Residential School System

Improved Essays
The Canadian Residential School System was brought into existence in the late 19th century in a final attempt ‘to get rid of the Indian problem”. In partner with various church organizations and groups, the federal government funded the institutions. The intent of the residential schooling system was to civilize the “savages” and to make them useful and law abiding members of society with strict rules and punishments for any misdeeds (Coliness 2009). Since children were more susceptible to influence and are typically easier to manipulate, they would be enrolled in these schools at very young ages. In the early decades, the system was managed loosely and without proper guidlines. This in turn led to a lack of counterveiling power of officials. …show more content…
For almost three centuries prior, Aborigninals and European settlers co-existed in a fairly peaceful manner. By the mid 19th century issues arose when expansionist policies pushed settlers to the west. This led to there being a direct competeition for land and resources between the settlers and Aboriginals. The native peoples of the west became “obstacles of the newcomers” (Miller, J. 2006). In the face of brewing conflict, Sir, John A. Macdonald began to view the natives as nusances to the nation and made attendance of these“industrial schools” mandatory. Most people at the time “interpreted the socio-cultural differences between themselves and the Aboriginal peoples as proof that Canada’s first inhabitants were ignorant, savage, and—like children—in need of guidance.” (Hansen, E. 2009). They wished to transition the first nations traditional hunter/gatherer type lifestyle and culture into one of industry and agriculture and christianity. In partnership with multiple church organizations, the Canadian government supported and funded this endeavour to assimilate aborigninal children. Children were typically taken far away from their homes at ages as young as 4 or 5, and were placed in schools in very rural areas. This alienated them and caused severe emotional trauma in many cases. In taking children this young, it severed many key family ties and …show more content…
Students were banned from speaking or writing in their native tongue and harsh, often abusive punishments were doled out by the staff. Such abuses documented by Survivors are strappings, beatings, being shackled to their beds, and some even had needles shoved into their tongues as punishment for speaking their native languages (Haig-Brown 1998). Abuse at the schools was very widespread and encompassed the various types. Psychological, emotional, sexual and physical absuses have all been documented and have been testified by many Survivors of the residential schools in front of the Royal Commission (Canada 1996). Students were subjected to Christian education that opposed many of the traditional beliefs that had been taught through contact with their elders and other influences. The forced attempt at erradication of their native languages, spirituality, and culture can only be described as attempted cultural

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    The book also features full texts of apologies and statements made by parties such as Stephen Harper’s. Jacobs, Beverley. 2008. "Response to Canada 's Apology to Residential School Survivors." Canadian Woman Studies 26, no. 3 (Winter, 2008): 223-225,14.…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Indian residential school was a government-implemented institution that engulfed all aspects of an Indigenous child’s life. As the long silence is being shattered and more survivors tell their stories, the full scope of the tragedy of residential school discrimination and abuse is gradually being revealed. In the documentary, Muffins for Granny, Nadia McLaren offers a raw perspective of the practices and repercussions of residential schools through interviews with seven First Nations elders. Their honest face-to-face accounts are paired with stark animated moments and home movie footage to illustrate this difficult chapter in Indigenous and Canadian history that, for many, is not over (McLaren, 2006). Through the strength of personal narratives,…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Keeper N Me Analysis

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages

    These schools, better known as residential schools, were administered by the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Catholic Church of Canada. The working theme of these schools was to remove the native children from their families hence barring them from the influence they could have got from their families in terms of culture and values. This was aimed at assimilating this children’s in the culture that dominated Canada (Regan 3). Though residential schools had their origin in the pre-confederation times, it became primarily active after the passing of the Indian Act in the late 19th century until the late 20th century. Following the Indian Act, attending a day school, industrial school, or a residential school was compulsory (Douglas 155).…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    However, this “opposed the basic Indian belief of communal ownership” (History and Culture: Boarding Schools). Students were also ripped from the community at age 5 and isolated until age 18 when they were thrown back into a society they no longer knew. This left no time for them to create the necessary ties for a successful Indian life. Students were also told that their parents were not coming for them because they did not love them (O’Connell) when the truth was that parents could not legally rescue their children. This raised distrust among the children when they were allowed to return home after age 18.…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Residential schools were government sponsored initiatives established in the early 1900’s as an attempt to convert, educate, and integrate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture. If anything, residential schools were an act of cultural assimilation while committing cultural genocide. Several of the problems at residential schools include- language loss, lack of food due to lack of funding from the Federal government, and extremely high death rates (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada). Following the residential school system, was the “sixties scoop”, the wide-scale movement of Aboriginal children into non-Aboriginal homes (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada).…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Assimilation has changed many cultures with one major event in Canada being residential schools. For almost one hundred years, the Europeans used these schools to teach First Nations their “white” ways. When The Europeans forced the First Nations to sign their treaties, it promised education for the First Nations, however, the government hired the Catholic church to teach the children, which forced the kids to change their culture and learn a completely different one. These schools were located in every province/territories except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. Some examples of assimilation in residential schools are that the First Nations had to change their names, language, and clothing and had to drop all of their known culture.…

    • 1185 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Native children were treated atrociously, becoming victims of recurring sexual abuse and beatings, being forced to strip naked in front of other students as humiliation, and having needles thread through their tongues if they dared to speak Aboriginal languages. Although residential schools have since been formally apologized for in a Statement of Apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2008, as well as, banned, the long-term effects of residential schools are far from being wiped out. Indigenous communities continue to face extensive issues including high unemployment levels, low levels of education, inadequate health care services, and poor housing. Residential school students grew up being abused and that was their way of life. They are unaware of any other way of life, and thus, they raise their own children in this brutal manner because they were deprived of their own culture back…

    • 1601 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Residential schools were an attempt by the canadian government to assimilate First Nation children into canadian culture. Residential schools took children from their homes and beat the native out of them. There was two sides to every story. Overall Residential schools were justified as well as unjustified because there were some good experiences as well as bad.…

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Higher education is a solution to combatting the developed social inequality in Canada, and can reverse the racist views a significant proportion of the population do not recognize in themselves. If Canadians had a mandatory Indigenous studies course they would be able to form a realistic understanding of the legacy of colonialism, and gain the ability to recognize stereotypical comments as inappropriate and a perpetuation of…

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This paper will review “A Right to Treaty Education by Sheila Carr- Stewart as well as looking at a short article simply entitled “Schools” which was written by the Treaty Seven Elders . Both readings were published within five years of each other (The Treaty Seven Elders in 1996 and Carr-Stewarts’s article in 2001). Although both readings are about the educational systems the government of Canada provided for the indigenous people, one article (A Treaty Right to Education) focuses on the historical documents surrounding the issue of foral education provided by the Europeans. The other article (“Schools”) has a strong focus on the people who survived these schools.…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cultural Genocide

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The cultural genocide at the hands of the Indian residential school system along with historic and present day oppression and abuse is a blood stain on Canadian culture and government. The government has made steps to atone and reconcile for the destruction it brought upon the First Nations community, however, I do not think enough has been done or ever will be done as long as the oppressor’s government institution is in place. It will ultimately be left up to the First Nations people to come together as a unit to rebuild the structure of their community. Indian Residential School System The Indian residential schools (IRS) were domestic terrorism hubs and locations ordained by the Canadian government and churches which were operated and enforced…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    This was just the beginning of the intolerable discrimination that continues to plague Aboriginal people today. Residential schools are one of the worst things to ever happen to a culture in Canadian history. They were created to assimilate the Native children, as the federal government believed it was best that Native cultures become extinct (Renneboog 1). Some may believe that these schools are a thing or the past, but the effects that the residential schools had on Aboriginal communities still resonates in the First Nations population today. The children who were taken from their families at a young age were raised not by their parents, but by the churches that ran the residential schools.…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When Residential Schools Began 1870s Federal government and Plain Nations both wanted to have schooling for Aboriginal youth Aboriginal adults assumed schooling systems would help their youth transition into the new dominating society (European-Canadians) successfully in 1867 the British North America Act and in 1876 the Indian Act was published the acts obliged the government to provide education for Aboriginal youth and teach them to be economically self-sufficient government teamed with Christian missionaries to have Aboriginal youth convert religion the first 3 schools were built in 1883 in the Prairies residential schooling was most prominent in the 1930s with 80 institutions Roman Catholic church managed ⅗ of the schools Anglican church…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Further, the language used by John A. Macdonald in the Legislative Assembly when describing the formation of a united Canada refers to a union for the benefit of people of “the same blood and lineage” which has obvious racial and cultural implications. The residential school system, the early iterations of the Indian Act that were pioneers…

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Colonization has had a great impact on the lives of Indigenous people. Since the first European settlers came to Canada, the way of life, traditions, and culture of Indigenous people have been threatened. Additionally, their mental and physical health have been impacted by methods of assimilation and government policies . Numerous diseases were introduced to Native communities thanks to the contact with Europeans . However, the social conditions of Indigenous people also contributed to the creation of health problems .…

    • 1576 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays