.3362258
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524494379788/1557513026413
Bartleman, James, As Long As The Rivers Flow, 2019, print