The Indian Residential School System: Why Care?
Blogged by:Molly
It has been twenty one years since the last Residential School closed, but the affects they have caused will last forever. Many to this day have little to no knowledge about the Indian Residential School System, although they took place in seven out of ten Candadian provinces and all three territories. At the peak of these schools, there were as many 80 schools across the country, where an estimated 150,000 students attended, out of all these students, about 3,200 died. It is time for indigenous people to get the recognition and appology they deserve.
Residential Schools were not sufficient for people to live in, the children lived in very harsh living conditions. The Schools were overcrowded, had poor sanitation, vantalation, water quality and sewage systems. Conditions like this were what caused so many children to die, as well as physical and sexual abuse. Many pressing medical issues were present, many died of diseases like tuberculosis and influenza. The food was low in quantity and poor in quality, the preparation of the food did nothing to enhance its limited appeal, the food did not meet standards. The children’s clothing was universally detested, ill-fitting, shabby and in the case of winter clothing, not adequate for the winter season whatsoever. In one school, the rate of death reached 69%.
Later, a corporal punishment was created, it was the norm for all children at the time believing that it was the only way to save souls, civilize the savage or punish and deter runaways - whose injuries or death sustained in their efforts to return home would become the legal responsibility of the school. Meaning, the schools had a legal obligation to keep the children who were attending safe. Although, the government is thought to have stopped recording the deaths of the native children in the residential schools because the death rate became so high. Death was not the only problem in these schools, impatience and correction too often gave way to excessive punishments including both physical and sexual abuse. Being as some of the staff were sexual predators, many students were sexually abused.
The purpose of these schools was to ‘force’ the Native culture out of the child, only to replace it with the Catholic Canadian culture. When arriving to these schools, the children were stripped entirely of their clothes, hair, and freedom. A lot has changed since the time of these schools. The Government that once funded these schools, has since created awareness to the poor treatment they had initially caused.
There is a question that lies, What now? After how poorly the indigenous people of Canada have been treated, how do we make up for it? By allowing them not to pay taxes? There is much more that needs to be done than that, there needs to be changed in order to create an ideal society where all cultures can live in peace together. Although the Residential School System is no longer upon us, the people living on the reserves still live in insufficient living conditions. Many reserves flood annually, have little to no heating or air conditioning, and very low funding from the Government. Due to the Indian Act passed in 1876, indigenous people were granted land that we didn’t want, known for environmentally unsafe issues. The Government is the reason for these people living in such poor living conditions. It wasn’t until 1884 when an amendment to the Indian Act made attendance at Residential Schools compulsory for First Nations children. The schools were run by Christian, Anglican, Catholic, United and Presbyterian churches, where the workers strongly enforced their beliefs onto the children to convert them into Christianity.
Some students lived within walking distance of the schools, but many others arrived by wagon, train, boat, or in later years, by bus. When survivors of the schools remember that long journey, they recall feeling as if they were walking into a prison. During the time the children spent in the schools, they became disconnected from their families and culture, and they now were only able to speak english or french. If they spoke their native tongue they would be punished for it, for it was forbidden, even sometimes in letters to their parents. Although some staff tried to be good instructors and parental surrogates, the instructional setting and volume of work defeated even the best of intentions. The pedagogical program, both academic and vocational were deficient. Students had to cope with teachers who were usually ill-prepared and curricula and materials derived from and reflected an alien culture. Lessons were taught in english and french, which many of the students could not speak. Overseers were often harsh and the supposed training purpose of the work was limited or absent. Missionary staff lavished time and attention on religious observances, often simultaneously denigrating Indigenous spiritual traditions. The schools operated on a half day system, half in class, and half doing work. Students were believed to have learned grammar skills that would help them once they graduated to earn a living as adults. The reality was that the work had more to do with the running the school inexpensively than with providing students with vocational training.
Funding was a pressing concern, in the 1890’s - 1950’s the government tried to constantly shift the burden of the schools onto the churches and students as labour was a financial contribution. By the 1940’s it was clear that the half day system had failed - students were not provided adequate education or training. By the 1950’s funding was increased and the half day system was eliminated, until then holidays consisted of periods of work and play, until it was made routine to send the children home for the holidays. When the students graduated they were unable to fit into either the communities or Canadian society, due to the disrupting experiences of the residential schools.
We should care because the effects of these schools are a pressing issue in Canada, this happened just 21 years ago. Indigenous people are suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction due to the trauma that was caused from these schools. This is not an issue we can ignore for much longer when it is happening in our own society.
References
External Links
Young Cree boy- Thomas Moore: before and after photos
Reserve Photo
Group #16 Hard at Work for creating Peace and Justice 
