INSW 200: Why I Picked the Field of Indigenous Social Work

Indigenous social work
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Institution of affiliation
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Over the decade's field of social work has had a lot of drawbacks since its induction to the indigenous people. A lot of factors have played vital roles in blocking the original importance of social work. Colonialism is particularly one big factor that eroded the true value of social work especially in Canada where the indigenous people were oppressed and robbed of their rights to community development and their contribution to political systems along with other social practices. Despite the fact that this colonial period ended many years ago the gap in uplifting the society remains a higher call even to this very day.
I picked this field of indigenous social work because it is meant to be a helping profession. More importantly, I opted indigenous social work rather than mainstream since it focuses more on understanding the cultural values of the indigenous people together with their cultural competencies.
Historical impacts of indigenous social work.
The historical impacts of this field were awfully against the human rights despite its good intent. Since Confederation, social workers have allegedly been accomplices to consistent attacks on indigenous cultural systems by removing children from their familiesCITATION Lau06 \l 1033 (Laura , 2006).
According to Blackstock,2009. This practice grew extensively leading to more separation of children from their families since the establishment of residential schools in the 1870s. Regardless of complaints and reports about the children conditions becoming a menace in the society social workers ignored their responsibility and child welfare became a non-issue CITATION Can05 \l 1033 (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2005). There is evidence of their awareness about the child condition in the residential school since it was well indicated in the joint submission to the senate and house of commons in 1946 from the Canadian association of social workers (CASW).
These schools were later closed, and a law was put in place for child welfare agencies to gain jurisdiction over first nation children in their communities. Although they were placed under better care, the experience of child abuses in the residential school led to a prominent ridge between the indigenous people and the social workers. The resentment and mistrust towards social workers grew strongly among the indigenous people CITATION Mel12 \l 1033 (Mel, 2012).
Modern practice of indigenous social work.
Today, this contempt for social workers makes the field just as hard as before to engage and earn the trust of these communities. Although they were not exposed to the abuse in the residential school system, the impacts still affect them as well. Therefore, to bridge this gap between social workers and the indigenous people there needs to be a better understanding of the indigenous cultural values CITATION Het07 \l 1033 (HetheringtoN & John , 2007).
This calls for a more customized approach rather than the universal and mainstream app...