Essay on Canada's Genocide

In his article, "Canada's Genocide: Thousands Taken from Their Homes Need Help," published in 1999 in Maclean's Magazine, Michael Downey discusses how indigenous families have endured anguish and cultural genocide. The Canadian government forcibly took native children away from their homes and placed them with Caucasian families to erase the children's culture. The first paragraph provokes intense emotions in the audience.

Downey’s article uses first-person accounts of abused aboriginal families, evoking sadness targeted toward the average Canadian. The author informs the audience about Carla Williams, a child torn away from her biological family and raped by her adoptive father, which sets a tone of dismay and hopelessness for the audience. The second paragraph informs the reader that Carla has found some respite in life by gaining "considerable success", allowing the reader some catharsis.

Using these firsthand accounts and the United Nations' definition of genocide and furthering the serious tone of the article, Downey shows that the treatment of aboriginals by the Canadian government was cruel. The author draws parallels between first-person accounts and the United Nations' definition of cultural genocide, further showing the treatment of natives by the Canadian government.