Bleaching Indigenous Culture Through Residential Schools
If one wishes to examine the cultural genocide that took place in residential schools, they only need to look at the two images of Thomas Moore. This cultural assimilation or “bleaching” is perhaps never more apparent than when comparing these pictures side-by-side. As will be discussed below, these contrasting images of an Indigenous boy named Thomas Moore will be reviewed and analysed in attempts to determine just how much this boy was forcibly moulded and bleached into a stereotypical European boy.
Both of these pictures first appeared in the Department of Indian Affairs Annual Report in 1896. As difficult as it is to tell, both photographs are of Thomas, pre and post residential school assimilation. One is of him in traditional clothing and another picture of him in colonial European clothing. It appears as though these two images were used as a form of propaganda demonstrating the assimilation of Indigenous children. The meaning of both images has drastically changed. The second image was viewed as successful result of adopting European culture. In today’s society, this is considered cultural genocide. The two images display the unwantedness of Indigenous culture and the take over of European culture through residential schools.
The first image on the left is a picture of Thomas aged around five or six. He is wearing a traditional Indigenous outfit. He has long braided hair with fur wrapped around it. His neck is covered with beads. His outfit consists of different hides, leathers, and furs. Moore appears to have a toy gun in his right hand. Beside him there is a either an animal or a large fur. The position he is standing in is front facing looking relaxed.The image shown, gives you a strong sense of culture and tradition.
The second image on the right shows Thomas a few years older. This photograph portrays cultural assimilation perfectly. He is no longer wearing his traditional Indigenous outfit. His hair has been cut, something that they did to Indigenous children as soon as they went to residential schools. He is wearing a black button up shirt and nice pants. He is wearing nice shoes and there seems to be a hat on the ledge. The setting looks to be a nice porch and some shrubbery up on one of the pillars. The boy is leaning on the fence in an upright fashion with his hand on his hip and leg crossed over. Moore looks like he is of European descent the way he is dressed and the setting that he is in.
Both of the images side by side are disturbing. Regarding their culture, It demonstrates what was taken from Indigenous children. Upon first review, it is difficult to say that these two pictures are of the same child. Thomas has been essentially stripped from his indigenous roots and forcefully put through the typical European mould. The clothes and jewelry he is wearing from his time before the residential school likely had a deep, cultural significance. Contrastingly, the picture from him post residential school depicts a carbon copy clone of a typical euro-descent boy from the time. His individuality and background has been both figuratively and literally taken from him. Although it is more than likely due to lighting and exposure times, his skin colour appears as if it is bleached in the post-residential school. It is as if this traumatic experience has altered this boy so much, his skin is starting to reflect it.
In conclusion, both images demonstrate the drastic differences and horrific history of the Indigenous child. The photograph which was once deemed a positive outcome is looked at as cultural genocide. This primary source photograph exposes the cultural assimilation that Indigenous people went through during the time that residential schools were operating. There are several components that can be taken away from this photo and the powerful message that it is sending. This photograph represents the colonisation of Europeans and the impact they had on Indigenous children. This image symbolizes what was once a culturally rich Indigenous child converted into a colonial white European. The photograph shows a young child before and after attending Regina Industrial School. This photo exhibits the horrendous past associated of Indigenous peoples in our society.