Coast Salish and Indigenous Resistance Summary and Response

This article is centered around the Coast Salish people of Washington State and British Columbia.  The Coast Salish people have struggled with maintaining their heritage and culture while attempting to resist assimilation.  The 1960s through the 1970s are classified as the time of early struggles of cultural survival.  During this time, integrated schools could be worse than residential schools for racism and psychological trauma.  The Coast Salish cultures used the government boarding schools as safe havens because they were protection from the racist conditions in the public schools.  Unfortunately, the boarding schools were highlighted as being universally poor and unhealthy.  The traditional language was kept alive by elders who mentored youth one to two times a week, and they also used the boarding schools for cultural revitalization.
The Coast Salish people who lived in Washington State were forced to deal with racist public schools, while those in British Columbia had to attend church-run residential schools.   Fortunately, laws were passed that forbade attendance-mandatory Christian-based services during school.  I find it very disappointing that discrimination is still present anywhere, especially in the United States.  This country promises freedom of religion and speech; therefore, any culture should have the right to practice their traditions and/ or speak their native languages.