The Legacy of Colonialism on Indigenous Parenting: An Expansion of the Canada Child Benefit for the First Peoples of Canada
This policy study will focus on the social welfare issue of parenting and childcare for indigenous peoples through the legacy of colonialism in Canada. The legacy of colonialism defines the division of the indigenous family, which has occurred through governmental policies formed throughout the history of Canada. The problem of poverty and economic alienation has made it very difficult for single mothers to raise their children due to policies of family separation, education, and childcare. Historically, indigenous children were removed from their families, which resulted in psychological trauma, sexual abuse, …show more content…
In this context, the children were often sexually abused, physically harmed, and forced to submit to a strict pattern of oppression from educators. This aspect of European colonialism defines the harsh treatment of children, which were the result of policies that alienated and divided indigenous families in terms of parenting policy: “These parents’ histories of abuse, especially the abuses experienced in residential schools, may have negatively affected their capacity to parent” (Cheah and Sheperd 66). These colonial patterns identify the special needs of the child and parenting policies that address the issue of colonial marginalization of the indigenous family through the Canadian government throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Certainly, the foundation of Canadian colonial values define the necessity of addressing the issue of parenting and child care that are part of the legacy of residential schools and the division of the indigenous family as a social welfare issue. The effect of Canadian colonization on the indigenous family must be ackow3ldged as part of a continued program of welfare policies that address these grievances between tribal communities and the Canadian federal …show more content…
In terms of financial funding for single mothers and poor families, the focus on aboriginal services can provide a wider range of family services to help create a greater balance. This can help to alleviate the colonial legacy of a dominant European system of family services by utilizing more tribal services through the Canadian government: “Aboriginal controlled agencies and many have to varying degrees been able to provide more culturally appropriate services for children, families, and communities” (Libesman117). In this context, the collaboration between the Canadian government and tribal agencies can increase the cooperation of a balanced system of family care, which does not impose European parenting values over the tribal traditions. In this case, the Canada Child Care program should integrate more tribal agencies into a more cohesive community-based funding system for single mothers and their families. This form of cooperation acknowledges the effects of the two-parent colonial system, but it also recognizes the community-based funding that could be better used to improve the lives of indigenous children in the