The impact of the residential school system has left many Indigenous parents cautious about interacting with schools and teachers, according to a recent study from MacEwan University.
Emily Milne, an assistant professor of sociology at MacEwan and the lead researcher on the study, found that “lower-class” Indigenous parents had “magnified feelings of discomfort with teachers” as a result of the residential school system, according to a news release.
“Even if the teacher is the same age as me, I’m still nervous around them,” one of the participants said in the study.
Milne interviewed 50 teachers and parents in southern Ontario, most of whom identified as Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Metis.
“Developing strong bonds and strong relationships with schools can be challenging for many families and parents,” Milne said in an interview. “But in particular, the history of discrimination in Canada and the legacy of residential schooling seem[s] to add a level of complexity to that relationship.”
Milne said her study is the first of many steps in bringing awareness and understanding to a complex issue.
The study also found there were some non-Indigenous educators who did not know about the history of residential schools and the racial discrimination associated with them.
“There were educators that did not understand the dynamics and did not know to look for the apprehension,” Milne said.
But, she said Indigenous educators “spoke about family-school relationships and how this history was very prevalent, and it did shape how parents interacted and engaged with schools.”
Kristine McCorkell, a fourth-year Carleton English student who is Indigenous, said she knows many people who are fearful about interacting with schools and teachers.
“Basically everyone I know has someone in their family like that, even my own,” McCorkell said.
McCorkell said many Indigenous people have mixed emotions of anger and resentment towards schools.
“[Residential schools] took children away from family homes and communities altogether, so [there is a] fear that we won’t return home,” she said. “I think this study needed to come out . . . it is not just parents . . . we all experience the effects of residential schools to this day.”
Janice Ciavaglia, senior policy analyst at the Assembly of First Nations, said all Canadians face anxiety about sending their children to school, but this fear is amplified for First Nations.
“[Many] have anxiety and a loss of identity with the return to school. When your home life is so drastically different from your school life, a disconnect leads to self-doubt and worth,” Ciavaglia said.
Building relationships between First Nation communities and schools requires teachers to take an active approach to understanding First Nation issues, Ciavaglia said.
“Teachers who open their doors to elders, parents and community members . . . teachers who know, have visited, and understand the [multi-faceted] issues that their students face . . . that can affect a [student’s] day to day learning“ Ciavaglia said.
