RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

COLONIZATION IN CANADA  During the late 1500’s,European men started wearing felt hats in various styles. The felt was made from Beaver’s fur. Because of the demand for these furs European Beavers had been nearly hunted to extinction by the early 1600’s.  In search for more sources, of these Beaver furs, the European hatters travelled to North America. The exploration of New France, shifted from finding a quicker route to Asia to finding easier ways to collect fur.  This marked the beginning of the fur trade and Historical Economic Globalization in Canada.

Canada was considered a great place for immigrants to go in search for land which cause more tension. “Many were fleeing wide spread unemployment caused by industrialization” Ex. “Reduced 80% workers needed for textile industry needed to turn wool into yarn.” Between 1790 and 1845 more than 750,000 immigrants settled in Canada EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION

Clashing Social Values  European status based on landownership and wealth.  First peoples of North America recognized few social or class distinctions, status was defined by ability.  Before contact with the Europeans, First Nations peoples talked about treaties to settle territorial disputes and other conflicts.  European colonial governments were comfortable with written treaties.  Early 1700’s British began negotiating written treaties with the First Nations.

The Seven Years War lasted from (Seven Years) An important part of the proclamation drastically decreased settlement in eastern North American by putting aside a large part of the land for the first nations. (Accommodation) YAY! King George III It was fought between Great Britain and the Bourbons (in France and Spain) The war resulted in the proclamation of 1763 which took away the rights of French Canadiens and laid out a plan to assimilate them.

Historical Globalization  The Europeans, dominated the indigenous peoples. They took the best land for themselves and pushed the native aboriginals into reserves.  In addition to putting the indigenous peoples into reserves, the European’s brought diseases, which often killed the First Nations.

 It defined who could be an “Indian”  It ‘outlined what Indians could and could not do’  This legislation is NOT a part of Treaty. It is an arbitrary piece of legislation that greatly affected First Nations!  It was a clear statement of the federal government’s policy to act as “guardians” over Aboriginal peoples, claiming to give them “protection”.  The Indian Act was imposed on the First Nations and they had NO SAY whatsoever. The INDIAN ACT 1876

Duncan Campbell Scott

 Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs from stated: “The happiest future for the Indian race is absorption into the general population, and this is the object of the policy of our government. The great forces of intermarriage and education will finally overcome the lingering traces of native custom and tradition.” What would this practice be called?

 “ 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”

Before and After

Before After

Education: Assimilation  Indian act gave the agents of the Dept. of Indian affairs almost dictatorial control over Aboriginal peoples’ lives, including education  Education became one of the ‘tools’ to ASSIMILATION!!!! How could education be used to assimilate people?

Period of assimilation missionaries and government aim to assimilate Aboriginal children into the lower fringes of mainstream society Compulsory attendance for all children ages 7-15 years. Children were forcibly taken from their families by priests, Indian agents and police officers There were 80 residential schools operating in Canada.

Funding Schools were funded by the federal government but were operated by the Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and United Churches

Residential Schools in Canada  By 1931 these organizations operated 80+ residential schools across the country, as well as day schools on some reserves

Residential Schools 25 in Alberta

The Process  Children were removed from their homes, often under threat of ‘law’

Separation  ‘Assimilation’ worked best through separation from families, communities and culture  Separation from a traditional support system was a key strategy

Christianity  The goal of the missionaries was to ‘convert the children to Christianity’.

"Looking Unto Jesus." A class in penmanship at the Red Deer Indian Industrial School, Red Deer, Alberta, ca or 1919.

Lasting Impacts  Education for the most part was poor (1945 very few students passed grade 9 and over 40% of teaching staff had no professional training)  Many children died from illnesses, fires, murder  Many children caught disease such as tuberculosis which destroyed their health  Physical and sexual abuse had long term effects on students  Children were often severely punished for practicing traditional beliefs  Children were also punished for speaking their languages

Discipline vs Abuse?  To accomplish this goal of assimilation, discipline was the answer in many missions. "Historians suggest that discipline was more harsh at residential schools than at other schools and would not have been accepted in Euro-Canadian institutions at the time... These methods included isolation cells, flogging, whipping, and humiliation."** **From Residential School Update, AFN March 1998.

Other  Metis children were excluded from this process as they didn’t fall under the Indian Act, however, one residential school for Metis was run by the Catholic Church in Ile a la Crosse, Sask. This school also included FN children

Residential schools and abuse that took place there from History by the minute

PM Harper’s Apology PM Harper’s Apology  s/story/CTVNews/ /harper_ text_080611/ / Apology in text s/story/CTVNews/ /harper_ text_080611/ / s/story/CTVNews/ /harper_ text_080611/ /  AmUe17nUdY Apology Part 1 in video AmUe17nUdY AmUe17nUdY  wyxJ-zpYDkE&feature=related Apology Part 2 in video. wyxJ-zpYDkE&feature=related wyxJ-zpYDkE&feature=related

Videos   TYwFS-P0 Indian Residential Schools – The Painful Legacy TYwFS-P0   7sXoqU&feature=related Residential School Propaganda Video from 1950s 7sXoqU&feature=related   urY8A&feature=related Residential Schools Public Service Announcement urY8A&feature=related

-HTML left side of screen Video clips -CBC Archives…promo for residential schools “A new future” -Fontaine charges church with abuse

First Nations’ Control of Education  Bands began to operate their own schools on reserves circa 1970 and by 1996 had 429 schools