Residential Schools Case Study

Residential Schools were a controversial institution where many First Nations children died due to diseases. The following two documents are both concerned with the residential schools. The first document is a report written by Dr. Bryce, where he summarizes various findings of residential schools and also offers suggestions to the Canadian government. The second document is the government’s, more specifically Duncan Campbell Scott’s, reaction to the prior report. After being asked to inspect thirty-five First Nations schools, Dr. Bryce, the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Department published a report of his findings; however, most of the suggestions contained in the original report were never published. Majority of these suggestions …show more content…
Bryce, Deputy Campbell Scott, the Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs terminated Dr. Bryce’s position and decided not to implement any changes suggested by Dr. Bryce. Instead, he establishes ‘Indian Residential Schools’ with the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches where they would try to “civilize” First Nations children by focussing on primary education. Nevertheless, this new form of school was not successful and the conditions of the schools did not improve (Bryce qtd. Legacy of Hope Foundation).Through these reactions, it is obvious that the government thinks of First Nations people as merely a problem that needed to be taken care of. Although Scott was fully aware of the fact that being in a residential school increased the chances of First Nations children dying, he did not want to implement change as the change does not relate to the final solution of the First Nations problem (Bryce qtd. Legacy of Hope Foundation). In the end the goal was to get rid of all First Nations and force assimilate them into European conditions, even if it meant that First Nations may die. In fact, it is possible that the government did not make changes as more dying First Nations would mean less people to “civilize” and would consequently help get rid of the First Nations …show more content…
The government’s paternalistic thoughts, deriving from their belief that First Nations were unable to survive on their own, also resulted in them believing that it was their responsibility to take care of them. However the schools were not effective as First Nations “lose their natural resistance to illness by habiting so closely in these schools” (Legacy of Hope Foundation) resulting in many children dying due to diseases such as Tuberculosis. After discovering the staggering amount of diseases and deaths in these schools, Dr. Bryce wrote an extensive report detailing the situation in these schools and appropriate measures that should be taken. However, this document did not result in any change as the government decided that many dying First Nations did “not justify a change in the policy of [the] department” (Legacy of Hope Foundation). Although the government did try to form an agreement with multiple churches in order to establish a new style of education. The modification did not result in much change for the children’s conditions. (Bryce qtd. Legacy of Hope