Settlement Services and the Legacy of Colonialism in Canada

The concept of settlement in social service work and human services encompasses a broad range of initiatives and activities aimed at providing support and assistance to specific vulnerable people in communities and societies. Most of these people are victims of oppressive societal practices that resulted in their fundamental human rights being violated and their ability to meet their basic needs diminished significantly. One of those oppressive practices is colonialism. In one of the research papers on Canada, CRIAW-ICREF (2016) indicates that colonialism in Canada had an adverse legacy, especially against the indigenous people. I was so shocked when I watched Canada’s cultural genocide of Indigenous Peoples, one of the recommended videos for this topic.

The Indigenous people were forcefully disconnected from land, culture, and community by their colonial masters. CRIAW-ICREF (2016) argues that understanding the historical contexts relating to decolonization would be useful in reconciling and rebuilding relationships within a community or a society that has a history of colonialism. This argument is supported by Shields, Drolet, and Valenzuela (2016) who argue that settlement services offer vital support and assistance to victims of different oppressive practices, including immigrant populations and those who suffered in the hands of colonialists, among other affected and vulnerable groups. My reflection on this topic will focus on how the settlement should be designed to ensure positive and desirable outcomes in the post-colonial era.

According to CRIAW-ICREF (2016), colonialism is primarily characterized by unequal power relations, and that although Canada experienced it many decades ago, its consequences are still felt today. These effects are not just felt by the survivors, their children, and grandchildren but also by the Canadian society as a whole. For instance, many survivors and their offspring still suffer trauma and have a feeling of powerlessness and low self-esteem. As a result, many of them came to accept violence as a norm and have continued to pass this tendency down to new generations. CRIAW-ICREF (2016) further argues that colonialism perpetuated economic policies and marginalization that created poverty through practices like the alienation of indigenous people from their land and other resources. To address these issues, CRIAW-ICREF (2016) argues that there is a need for a settlement program that considers the historical injustices and offers comprehensive retribution. I agree with CRIAW- ICREF’s main argument as it focuses on dealing with underlying issues that would facilitate a smooth and effective settlement process.

Shields et al (2016) main argument compares significantly to that of CRIAW-ICREF. It points out that settlement services should seek to address the underlying issues of the targeted people to enable them to meet their core needs. Besides, such a program should also seek to foster the integration of these people, such as through models that promote multiculturalism. At the center of implementing this comprehensive approach is the emphasis of consideration of the socio-economic and political contexts in which practices like colonialism and immigration occurred as they shape societal attitudes towards integration and settlement of the target population (Shields et al, 2016). I agree with Shields et al’s main argument as it focuses on addressing issues that would ensure settlement achieves its objective of addressing structural violence-related matters like abuse and poverty. For instance, in the case of the settlement of colonial victims in Canada, consideration should be made on the trauma that they suffered and the disconnection from their land and culture.

Many things stand out to me in these readings, particularly their broad analysis of aspects relating to settlement and decolonization. I was surprised by the fact that while these readings were focused on different topics, they had significant convergence on how the settlement should be done. This is specifically relevant to my interest in seeking to address underlying issues in structural violence to completely emancipate my service users and their generations. It is worth noting that in spite that Canada's claims to be multicultural and a lover of the immigrant, the settlement system still has a lot of systemic discrimination, ideology, and neoliberalism towards migrants that are not white. To date, migrants of color are still been marginalized.

In conclusion, the learnings from this topic will significantly influence my professional growth by challenging me to be detailed and analytical, as well as empathetic while dealing with clients, especially with a history of oppressive practices like slavery, asylum seekers, and colonialism.