Poem on Residential School

duckletshut on May 16, 2011

This poem is about the abuse First nations children in Canada suffered in the hands of nuns and priests in residential schools for over 50 years.

they cut our hair

told us not to speak our language

or else we were beaten

told us we were dirty indians

we dressed the same

looked the same

and expected to act the same

put snakes in our bath water

taught us to hate ourselves

taken away from our families and our values

our way of thinking

how many died and buried

in secret

how many

their innocence ripped from them

this is being felt

through the generations

and it wreaks havoc in peoples lives today

across the generations

alcohol, drugs

suicide

death by cultural genocide

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Comments (5)

sandynpj on May 16, 2011
well said
Cyni1106 on May 17, 2011
That was sad, is it still going on today, anyway, the expression was well written.
Martin Kloess on May 17, 2011
very good
Martin Kloess on May 17, 2011
very good.
duckletshut on May 17, 2011
no cyni theres no more residential schools — but there were still some in the 1980s..

the govt of canada has since apologized for residential schools.. it has been a turning point and now the truth and reconciliation commission is in place to hear peoples stories, and as Grand Chief Phil Fontaine said, who himself went to the residential school, the survivors have had compensation for what occurred. It’s definitely a dark chapter in Canadian history.

Hi there!