Hello everybody! Just want to clarify a few things for my blog post today.

First of all I would like to respond to why we need to recognize the histories of the aboriginal peoples. In my opinion I believe that this is essential since it allows one to empathize with these groups of people and understand the suffering that they have gone through. By accomplishing this task they are able to then make the world a better place for these aboriginals by giving them the respect and equality in which they deserve. It also prevents such atrocities towards these people from occurring ever again. Remember the phrase “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it” (there are many different versions of this phrase from multiple individuals but my example was from an author known as Edward Burke) as this is actually true in most cases. By looking back into the past we as individuals are able to discover the mistakes we or other people have made and by recognizing these faults and the consequences they bring upon society and the world itself, we as individuals can make sure such acts do not happen yet again.

The video we as a class saw in Thursday’s seminar did much to captivate me. One noticeable detail that highly interested me was the way the host explained to the audience about the way the aboriginals were treated when they were invited to sit with the royal people of higher society. Basically what occurred was that the aboriginals were forced to sit at a much smaller table unlike the others who were relaxed in their comfy dining chairs at a much bigger and luxurious looking table. Just the way the host moved around the scenery, approaching different objects such as the small table when he began to educate us that the aboriginals were required to sit here. The content of the video itself was educational yet rather witty and at times, comedic. This was an impressive move both by the host himself and the filmmaker as it catches the audience’s attention and keeps them entertained.

The advertisement on Indian Residential schools was a prime example of cultural genocide. These children whom were torn away from their families were also subjected to having their Indian identity and culture stripped away from them. The advertisement depicts them as very joyful and with big smiles upon their youthful faces along with upbeat music audible in the background, but we must realize that these children are being force fed into become like what most Canadians are. They go to churches, are converted to Christianity and learn the English vocabulary instead of the Indian one. Their entire culture is left behind as they are commanded to take on an entirely new lifestyle. It is almost distasteful as to what was happening to them at that time and the blissful soundtrack made it even more insulting almost as if the advertisement was meant to present to viewers that this was a moral thing to do. I at hope these children were not severely abused within these schools.

So that’s my blog for the day. Feel free to comment and tell me if I’ve missed an important detail out or if I misinterpreted one of the three points I’ve made.