The term cultural genocide alone is quite big and sparks a lot of emotions. The fact that a section of people considered their culture to be superior to that of the other is wrong and shows a lack of respect. The Canadian Aboriginals have undergone many extreme experiences at the expense of their culture and their practices, some of which continue to affect them to date. That would explain why they always appear marginalized despite Canada being considered one of the most civilized countries in the world. The positive and negative outcomes of the residential school system were severe and despite the efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the effects of the residential school system will be felt for seven generations.
One of the important things to consider is the role that history plays in society. The residential school system subjected the aboriginals to many negative experiences, which they share amongst themselves as part of their history. That means that there will always be a negative attitude towards the government and the church towards subjecting them to cultural genocide. For instance, the aboriginals are still marginalized, despite the existence of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. That means that despite the efforts to make things different, they will continue to harbor ill feelings especially since they still do not fit in the modern Canadian society. According to the report by the Indigenous Foundation, the aboriginals despite having access to public education, have continued to face discrimination from the non-aboriginal students (Hanson, 2009). That means that the feelings of segregation and violation of culture will continue to exist due to the continued discrimination. That also shows that the improvements have been based on institutions rather than the society. Being accepted in public schools is one thing but being discriminated against in the same by the other students is likely to remind the aboriginals that they do not belong.
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Given the fact that the residential school system is part of Canadian history, it will continue to be learned about and the sad part is that it mostly matters to the aboriginals. This is seen based on how surprised the non-aboriginals are when interacting with the areas in which the aboriginals live (“First Contact,” n.d.). The fact that such atrocities can happen against the members of one community and the other communities fail to get in touch with the experience is likely to make the Truth and Reconciliation efforts futile. Part of the healing process usually involves both sides acknowledging and showing some remorse for an act of aggression. In this case, the history mainly remains with the Aboriginals, unlike the new generation Canadians who rarely have an idea of what the residential school systems did to the Aboriginals.
In addition, the biggest challenge to the Truth and Reconciliation effort is that the residential school system was conducted in a manner that targeted the Aboriginals. This created a perception that the Aboriginals needed to be changed since their culture was considered primitive. Such perceptions can still cause some insecurities among the Aboriginals, thereby failing to trust the intentions of the other communities even in future generations. They most likely have their systems through which they narrate their history, thereby making the younger Aboriginals grow up while being skeptical of the Euro Canadians. For instance, Hanson mentions that the Aboriginals suffered both physical and sexual abuse in the system, thereby making such stories create a perception of mistrust among the Aboriginals and other communities in the country (2009). That means that it will take longer for the Aboriginals to gain trust in the intentions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Therefore, the intentions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are good but then due to the atrocities that were committed, it is unlikely that the changes will be immediately felt. Also, since the Aboriginals are extremely cultural people, they are likely to hold on to their histories and heritage, which will continue to expose them to social segregation. That will make the reconciliation efforts take longer than expected. That shows why it is likely to last for seven generations. This should also consider the fact that the newly formed segregation that the younger Aboriginals face is also likely to make the situation worse. Eventually, the efforts of the Truth and Reconciliation efforts will be felt but it will take longer due to the complexity of the issue.
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