another thing people seem to have their head stuck up their ass about regarding residential schools is the idea that it is somehow unique to indigenous people.

as though the catholic church only abused indigenous children, right?

i'm actually of the opinion that this may have worked out rather splendidly, if we had used secular institutions, instead - that this really isn't about colonialism, per se, as much as it's about the fucking church.

indigenous groups shouldn't see themselves in opposition to french canadians or the irish, or the italians, on some kind of a racial axis. the church did exactly the same thing to all these other kids, too. rather, they should be standing in solidarity with each other, on the side of modernity, and in opposition to religion.

we will have progress when the question is redefined in this way, away from an indigenous grievance against colonialism and towards a general social grievance against religion.

but, again: when you talk to these people, you realize that will never happen, because they're deeply socially and culturally conservative people, to the core of their identity. they don't want to free themselves from the oppression of organized religion, they want to re-establish their own traditional systems of oppression.

i stand with those oppressed by religion - and that means i stand with those oppressed by traditional and indigenous religions, as well.