Indigenous Communities vs. Settlers

Just days before entering June - which is National Indigenous History Month - remains of 215 indigenous children were found in a mass grave at the Kamloops Residential School on the Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation. This horrific discovery has brought to light the lesser known struggles of the indigenous peoples of Canada via various laws under the Indian Act and in particular via the forced assimilation of indigenous children into the new Christian Euro-Canadian society created via European colonial settlers via residential schools. These schools are arguably the darkest hour in Canada’s history and have echoed into the present, still impacting the communities that have suffered. In this episode we briefly run through the history of discrimination and oppression that indigenous communities in Canada face while reflecting on our role and experiences as immigrants here.