Case Study: Residential Schools in Canada



"When the school is on the reserve the child lives with its parents, who are savages; he is surrounded by savages. Indian Children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence."
Sir John A Macdonald, Prime Minister of Canada, 1883

" I wanted to be white so bad, and the worst thing I ever did was I was ashamed of my mother, that honourable woman, because she couldn't speak English"
Agnes Mills, a former student at All Saints residential school in Saskatchewan, quote from testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the final report.


Library and Archives Canada/PA-123707

In 1884 the Indian Act was amended making attendance at schools compulsory. Christian churches established residential schools supported by the government to teach Native children. Eventually 130 schools were established. The first goal of the church-run schools was to convert Native people to Christianity. Later, schools were established that tried to teach not only reading and writing, but agricultural skills as well. Severe punishment was used to enforce rules about not using Native language or traditions including games they learned at home. Siblings were separated and not allowed to communicate with each other. The goal of these schools was to integrate Native children into the dominant culture. This goal was supported by the government, which began to fund the operation of these schools. One result of residential schools was that several generations of First Nations and Inuit children grew up without their own families, cultures, or languages.

"The most terrible result of my residential school experience was they took away my ability to hold my children."
Inez Deiter

"Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic"
Duncan Campbell Scott, Canadian deputy minister of Indian Affairs, 1920

"Those schools were a war on Aboriginal children, and they took away our identity. First of all, they gave us numbers, we had no names, we were numbers, and they cut our hair. They took away our clothes, and gave us clothes ..... we all looked alike"
Doris Young, who attended the Elkhorn residential school in Manitoba, quote from testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the final report. 


  • Many Aboriginal people lost their language and culture, leading to a loss of identity.

  • Family ties were damaged and parenting skills were lost, leading to several generations of parents who have difficulty parenting their own children.

  • Traditional values and religious practices were destroyed, leading to increased problems with substance abuse and suicide.

  • Students in many schools suffered physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

  • Some of these people and their descendants still suffer emotional and social problems as a result.

  • Aboriginal people learned English and French and the usual skills learned in school.

  • Until the 1950s, students learned skills for the workplace, including blacksmithing, carpentry, and farming skills.



Residents of a residential school, Regina, 1908

"And I looked at my dad, I looked at my mom, I looked at my dad again. You know what? I hated them. I just absolutely hated my own parents. Not because I thought they abandoned me; I hated their brown faces. I hated them because they were Indians"
Mary Courchene, formerly a student at the residential schools at Fort Alexander in Manitoba and Lebret in Saskatchewan, quote from testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission


Video Truth and Reconciliation: Stories from Residential Schools Survivors

Too many Canadians know little or nothing about the deep historical roots of these conflicts. This lack of knowledge has serious consequences for First Nation, Inuit and Metis peoples and for Canada. Efforts are moving forward to let Canadians know about the legacy created by Residential Schools.
 

Video   Indian Residential Schools Student Documentary