Reflection: The shadows of the Native People

Native People have the darkest period in Canadian history. It was about the relation of Residential School and Native People. The poem “The Stranger”  by Gord Downie help reveal the dark periods of Canadian history. It was written a Native boy’s experience from Residential school.  He ran away from the Residential School, but sadly he died on the side of the train tracks.  When he walked on that path, he thought his parents and experience at Residential School. This part reveals many Native children were forced to go to the Residential School. Therefore, they had to separate with their family, and they cannot have any connection to their family. In this poem, “stranger” was repeated many times. It shows nobody can understand him also tells readers Natives children were suffering unimaginable pain at that period. The physical abuse, sexual abuse and many disorders happened to them every day. The poet uses a Native child point of view to tell people how dark that history was, what pain did they suffering.