This can be a difficult and traumatic reminder of those affected by systemic racism and harmful government policies. If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to:
- 1-866-925-4419: A 24-hour support line that provides crisis referral services to survivors and their families and explains how to access further health support from the Government of Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html)
- 1-855-242-3310: The Hope for Wellness Helpline, also open 24 hours a day. Provides immediate, culturally safe, crisis intervention support for First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
- They also have an online chat at hopeforwellness.ca
- The service is available in English, French and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut
September 30th, truth and reconciliation day, is a nationally recognized day to remember and acknowledge the lasting impacts of residential schools on Indigenous communities. The effects of these institutions did not cease when residential schools closed, including permanent and tragic loss of children and cultural identity.
What Were Residential Schools?
In 1831, the first residential school opened in Ontario, Canada. By the 1880s, they were authorized in Western Canada by Sir John A. MacDonald, who claimed their purpose was to “civilize” Indigenous peoples. Students were forced to conform to Christian ideologies, could not speak their own language or practice their culture. They were frequently abused, including emotionally, psychologically, physically and sexually.
Furthermore, the subject matter they were taught mainly focused on prayer and agricultural/homemaking skills. This left the students without a formal education. Read more about this here: https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system
The last federally-funded residential school in Canada was not abolished until 1997, a mere 29 years ago.
What Are the Impacts?
Those that attended residential schools had lasting trauma from the abuse they underwent. Traumatic experiences increase risk of many mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Furthermore, culture is a large part of an individual’s identity. With their cultural practices stripped away, many Indigenous people felt unsure of themselves or how to move forward.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop here. Much of Indigenous history and practices is passed down through stories and the spoken word. So, without written accounts, residential school survivors were unable to pass on cultural knowledge to their children, who couldn’t pass it to the next generation, and so on.
Additionally, without formal education, many survivors struggled to find work. The resulting financial struggles are also often passed down to further generations, as it is quite difficult to just “work” one’s way out of.
How Does This Affect Mental Health?
Traumatic experiences, loss of cultural identity, and poverty are all risk factors for worsened mental health. According to Stats Canada, about half of First Nations individuals report experiencing poor mental health, compared to about 40% of non-indigenous adults. Indigenous people are also nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety or mood disorder.
Aside from generational trauma and ongoing colonial policies, Indigenous people experience barriers to mental health treatment, including:
- Geographic
- Financial
- Culturally insensitive counsellors
- Western-style treatment
This is why it is so important to not only research Indigenous history, but strive to provide culturally-competent care and remove barriers.
At Allegro, our counsellors are trauma-informed and culturally inclusive. We offer a sliding scale on a case-by-case basis, and are always striving to improve.
Book a free 20-minute consultation here to speak to one of our trauma-informed, culturally-competent counsellors.
