Discrimination of Indigenous People in Tommy Orange's Novel

Globally, Canada is known as a respectful, kind and diverse country who accepts individuals of any race, sex, gender etc. However, the treatment of Canada's Indigenous population appears to display otherwise. Throughout Canada’s history, obvious measures of discrimination towards Indigenous peoples have been displayed, which has prompted significant negative psychological and sociological consequences. Many books and movies have been created based on the injustice that impacts Indigenous individuals. Tommy Orange essay, There There and Rhymes for Young Ghouls, directed by Jeff Barnaby are both pieces of literature that display the discrimination towards Indigenous people.

In terms of the Indigenous population in Canada: in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, there are three distinct groups of North American Indigenous people. These groups include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Aboriginal individuals are assigned gathering alongside women, noticeable minorities, and people with disabilities under the Employment Equity Act. 4.9 percent of the country's total population is Aboriginal individuals. In 2016, 7.7 percent of Canada's population is Indigenous children from ages zero to four, and 51.2 percent of those kids are living in foster care. A tenfold increase in population occurred in the 20th century. 29 percent of the population developed between 1900 and 1950.

There There by Tommy Orange is a fast-paced multigenerational story about viciousness and recovery woven into the historical backdrop of a nation and its people. The novel recounts the tale of twelve individuals,with each one having private explanations behind venturing out to the Big Oakland Powwow. A pow wow is a social gathering held by many different Native American communities. The characters are working through the misfortunes and injuries they've endured both in their lifetimes and through the legacy of an overwhelmingly agonizing social inheritance of brutality and prejudice. Among the participants of the gathering are the lost and flimsy Tony Loneman, a youngster who has a face set apart by fetal alcohol syndrome prompts his involvement in a plan to ransack the powwow; Octavio Gomez, a drug dealer and the genius behind the plan; and Dene Oxendene, who's wanting to respect his as of late deceased uncle's heritage by gathering the narratives of other Native Americans living in Oakland for a documentary film. Additionally, present are Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield, her stepsister Jacquie Red Feather, and Jacquie's culturally adrift grandkids Orvil, Lony, and Loother, whom all battle to comprehend each other, and cultural tradition they are a part of. Intertwined with these central stories are the stories of various others who are interconnected in impossible and astounding ways, however, they are regularly unaware of the profound ties, both cultural and familial, which tie them to each other.

In Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Jeff Barnaby utilizes Duncan Campbell Scott's Indian Act amendments of 1921 as the framework for this psychological revenge thriller set on the Red Crow Reservation in 1976 and fixating on the stewing struggle between a teenage drug dealer and an unethical Indian agent who endeavors to direct her destiny. As per the Indian Act, every indigenous child, fifteen years of age or younger must be enrolled in an Indian Residential School System. At fifteen, Aila as of now procures enough cash selling drugs to pay the 'truancy tax' which prevents the cruel school official Popper from her back. Aila's most trusted accomplice is her uncle Burner, however, after discovering that her dad Joseph will be discharged from jail, Aila realizes that her days as a young boss may be coming to an end. Meanwhile, her drug money is stolen and the stage is set for an encounter that can just end in disaster. Aila plots revenge against the Indian agent who imprisoned her in a residential school where rape and abuse are common.

Overall, Indigenous peoples face discrimination just because they identify as members of Indigenous groups. Discrimination impacts their everyday life, it restricts their rights to education, health care, and housing. Discrimination towards Indigenous individuals is spoken about by many authors. There There, by Tommy Orange, portrays the misfortunes and injuries several Indigenous people endure in their lifetime. Also, the film, Rhymes for Young Ghouls, directed by Jeff Barnaby, shows a revenge plot against a sadistic Indian agent who is responsible for trapping kids in a residential school where abuse is common. In both pieces of literature, the characters are trying to seek revenge for the treatment they have received, which is why the unifying symbol would be abuse. Whether it is physical or mental abuse, it is a common symbol in these pieces of literature and several Indigenous people in the real world.