Indian Residential School System

Indian Residential School System is a network of schools for Indigenous children in Canada.

In Anishinabek News

• June 2015: The Aboriginal Healing Foundation was created to support programs addressing the legacy of abuse within this system. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was tasked with establishing the truth about the history of these schools.
• November 2015: Regional Chief Isadore Day referenced this system as an example of an improper approach to education that lacked Indigenous ownership.
• October 2017: Gord Downie worked to expose the truths of this system to a national audience through his advocacy and art.
• December 2017: Tanya Linklater identified the devastation caused by this system as a contributing factor to violence against Indigenous women.
• January 2018: The primary objectives of the system were to remove children from the influence of their families and cultures and to assimilate them into the dominant culture. In 2008, Stephen Harper acknowledged the harm done by these schools. Lance Copegog criticized Lynn Beyak for spreading lies regarding the supposed good of these institutions.
• January 2018: Between 1880 and 1996, more than 150,000 children were sent to these schools, with at least 6,000 children dying away from their families. The Aboriginal Healing Foundation was created to support those affected by physical, sexual, mental, cultural, and spiritual abuses within the system.
• October 2018: The system left a legacy of intergenerational trauma that continues to affect Indigenous communities. Children were forcibly removed from their families and cultures to attend these institutions, often losing their native languages. Awareness campaigns like Orange Shirt Day aim to educate the public on the true history of these schools in Canada.
• January 2019: The system's tragic history and intergenerational effects are the focus of the Secret Path Curriculum Resource. Chanie Wenjack died in 1966 after fleeing one of these institutions in Northwestern Ontario.
• May 2021: The system was established under the leadership of John A. Macdonald and resulted in the deaths of at least 6,000 children. Duncan Campbell Scott served as a primary architect of the system's goal to eliminate Indigenous culture. Medical reports by Peter Bryce highlighting high mortality rates in these schools were suppressed by the government.
• July 2021: The Walk of Sorrow visits former school sites to honor children who never returned home. As of July 2021, half of the participants in the walk are survivors of these institutions.
• March 2022: Funding announced in March 2022 aims to educate the public about the history and legacy of this system within Anishinabek Nation territory. Approximately 8,000 survivors of this system lived in Ontario at the time of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. The Ontario government has committed funding for the identification and protection of burial sites at former school locations.
• October 2022: The Basil H. Johnston Archives contain materials related to the creator's personal experiences within the Indian Residential School system. The archives are recognized for challenging the ideologies of cultural assimilation promoted by these schools.
• January 2023: The impact of this system on Indigenous peoples is a topic of discussion in the Indigenous Justice: Advocacy and Community Development course.
• August 2023: The grandmother of Des Barry was forced into this system. Des Barry gained a deeper understanding of the trauma caused by these schools after reading the personal accounts of Clifford Solomon.
• January 2024: Eli Baxter wrote about his experiences surviving this system in his memoir. The author recalled asking to attend the school to learn English, a request that disappointed his parents.
• January 2024: More than 130 schools operated across Canada as a deliberate attempt to destroy First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. The system was part of a broader process of colonization and genocide.
• June 2024: Shirley Ida Williams is a survivor of this system and vowed to make learning inspirational for her students as a result.
• June 2024: The board game The Truth in Truth and Reconciliation features cards detailing the harsh realities and abuse experienced by children within this system. James Darin Corbiere argues that understanding the harm caused by these schools is essential for the process of reconciliation in Canada.
• September 2024: William Meawasige entered this system at age seven and reported experiencing abuse before being moved to Elliot Lake.
• October 2024: The Sacred Strength exhibition uses orange ribbons to commemorate children who lost their lives while attending these institutions. Participants in the exhibition are encouraged to find the name of a survivor to write on an orange ribbon.
• August 2025: Vicki Christie stated that the lingering effects of this system contribute to higher rates of trauma and violence in Indigenous communities. The system is cited as a factor in the destruction of community and family structures.
• October 2025: The system's legacy was the focus of a commemorative ceremony held in Thunder Bay in September 2025. Speakers at the event highlighted the trauma and loss of life associated with these institutions and Day Schools.
• July 2026: Tony DePerry stated that this system was responsible for creating significant pain and sorrow among First Nations people.