Residential Schools A Brief History

Ethnocide  Definition Ethnocide refers to the deliberate attempt to eradicate the culture or way of life of a people. . . . Ethnocide depends on the use of political power to force relatively powerless people to give up their culture and is therefore characteristic of colonial or other situations where coercion can be applied. . . . The term is sometimes used to refer to any process or policy that results in the disappearance of a people’s culture. The Dictionary of Anthropology (1997). Edited by Thomas Barfield. Blackwell Publishers Ltd.  

Genocide Definition Article II of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide states: Any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

Where Are The Children Exhibition Justice for Aboriginal Peoples: It’s Time

In the 1870’s, the Government of Canada partnered with Anglican, Catholic, United, and Presbyterians churches to create boarding and residential schools for Aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) children.

The intent of the Residential School System was to educate, assimilate, and integrate Aboriginal people into Canadian society. In the words of one government official, it was a system designed “to kill the Indian in the child.”

In 1920, Duncan Campbell Scott, head of the Department of Indian Affairs stated before the House of Commons, ‘”I want to get rid of the Indian problem…Our objective 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, that this is the whole object of this Bill [to establish the residential school system].’”

Attendance at residential schools was mandatory for Aboriginal children across Canada Failure to send children to residential school often resulted in the punishment of parents, including imprisonment.

The federal government and churches operated over 130 residential schools across Canada. By 1931 there were 80 active residential schools. The last federally-administered residential school closed in 1996.

The federal government currently recognizes that 132 federally-supported residential schools existed across Canada. This number does not include residential schools that were administered by provincial/territorial governments and churches.

Manitoba Residential Schools: Assiniboia (Winnipeg), Winnipeg, Manitoba Birtle, Birtle, Manitoba Brandon, Brandon, Manitoba Churchill Vocational Centre, Churchill, Manitoba Cross Lake (St. Joseph's, Jack River Annex - predecessor to Notre Dame Hostel), Cross Lake, Manitoba Dauphin (McKay), The Pas / Dauphin, Manitoba Elkhorn (Washakada), Elkhorn, Manitoba Fort Alexander (Pine Falls), Fort Alexander, Manitoba Guy Hill (Clearwater, The Pas, formerly Sturgeon Landing, SK), The Pas, Manitoba Norway House United Church, Norway House, Manitoba Notre Dame Hostel, Norway House, Manitoba Pine Creek (Camperville), Camperville, Manitoba Portage la Prairie, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba Sandy Bay, Marius, Manitoba

Over 150,000 children attended federally-administered residential schools. Some children were as young as 4 years old.

It is estimated that there are approximately 80,000 Residential School Survivors alive today.

Residential School Experience Many Aboriginal children were taken from their homes, often forcibly removed and separated from their families by long distances. Others who attended residential schools near their communities were often prohibited from seeing their families outside of occasional visits.

Students were forbidden to speak their language or practice their culture, and were often punished for doing so. Many students were forced to do manual labour, and were fed poor quality food. There are many accounts of students being provided moldy, maggot-infested and rotten foods. In the 1940s and 50s, the government ran “scientific” nutrition experiments on some residential school children without their parents’ knowledge or permission

Other experiences reported from Survivors of residential schools include sexual and mental abuse, beatings and severe punishments, overcrowding, illness, children forced to sleep outside in the winter, the forced wearing of soiled underwear on the head or wet bed sheets on the body, use of students in medical experiments, disease and in some cases death.

Many students received a sub-standard education. As late as 1950, according to a study by the Department of Indian Affairs, over 40 per cent of the teaching staff had no professional training. 1955 Residential School propaganda

Some students have spoken of the positive experiences of residential schools, and of receiving an adequate education. However, overall it was a negative experience as indicated by various statements of apology issued by the churches and federal government. 2008 Apology 2008 Apology (Youtube)

Residential School Impacts In many cases, the abuses, and even the common experiences of having attended residential school have caused impacts such as post-traumatic stress syndrome These impacts have made it difficult for Survivors to engage in family, social, and professional circumstances.

Survivors were often away from their parents for long periods of time and this prevented the discovering and learning of valuable parenting skills. The removal of children from their homes also prevented the transmission of language and culture. As a result, many Aboriginal people no longer speak their language or are unaware of the traditional cultural practices.

Adaptation of abusive behaviors learned from residential schools has also occurred and caused intergenerational trauma, the cycle of abuse and trauma from one generation to the next. Many Aboriginal communities are still in need of healing with high rates of substance abuse, violence, crime, child apprehension, disease, and suicide. Lost Priority: All That We Are

Healing and Reconciliation In the early 1990’s, as a result of escalating social problems in Aboriginal communities throughout Canada, the federal government created the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP). RCAP confirmed a link between social crisis in Aboriginal communities, residential schools and the legacy of intergenerational trauma.

This led to the creation of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) in 1998. The AHF funds community based healing that address the legacy of physical and sexual abuse in the Residential School System, including intergenerational impacts.

In 2007, the Government of Canada implemented the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. The settlement agreement included: Common Experience Payment to all former students of federal administered residential schools; A process to address compensation for physical and sexual abuse; Establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Healing initiatives; Fund for commemoration projects.

The churches and government have offered various statements of regret, condolence, sorrow and/or apology for their roles in administering residential schools including: - United Church of Canada (1986) - Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (Roman Catholic) (1991) - Anglican Church (1993) - Presbyterian Church (1994) - Government of Canada (2008) - Roman Catholic Church (2009)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission The Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established in 2008 Its mandate is to inform all Canadians about what happened in residential schools. The TRC will document the truth of Survivors, their families, communities and anyone personally affected by the residential school experience.

In response to the loss of language, there is a growing movement to revive and preserve unique Aboriginal cultural beliefs, social structures, and spiritual values.   Today Canadians are learning this history and understanding the impact that it has had and continues to have on their communities.

Thinking Critically…What is your view on Residential Schools?

Talk about what you would have missed if you were taken from your home as a child and placed in institutions like a residential school? What would be some of the effects? How would you heal?   Offer your perspectives on reconciliation…… What does reconciliation mean to you? How do we reconcile with our past? With each other? With other communities? Are there other examples of reconciliation that would be helpful when thinking about the Canadian Residential situation? Is an apology from the Canadian Government an important part of healing and reconciliation? What can be done to increase public understanding of the effects of residential schools? What can be done to increase public sensitivity for Canadian Aboriginal People, their families and their communities?