Residential Schools

A Opening Quote “The most terrible result of my residential school experience was they took away my ability to hold my children. They took that from me, the ability to hold my children.” - Inez Deiter

Background Prior to the late 1800’s, First Nations children lived in the reserve communities Traditional methods were used to pass on Native beliefs and values Their language and much of their culture was still relatively intact

A Change In Policy 1879 – the Canadian government adopts a more aggressive form of assimilation They set up residential schools across the country 1920-1940 – status Indian children, by law, had to attend residential schools

Justification It was assumed that aboriginal culture was unable to adapt to a rapidly modernizing society Integrate Native children into the dominant culture by having them adopt Christianity and speaking English or French

Who Runs It? Who Funds It? 1920 – all First Nations children 7-15 had to attend residential schools Schools were run by the church and funded by the Canadian government

All Denominations Involved Catholic church ran 60% of the residential schools The Anglican, United, Methodists and Presbyterian churches ran 40% of the schools

Christian Church Perspective Christian churches in Canada believed that education should be available to all children. As the traditional economies of First Nations peoples came under heavy pressure, with the killing of the buffalo and the creation of reserves, many in the church felt the best way to assist First Nations was to provide means to educate the young in new economic systems and trade, hence industrial schools. Residential schools were seen by the churches not only as a vehicle for converting Native people to the Christian faith, but also as a way of equipping the younger generation of Native people to survive in a world where the old ways had either been destroyed or were considered unworkable or unworthy or both.

Punishment 50% + of Aboriginal youth were raised AWAY from their families and communities during most of their formative years Children caught speaking their first language or practicing native traditions were severely punished

Everyone Attends These children were forced to speak English and adopt Christianity and Canadian customs The government believed that children were easier to mould than adults Government agents made sure that all native children attended

School Conditions Lived in substandard conditions Endured both physical, sexual and emotional abuse 1889 - first allegations of sexual assault at a native boarding school; principal is reprimanded They rarely saw examples of normal family life because they were in school 10 months out of the year

Robbed Of Their Childhood Children could write letters home to their parents, but it had to be in English (many parents couldn’t read it) Brother & sisters rarely saw each other Boys and girls were segregated from each other

Consequences Native children became ashamed of their own heritage When students returned home, they often found they didn’t belong The skills taught at the schools were useless

At the peak of the residential school system, there were about 130 schools operating in Canada They were in every territory and province except PEI, New Brunswick and Newfoundland

How Old Would They Be Now? 1960’s – the Canadian government abandons their residential school policy The last school closed in 1996 86,000 people living in Canada today have attended residential schools Children who attended residential schools would now be 35-44 years old = 6% 45-54 years old = 11.4% 55 and over = 13.7%

Damaged Generations Several GENERATIONS of children have been raised without the beliefs and values that formerly guided their traditional Native approaches to parenting On top of that, generations of parents had limited experience with parenting because their children had been raised in residential schools

Assembly of First Nations 1980 - former students begin to report abuse 1990 – Chief of Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine, calls for the churches to acknowledge the physical, emotional and sexual abuse endured by students at the schools

Government Response The Canadian government has stated that this residential school policy was wrong. The government has apologized and has offered compensation and reconciliation to residential school survivors. 1991 – the Canadian government set up a committee that heard from many former students telling them of their residential school experiences Dec 1996 – former students will get an initial payment of $10,000 plus $3,000 for each year they attended school

Making Up For The Past The total value of this compensation package is $2 billion Average payout is $25,000 Those who suffered physical or sexual abuse may be entitled to payments up to $275,000

Legal Action If students accepted these payments, they had to promise to not sue the government or the church They COULD pursue legal action in cases of sexual abuse and serious incidents of physical abuse

Who Is Eligible It is estimated that about 86,000 former students are eligible for this payment Those who are 65 years or older can receive an advance payment of $8,000

An Independent Assessment Process (IAP) would be set up to deal with sexual abuse cases and serious incidents of physical abuse

Lasting Impact Many generations of Inuit, Métis and First Nation children spent the greater part of their childhood in residential schools. The abuse and neglect they suffered while there left its mark on their adult lives, as well as the lives of their descendants whose families have been characterized by further abuse and neglect.

Did You Know? Did you know that Canada was not the only nation to experience the effects of residential schools? Australia had a similar practice of assimilation. May 26 is National Sorry Day in Australia to commemorate the thousands of aboriginal children who were taken from their homes.