Case Study – Residential Schools

Read through the following Case Study about Residential Schools in Canada and answer the questions about what you have read after each section. Highlight or underline all of the important information in each section.

In all societies, culture is passed on through the generations by young people learning from the adults in the community. So the fastest way to change a culture is to put yourself in charge of teaching the children.

When Europeans first came to Canada, they believed that they were better than First Nations people because they had different technologies, lifestyles, knowledge and ideas. The Europeans, especially those involved with the church, thought that they could help Native peoples by making them more “European” and less “Indian.” The idea of making another group give up their culture and identity to be more like another group is called assimilation.

The government in Canada at this time was made up of Europeans who believed in trying to assimilate Native people into European culture. They believed that the fastest way to make Natives more like them was to start with Native children. So the government set up schools that were run by the churches to teach the Native children how to be more European. It would be hard if the children went home at the end of every school day because they would still be involved in Native culture in their communities. The government decided that residential schools would be better. A residential school is a school where students learn and live.

Native children were taken from their families, homes and communities and were sent to residential schools. At these schools, students were not allowed to speak their own Native languages and they were taught that their culture was “inferior” or not as good as the culture of the Europeans. Students were also not allowed to visit their families very often and kids from the same family and community were often separated from each other. Children were often severely punished for speaking their first language or for practicing Native traditions, beliefs or culture. Life in the schools was very hard and the rules were very different and, in most cases, much stricter than the children were used to in their own communities.

During the school day, students learned about the Christian religion, learned to speak English or French, did chores like laundry and kitchen work and learned other useful skills. Boys were taught farming and some trade skills and girls learned household skills like sewing and cooking. Students spent less than 2 hours a day on actual school work.

Many First Nations families sent their children to residential schools because they thought it would help them in the future. Parents wanted the best for their children and they believed that a European education would help them. Some parents didn’t agree with the idea of assimilation in the residential schools and didn’t send their kids. But in 1920, the government passed a law that forced all Native children between the ages of 7 to 15 to attend. After 1920, many Native children were taken from their families by force and sent to the residential schools against their parents’ wishes.

When First Nations children returned to their communities, they were very confused about their culture and their identity. They didn’t know a lot about their Native culture and they were taught at the schools to believe that their culture was bad. The largest residential school in Atlantic Canada was the ShubenacadieSchool in Nova Scotia that didn’t close until 1968.

In general, Native students received a very bad education in the residential schools. Many students died of illnesses or caught serious diseases which destroyed their health. Many students did not get enough to eat and some were treated very badly by those who worked at the schools.

Residential schools have had a very negative impact on Native peoples who attended the schools. The connection to their families, communities and culture was broken and many students found it hard to reconnect to their families and culture after being away from it for so long and after such a long time of being told how bad their Native way of life was. Other students suffered from the effects of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Residential schools have been a major factor in the high rates of substance abuse, suicide and family problems among Native peoples.

Other facts

  • Schools were first set up in the late 1800’s
  • In 1931, there were 80 residential schools in Canada
  • The last residential school was closed in 1970
  • Schools were set up by the government
  • Schools were run by the Catholic, Anglican, United and Presbyterian churches