Racism Against the Indigenous Peoples of Canada

Although many steps forward have been taken against racism against the indigenous peoples of Canada, it still is prevalent. Many Canadians still maintain their view that the native people are 'lazy' or 'drunks' or many other common stereotypes. However, this blatant racism is incredibly unfair to the indigenous people. For example, in April raintree Cheryl notes that because she is a native, she will undoubtably become like all the other homeless people she sees on main street all the time. This is very likely what discouraged her from accomplishing her goals and moving towards a higher education.

During the time period of the book, residential schools are still a widespread phenomenon in Canada. Where children were stripped of their native roots and were brainwashed with Christian beliefs as well as being mentally and physically abused. For example, during world war two the mortality rate for Canadians was one in twenty-six. While the mortality rate for children in residential schools was one in twenty-five.

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Yet the residential school program only ended as recently as 1996. These schools were funded by the Canadian government and run by the church, solely based on blatantly racist beliefs regarding the indigenous people.

To this day those racist beliefs still exist and form a stigma regarding the indigenous peoples. For example, in the book Cheryl claims that April is ashamed of her native identity and is disguising as a white woman in order to get the luxuries she desires. While this stigma is demonstrated to an extreme in the book, it still exists today.

Many people still use the stereotype that the indigenous people are Alcoholics or Homeless, or some people will say that they are lazy and looking for free handouts from the government. All these stereotypes are discouraging for native people and contributing heavily to the stigma surrounding them.

Throughout Canadian history natives have been discriminated against and have been a subject of major racism. However, this has been changing recently, while racism remains an issue, more people have become accepting of these people and their heritage. For example, during the morning announcements in some Winnipeg schools the speaker will say that the land that the school is built on is traditionally a treaty one land. More than ever people are conscious of their actions and respectful of the indigenous peoples heritage.