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The social situation Native people find themselves in on reserves is often blamed on a lack of education. The thought behind this suggestion is that "education" itself is neutral and automatically leads to a rise of the standard of living. I discuss that the situation we Native people are in is partly due to that very "education," which, as a continuation of residential schools, is still breaking down our cultures and societies. Education for Native people can be successful only when it has grown within the culture of the people.
The statement about Native people that "these people need education" is usually made when our situation in Canadian society is presented; and it is used as a suggestion as to how our problems should be solved. I heard this statement from the non-Native health director in my community of Attawapiskat when I was there to do research for my master's thesis. I also worked in the Safe House, which is the home to which solvent abusers were brought as an alternative to a jail cell. The form of solvent abuse in Attawapiskat is sniffing gasoline, and it has infested a large portion of our youths. With his statement, the health director set the stage of how to solve the problem, namely, by education of the youths. When you look at our community with almost 70% unemployment, this sounds logical. In western society a higher education is usually presented as the key to a better life. Life on the reserve, with the many social problems, is not seen as a good life, at least not by non-Native people and by those Native people who have left their traditions behind. The question is, however, whether the education the health director is talking about would actually help solve the problems in our community. We have had an elementary school since the early 1970s and a high school since 1991 in our community, yet the social situation has worsened, not improved. This fact attests to the failure of the education offered in our community, at least in terms of bettering the lives of the people. I also wish to recall the first attempt to "civilize the savage," the residential schools, which not only failed, but also left us...