Element 3 – Púsmen

Indigenous Peoples in Canada have been deeply affected by the ongoing impact of colonialism. From early settlers and disease to modern day racism and inter-generational trauma. While the residential school system played a large role in terms of intergenerational trauma in Indigenous Peoples today, it was not the only traumatic experience nor the first. The change to the land and the encroachment on unceded territory, previously discussed in the tmícw section, had a large impact on Indigenous Peoples way of life long before residential schools or industrial schools were introduced. As Ed Jensen reminded us, settlement monies could never replace the greater loss “…[T]he money was a poor substitute for a good life. And the reality was that most of his friends would drink it all away. And it was true. So he was determined to try to make a bit of a difference and he took a big portion of his payout and he dedicated it to that monument at the Residential School”.