They Didn't Mean to Kill Them
Content Warnings: This episode discusses residential schools, systemic neglect, child death, colonial violence, and genocide. Listener discretion is advised.
They Didn't Mean to Kill Them...
"They died of tuberculosis." "No one meant to hurt them." "The chiefs asked for education."
These are the phrases settlers use when confronted with the truth about residential schools. Some are rooted in confusion. Others are part of a deeper refusal to see what this system was meant to do.
In this episode of Reconsidering Canada , we dig into the emotional and political purpose of settler denial—how it explains away genocide using language that sounds reasonable. We revisit Dr. Peter Bryce’s 1907 warning about preventable deaths, unpack the UN definition of genocide, and examine how colonial violence often wears a bureaucratic mask. We also look at common deflections, including Aaron Gunn’s argument that the schools were "meant to help" and that “mistakes were made.”
We end with a reflection on what denial protects, and what it would mean to stop defending Canada—and start listening.
Resources for Further Learning:
- Memory Politics and Canada's Colonial System - Ry Moran
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