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Residential Schools Report

Megan Hutten

Mr. de Visser

CHC2D

March 1, 2019
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Getting rid of the Indian culture through Residential schools. In the 1880s the

government started to establish residential schools across Canada. And in 1920, under the

Indian Act, it became mandatory for every child the ages 6-15 attend residential school. And it

was illegal for these children to be sent to any other educational institution. These residential

schools were set up by the government and several churches.” From the 1990s onward, the

government and the churches involved—Anglican, Presbyterian, United, and Roman Catholic—

began to acknowledge their responsibility for an education scheme that was specifically

designed to “kill the Indian in the child.”” (Hanson)

The purpose of the residential schools was to be rid of the first nations culture.

Residential school started in the late 1800s. The last school closed in 1996. Children were ripped

away from their families and their homes to be taken to these residential schools. Rarely were

the parents able to come and visit their children. Samuel Ross explains how the children were

divided:

Well, we were separated in that school; Junior Boys, Intermediate and Seniors. Same
thing with the girls, I guess, but with us anyway. I was with my younger brother in Junior Boys.
They put us in the Dormitory. That school that they had there was an old Army Barracks”
(“Where are the Children?” 2001)
. The purpose for these schools was to “Christianize” and “civilize” the first nations

children. And to get rid of the Indian culture that they had. They would go through long trips to

these schools, kicking and screaming. Once they got there they were separated from their

siblings and cousins and barely ever saw them again. They were separated boys and girls. A

typical day for the children was strictly planned out for the children. Ray Nooski shares his story

of a typical day:

“We wake up at about 7. We had to go to Mass at 7o’clock. Then we had breakfast. We pray
before breakfast and after breakfast. Then we go to class. Ten o’clock to twelve sometimes
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we have catechism. Most of the time I got hit with a ruler in the knuckles, and sometimes
that yard stick on my neck. I tended to speak my language instead of how they pronounce
it.... Then I would get it. They teach me pretty well to not speak my language.” (“Where are
the Children” 2001)
Their first day was often very stressful and confusing for the children. Carole Dawson tells us

her story of her first day at residential school:

“It was horrible. My late sister, my late cousin and some other girls from Tlingit
Inlet, which is where I’m from, were up for hours. We couldn’t sleep. It was very
traumatic for us. It was a really stressful day…” (“Where are the Children?” 2001)

Not only were their days hard and full of struggle, their living conditions were also

terrible. When they got to residential school, the boys got their long hair chopped off. They

would have lots of children in one bedroom. They had the culture of Christianity forced

upon them and their own culture robbed from them. They got strapped for speaking their

own language, doing things of their own culture or ‘misbehaving’.

They were abused in many different ways: emotionally, physically and sexually. Many of

them were strapped daily. Ray Nooski shares his story of the first time he got strapped:

“When I went to Lejac, Father Clenahan, asked me: ‘Do you speak Indian?’ I said, ‘Yes
I do’. ‘Stand up’. I was happy. I stood up. ‘roll your sleeves back’. So I did. ‘Put it out’.
That’s the first time I ever got a strap.” (“Where are the Children” 2001) 

The children didn’t understand why this was happening, but once they got used to it,

they knew what was coming. Ray Nooski shares another story of him being strapped again:

“When I went inside the cloakroom Father called me. So I went up. I thought I’m
going to get the strap again. I was so used to it that I just rolled up my sleeves. But
no, he said, “Take off your shirt.” So I took my shirt off, my t-shirt. “Take off your
pants.” I took off my pants. The bigger boys were around. I took off my pants. “Take
off your shorts.” Again I had to take off my shorts. Then, bang, oh boy. I don’t know
how many times he hit me, and I think I did go down on one knee. I just about
fainted. “(“Where are the Children” 2001)
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They were also abused emotionally. These teachers at the schools emotionally broke

them down. They basically reprogrammed these children. They forced Christianity on them and

robbed them of their culture.

Their overall experience was terrible, they had Christianity forced upon them along with

all the abuse. That’s hard to go through as a kid. Ray Nooski shared his overall experience:

“My experience at Residential school was harsh for me because I’m not used to
getting the strap. “(“Where are the children” 2001)

The Residential schools not only affected the children there but even after they left. They were

never the same children as they were before school. When they left residential school. They

couldn’t go back to their families because they had lost their culture and wouldn’t be excepted.

But they couldn't go to the public people because the white people still wouldn’t except them.

They were outsiders. Many of them went to alcohol and drugs, living in the streets, homeless.

“It is clear that the schools have been, arguably, the most damaging of the many elements of
Canada’s colonization of this land’s original peoples and, as their consequences still affect the
lives of Aboriginal people today, they remain so.
—John S. Milloy, A National Crime (Hanson)
Hanson’s quote speaks about how these schools damaged Canada’s colony and its own

people. And how the consequences of these schools still affect the people of Canada to this day.

The last residential school closed its doors in 1986. Years later, the Aboriginal Healing

Fund was established and $350 million was used to help the affected people. In 2008, an official

apology was made to all the survivors of the schools. The fact that he calls them survivors, gives

them respect because he acknowledged that they lived through such difficulties for so long that

it could have killed them. And it did kill many. (Hanson)

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In conclusion, I think that the residential schools were destructive. It is sad to have such

events in our country’s history. We are responsible for the deaths of many innocent children

who we were trying to “civilize.” When the official apology was made in 2008, that might’ve

helped. And the money that was given probably helped as well. But the scars and the memories

will never go away. But we can try to teach others what has happened to make sure that

nothing like the tragedy of residential schools ever happens again.

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Citations:

Where are the Children (2001). Retrieved from http://wherearethechildren.ca/en/stories/

(2011, November 1). In Indigenous Foundations. Retrieved from

https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/home/

“Residential Schools in Canada” by J.R.Miller (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012)