Tag Archives: assimilation

Entry #9: The Sixties Scoop

Alston-O’Connor, E. (2011). The Sixties Scoop: Implications for Social Workers and Social Work Education. Critical Social Work, 11(1), 53-61. Retrieved from http://www1.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/the-sixties-scoop-implications-for-social-workers-and-social-work-education

This paper is a well-sourced exploration of the present consequences of the Sixties Scoop, which has been at the forefront in the media this week due to the recent court case. This article provides contextual background as well as considerations for dealing with the imposed consequences and realities of families and institutions affected by this policy. In order for positive developments to be made in positive growth and healing, there needs to be an understanding of the role different people can play in the process. Understanding the roots of challenges is essential to understanding how to address the challenges. Social work and education are closely connected, and in this case, the social work perspective on the historic and present events is important as a component of a larger picture regarding the Sixties Scoop.

Ainu Association of Hokkaido

Ainu Association of Hokkaido

The Ainu are the indigenous people of Northern Japan on the island of Hokkaido and parts of Russia.  Throughout their history they have struggled with assimilation into Japanese culture and discrimination.  They were not officially recognized as an indigenous people until 1997.  It would be interesting to compare their experience with assimilation to that of indigenous people of North America.

http://www.ainu-assn.or.jp/english/eabout01.html

Module 1 post 4

 

Module 2.4 “We Are Still Here”

This is a short documentary about three young Native Americans who tell their story living in Minnesota.  They each speak about what it was like growing up in Minnesota that was different from their cultural way of life.  One young man gave an example about the way they use to get their meat from the grocery store and that he had no idea he could buy beef.  He thought everybody hunted and fished or went into the woods to get their meat.   Another girl felt she was more assimilated and didn’t practice her traditions/culture, while another mentioned that going to sweats and being ceremonial was not a part of her lifestyle.  It wasn’t until much older when each of them began experiencing their culture more.  Everyone was affected by colonization differently, and reminiscing about the “boarding school era” where the children grew up not knowing anything about their culture reinforced that the dominant culture is what you see inside of everybody. The historical trauma is still affecting people today and now it’s about trying to figure out how to move on, but more importantly, letting everyone else know that they are still here and have a strong culture to preserve and share.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnPKzZzSClM