Residential Schools

Purpose To assimilate Native children into a Christian lifestyle and European work habits In 1920 it was made into law that all Native children were to attend Residential schools if there was no Day school near their home.

Quote from 1920 “Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic, and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department.” Stated by Duncan Campbell Scott – Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs

Why did Native Children Go? It was the law. Indian Agents on the reserves would withhold food and benefits from those who did not go. Children were forcibly taken by priests, Indian agents or police officers and sent on buses or cattle cars to schools. Some families did resist despite the consequences. After Grade Six only about 3% of Native children remained in school.

Life at a Residential School It was a boarding school far away from any towns of communities Often a long way from the child’s actual home. Sometimes students could go home for the summers – if they knew where home was. Often their meals would be rotten or lacking in quantity. Was church run until 1950. The teachers would be nuns or priests.

Rules Natives were taught that their culture, their spiritual beliefs, their language, and their clothes were inferior and wrong. The children were not allowed to speak their native language. If they were caught doing so they would be beaten. The children were given new English names. Their hair was cut. They were to wear different clothes.

Lessons The day would start with chapel. In the morning there would be lessons on reading, writing, arithmetic and religion. Discipline was harsh. You could be punished for poor work or learning too fast.

Lessons Continued In the afternoon students would be given manual chores. Thus there education was inferior. It was believed that Native children were only fit for menial labour so a good education wasn’t necessary.

Abuse Some schools had dedicated staff But in other schools teachers used their position to abuse the students emotionally, physically and sometimes sexually. The children were helpless. Tests were conducted on some students during the second world war on the human response to torture

Impact When the children were taken from their homes the community was left in a state of shock and despair. Some turned to alcohol. Native children were deprived of normal family life and did not learn how to be parents. Children were taken from their home, culture, land, community…Their identity was torn from them. Many children who went to Residential schools never returned because they died from disease, beatings, suicide, or failed escapes.

In 1920 it was compulsory for Native children to attend Residential or Day schools. The last one closed in 1996 “Indian Residential Schools Unit.” Assembly of First Nations. Nov. 29, 2010. http://www.afn.ca/residentialschools/history.html.