Colonial Oppression and Cultural Erasure in Indian Horse: A Critical Analysis of the Residential School System as a Tool of Assimilation

Abstract

Colonialism in Richard Wagamese's novel Indian Horse, depicts how the narrative allows one to relate the broader historical and cultural dimensions of European colonialism affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada. This research mainly focuses on the representation of the residential school system in the novel as a central point on colonial suppression and enforced assimilation of Indigenous children through its institutes, with the determination to destroy their cultures. The current research investigates how experiences of the protagonist, Saul, presents colonialism in systemic racism, cultural dislocation, and intergenerational trauma. The struggle that Saul goes through to recover his heritage and identity is used as a medium to portray the big picture about Indigenous experiences under colonial rule. The narration plays a key role in preserving Indigenous knowledge and resilience against forces of colonialism through Wagamese's narrative structure and use of traditional culture. The research findings show Canada's ongoing legacy of colonialism and highlight engagement with Indigenous perspectives in literature, cultural preservation, and reconciliation in a post-colonial context.