Residential Schools and Indigenous Health

These flashcards are designed to help students review the impacts of residential schools and intergenerational trauma on Indigenous health and communities.

What was the age range of Aboriginal children who attended residential schools from the 1870s to 1990s?

4 to 16 years old.

How many Aboriginal children passed through residential schools in Canada during that period?

150,000 children.

What types of Indigenous groups were affected by residential schools in Canada?

First Nation, Métis, and Inuit.

How many residential schools were operational across Canada?

500 residential schools.

What are some negative impacts experienced by individuals who attended residential schools?

Alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, suicide, low self-esteem, and family violence.

What percentage of First Nations adults living on-reserve reported negative health impacts due to residential schools?

One-half (50%).

What types of abuse were commonly reported by attendees of residential schools?

Sexual, physical, and verbal or emotional abuse.

What is the estimated number of First Nations survivors of residential schools aged 40 and older?

80,000 survivors.

What was one significant loss experienced by children taken to residential schools?

Loss of family and community connections.

What term describes the transmission of trauma and behavioral patterns from one generation to another?

Intergenerational trauma.

What did the Indian Act contribute to among Aboriginal children?

Personal psychological trauma and severed family ties.

How did residential schools affect the cultural identity of Aboriginal children?

They were forced to adopt values of another culture, losing their own cultural identity.

What has been noted about the cycle of abuse in residential school survivors?

Abuse was often passed down to their children.

What two significant impacts did the foster care system have on Aboriginal children?

Psychological abuse and intensified isolation from Aboriginal identity.

What historical period did the coolamon represent in relation to loss?

The time of the Stolen Generations in Australia.

What is one result of children being removed from their families according to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples?

Removal from a unique and familiar culture.

What did many former residential school students demonstrate as adults?

Symptoms of anxiety disorders, high rates of substance abuse, and depression.

How did residential schools disrupt Aboriginal peoples' well-being?

By severing connections to family and community for children.

What does the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (2001) suggest regarding trauma?

Many victims of trauma pass their abuse down to the next generation.

What is one method of trauma expression identified in intergenerational trauma?

Behavioral patterns learned from parents.

During what years was the forced removal of Aboriginal children in Australia official policy?

1909 to 1969.

How many Indigenous children were taken during the Stolen Generations?

An estimated 100,000 children.

What was the age of most children taken during the Stolen Generations?

Most were under 5 years of age.

What illustrates the pain of loss suffered by the Stolen Generations in Australia?

Empty coolamons as symbolic vessels.

What does Tier 4 in the cycle of traumatic events refer to?

Cultural bereavement.

What does Tier 1 in the cycle of traumatic events refer to?

Colonialism.

What is one consequence of removing Aboriginal children from their birth families?

Disruption of the connection between spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental well-being.

What percentage of residential school attendees reported physical abuse?

79.2%.

What does the term 'Cultural vacuum' imply in the context of Aboriginal children taken from their homes?

A lack of cultural connection and belonging.

In the context of intergenerational trauma, what does ‘deprived of love and affection’ mean?

Children learn to view emotional neglect as normal.

What significant issue does the phrase 'empty coolamon' address?

The legacy of loss from the Stolen Generations and the absence of their historical culture.