The Truth about Residential Schools

Politics

Column|Annie Berger
 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission put forth its final report this week, marking a new step in Canadian Aboriginal history.

The unveiling of Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report officially acknowledges the extended history, consequences and legacy of the Canadian ‘’Indian’’ policies since the 1850’s, notably characterized by the Indian Residential Schools. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s speech revealed emotions on December 15, expressing how the relationship between Canadians and First Nations must start over on a positive note, with mutual recognition and respect.

Appointed commissioners have worked for the last five years to document information based on the testimonies of former students, aboriginal communities and Canadians involved in this system in order to find out the truth about Indian Residential Schools and draw a path to reconciliation between Canada and First Nation’s communities. An idealistic goal it may seem, the report provides in-depth, neutral and relevant information about what was going on within residential schools.

The report clearly states that for over a century ‘’the central goals of Canada’s Aboriginal policy were to eliminate Aboriginal governments; ignore Aboriginal rights; terminate the Treaties; and, through a process of assimilation, cause Aboriginal peoples to cease to exist as distinct legal, social, cultural, religious, and racial entities in Canada’’ (10).

The report brings a question about what the average Canadian knows about the residential school system. Although high school students are taught about Aboriginal culture and history, the part of the story where they are clearly victims of a cultural genocide seems to be put aside. The teaching of Inuit, Iroquois and Algonquin lifestyle in the New France era rapidly transfers to other topics as slavery in the United-States, Apartheid in South Africa, and the major 20^th century wars. Students are taught to examine world failures, however with little insight about their own country’s failures. It seems that kind and peaceful Canada does not require that much of students’ attention, besides knowing about linguistic tensions. In the meanwhile, during more than a 100 years’ time period, families were disrupted to prevent the transmission of cultural values- intentions were to alter identities so the next generation of First Nations integrate the whites. Knowledge of these tragic events have been severely shadowed.

From 1894 until thirty years ago, most aboriginal children aged six to sixteen years old were intentionally taken from their parents and placed in schools across the country, sometimes thousands of kilometers away from their home. These Christian schools alienated Aboriginal children as they lacked affection and were forced to abandon their culture in a terrifying environment. At least 3200 children died, be it from diseases easily transmitted through overpopulated dormitories and bad living conditions or from mysterious causes. Children spent years apart from their families, denied their language and traditional beliefs and extremely vulnerable to physical and sexual mistreatments. Some First Nations families never saw their children come back home and had no news about their death for years. This was all part of Canada’s idea to assimilate the First Nations. The system attained its peak around 1950 with about 10 000 children distributed in more than 80 schools across Canada (40).

As for any story, one is always tempted to recall the glorious events or the ones where they themselves were poor victims, without mentioning when they failed at something or committed massive mistakes. In the context that people will gradually forget the atrocities committed in residential schools, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, more than simply documenting information, intends to make this part of history known by Canadians in order to avoid history repeating itself in the future. Canada might be renowned for its quality of life, but some groups have been set aside and brutally mistreated. Residential schools really happened, and that is why it must be known. The complete reports are available online, free for the public to consult them as this may compensate for a lack of awareness about the topic.

http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/index.php?p=10

Annie is a second-year World Studies student interested in politics, travelling and current issues. She is editor of this blog.