Doing a research paper is a really great way to educate yourself. It seems like a truism, but most of the time, we have a vague idea about the stuff that we’re researching on.
I thought so too when I started my English paper on Native residential schools in Canada. I’d heard of them before, I knew that bad stuff happened at them. A lot of people came out of them with long lasting problems. Fairly straight forward.
I did not know that the United Church (which I was raised in) was an instrumental part of the mental, physical and sexual abuse against thousands of Native children. I did not know that thousands of Natives were made involuntarily made sterile and that this practice is still on going. I did not know that about 50 000 Native children were murdered, most of whom’s parents were either not informed or lied to about the circumstances under which they died. I did not know people have died mysteriously either before or during their testimony against the government and the churches involved. There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t know about this subject.
And the more I talk to friends, the more I find out that they also don’t know about it. Everyone I tell about my research is shocked. Sure, we’ve all seen a few articles about lawsuits for abuse against Natives, but the sheer brutality of it is mind boggling.
Ugh. I really want to write more about this, but I don’t know if I can bring myself to. Back of research. I seriously want to cry.