How Being Tied To A Culture Can Be Detrimental
"The Rez Sisters"
Thompson Highway's "The Rez Sisters" shows how being tied to a culture is detrimental to those who are in it. "The Rez Sisters" is a play that tells the story of native women living on a reserve in Canada. The women dream of winning the bingo in order to obtain things
that most think to be everyday necessities. For example a character named Philomena wishes to buy a toilet with the prize money, something that most Canadians use everyday and don't think anything of it. Another character, Veronique, wishes to buy a stove, another item that Canadians rely on everyday to prepare meals. This is all because the Canadian government completely disregards the state of reserves and the people in them. This is proven when Pelajia reveals that she wants to put the chief to shame and pave roads. This proves that the government completely disregards the state of these reserves and the people in them because toilets, stoves, and paved roads are something that everyone in Canada has, with the exception of people living on reserves. It is detrimental to be tied to a culture for these women because part of their culture is living on these reserves where they don't get equal opportunities. Just like Thompson Highways play "The Rez Sisters", there are many First Nations reserves in Canada that live with very poor living conditions. Many First Nations people that live on reserves have to live in run down housing and even send their children to schools that have mold and various other safety issues. In some of the worst cases, like in the Attiwapiskat reserve located five thousand kilometers north of Timmens Ontario, there was shortage of housing which led to a state of emergency making people live in un-insulated sheds and tents with wooden barriers, no water hookup, and no hydro.This reserve also has their food and water trucked and flown out to them so they have to be very careful with what they use. Canada has 3117 reserves, most go without plumbing and others rely on various water systems that may not be healthy, this is a prime example of how Canadians on reserves do not get the same treatment from the government. Most of these reserves in Canada have suicide rates significantly higher than anywhere else, both teens and adults are more likely to commit suicide living on these reserves with terrible living conditions. This once again proves that it is detrimental to be tied to a culture that requires you to live on a reserve because people that live on reserves do not get equal opportunities or rights. In conclusion, it is detrimental to be tied to a culture for the both the characters in "The Rez Sisters" and First Nations people in Canada because part of their culture is living on reserves where they are forced to live in poor conditions and do not get equal opportunities.
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that most think to be everyday necessities. For example a character named Philomena wishes to buy a toilet with the prize money, something that most Canadians use everyday and don't think anything of it. Another character, Veronique, wishes to buy a stove, another item that Canadians rely on everyday to prepare meals. This is all because the Canadian government completely disregards the state of reserves and the people in them. This is proven when Pelajia reveals that she wants to put the chief to shame and pave roads. This proves that the government completely disregards the state of these reserves and the people in them because toilets, stoves, and paved roads are something that everyone in Canada has, with the exception of people living on reserves. It is detrimental to be tied to a culture for these women because part of their culture is living on these reserves where they don't get equal opportunities. Just like Thompson Highways play "The Rez Sisters", there are many First Nations reserves in Canada that live with very poor living conditions. Many First Nations people that live on reserves have to live in run down housing and even send their children to schools that have mold and various other safety issues. In some of the worst cases, like in the Attiwapiskat reserve located five thousand kilometers north of Timmens Ontario, there was shortage of housing which led to a state of emergency making people live in un-insulated sheds and tents with wooden barriers, no water hookup, and no hydro.This reserve also has their food and water trucked and flown out to them so they have to be very careful with what they use. Canada has 3117 reserves, most go without plumbing and others rely on various water systems that may not be healthy, this is a prime example of how Canadians on reserves do not get the same treatment from the government. Most of these reserves in Canada have suicide rates significantly higher than anywhere else, both teens and adults are more likely to commit suicide living on these reserves with terrible living conditions. This once again proves that it is detrimental to be tied to a culture that requires you to live on a reserve because people that live on reserves do not get equal opportunities or rights. In conclusion, it is detrimental to be tied to a culture for the both the characters in "The Rez Sisters" and First Nations people in Canada because part of their culture is living on reserves where they are forced to live in poor conditions and do not get equal opportunities.
I totally agree with you Brock, as the sister’s partake in their anual game of bingo, it shows how desperate they are for the winning jackpot to help them succeed and live a greater life on the reserve. With them showing their true desire for the basic necessities like a stove and a toilet, it demonstrates how bad the living conditions and money situation are. I like the point you made about most Canadians having the opportunity everyday to be able to use a toilet, stove to cook their family meals, and also having paved roads to get to work or where ever their destination is, most Canadians take these things for granted daily, and do not even think about what life would be like without these basic necessities. I also agree with the point you made about First Nations people that live on reserve have to settle with run down houses. This shows that the living conditions on most Canadian reserves is poor and uncared for, this is because the Canadian Government completely disregards people living on indigenous reservations, just like you said. In conclusion, your blog greatly describes how being tied to a culture can be detrimental to a human, and you gave specific and actual information that backs the argument.
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