Canadian Indian residential school system

"Aboriginal residential schools" redirects here. For the residential school system in the United States, see American Indian boarding schools. For other uses, see Indian school (disambiguation).

The Canadian Indian residential school system[a] was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples.[b] The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by various Christian churches. The school system was created as a civilizing mission to isolate Indigenous children from the influence of their own culture and religion in order to assimilate them into the dominant Euro-Canadian culture.[4][5][6]: 42 [7]

The system began with laws before Confederation and was mainly active after the Indian Act was passed in 1876.[8] Attendance at these schools became compulsory in 1894, and many schools were located far from Indigenous communities to limit family contact. By the 1930s, about 30 percent of Indigenous children were attending residential schools.[9] The last federally-funded residential school closed in 1997, with schools operating across most provinces and territories.[10] Over the course of the system's more than 160-year history, around 150,000 children were placed in residential schools nationally.[11]: 2–3 

The schools caused significant harm to Indigenous children by removing them from their families and cultures, often leading to physical and sexual abuse, malnutrition, and disease. During their stay many students were forced to assimilate to Western Canadian culture, losing their indigenous identities and struggling to fit into both their own communities as well as Canadian society. This disruption has contributed to ongoing issues like post-traumatic stress and substance abuse in Indigenous communities.[12][13][14] The number of school-related deaths remains unknown due to incomplete records. Estimates of the number of deaths vary widely, with most suggesting around 3,200, though some go as high as 30,000. The vast majority of these fatalities were caused by diseases such as tuberculosis.[15][16][17][18]

Starting in 2008, there were apologies from politicians and religious groups for their roles in the system. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was established to uncover truths about the schools, concluding in a 2015 report that labeled the system as cultural genocide. Efforts have been ongoing to identify unmarked graves at former school sites, and the Pope acknowledged the system as genocide in 2022. The House of Commons called for recognition of the residential school system as genocide in October 2022.

  1. ^ a b "Terminology Guide: Research on Aboriginal Heritage" (PDF). Library and Archives Canada. 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  2. ^ "14.12 Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Stereotyping, Identification of Groups". Translation Bureau. Public Works and Government Services Canada. 2017. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  3. ^ McKay, Celeste (April 2015). "Briefing Note on Terminology". University of Manitoba. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Residential School System". Indigenous Foundations. UBC First Nations and Indigenous Studies. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  5. ^ Luxen, Micah (June 24, 2016). "Survivors of Canada's 'cultural genocide' still healing". BBC News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Milloy-1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Callimachi, Rukmini (July 19, 2021). "Lost Lives, Lost Culture: The Forgotten History of Indigenous Boarding Schools". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  8. ^ "Historical Background: The Indian Act and the Indian Residential Schools". Facing History & Ourselves. September 5, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  9. ^ "Residential Schools Overview". University of Manitoba. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  10. ^ Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Canada's Residential Schools: The Legacy, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015 CanLIIDocs 5503, retrieved on 2025-01-10
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference TRCExec was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Curry-2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Daniel, Allison (June 28, 2021). "Nutrition researchers saw malnourished children at Indian Residential Schools as perfect test subjects". The Conversation. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022.
  14. ^ McQuaid, Robyn Jane; Bombay, Amy; McInnis, Opal Arilla; Humeny, Courtney; Matheson, Kimberly; Anisman, Hymie (June 24, 2017). "Suicide Ideation and Attempts among First Nations Peoples Living On-Reserve in Canada: The Intergenerational and Cumulative Effects of Indian Residential Schools". Canadian Journal of Psychiatry / Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie. 62 (6): 422–430. doi:10.1177/0706743717702075. PMC 5455875. PMID 28355491.
  15. ^ Schwartz, Daniel (December 15, 2015). "341 students died at Northern residential schools". CBC News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  16. ^ Tasker, John Paul (May 29, 2015). "Residential schools findings point to 'cultural genocide', commission chair says". CBC News. Archived from the original on May 18, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smith-2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Moran, Ry (October 5, 2020). "Truth and Reconciliation Commission". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2019.


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