Canada aborigines were abused at school

A large group of indigenous people in Canada say they would suffer from mental, physical and sexual abuse when they were a child at residential schools set up by the Canadian government, Press TV reports.

Hundreds of indigenous Canadians attended a gathering that was organized by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in the city of Montreal on Thursday to recount their ordeals at the schools.

An estimated 150,000 aboriginal children have been uprooted from their families and culture and sent away to government-funded boarding schools where many of them were subjected to emotional, physical and sexual mistreatment.

There were reportedly over 130 residential schools across Canada. The first schools opened in the 1870’s and the last one was closed in 1996.

A female victim of abuse who was present at the gathering told Press TV that she had witnessed ‘emotional and sexual abuse’ in her school’s dormitory.

Another victim said, “Our traditional, spiritual way of life was pulled away from us, taken out of us, kicked out of us, punched out of us.”

The First Nations children in schools were not allowed to speak their native language. They also had to deal with difficult conditions including overcrowding, unhealthy food and poor sanitation.

“This thing went on for years and years and people knew about it and nothing was done,” said another aborigine present at the event.

Canada’s First Nations say the government must help the victims of abuse in the residential schools by providing counseling and other programs. They also want their stories to be documented in Canada’s history.

The government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has recently been under fire for its violations of the rights of aborigines in Canada.

The indigenous communities say they are frustrated with the government’s failure to address the social and economic grievances facing many of Canada’s aborigines.