What was lost?
The schools destroyed a large part of the Cree and Ojibwe cultures by preventing children from learning their own languages and cultures and forcing them to live as white men do.
There were tragic and personal pains that were taken away when students left Residential Schools.
Leaving residential school children found it difficult to fit into mainstream Canadian society and difficult to adjust when they returned to their communities.
Some people said they did not have any parenting skills and when they raised a family of their own. They didn't know how to cope with certain situations and turned to drugs and alcohol.
These problems further led to strained relations within their families.
The abuse suffered in Residential schools was carried back to First Nation communities.
As a result, many former students have inflicted abuse upon their own children, physical and sexual.
The loss of language and culture, parenting skills, development and preparation for life resulted in problems such as suicides, alcohol and drug abuse, dependency, low self esteem and general loss of self-determination.
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