Upon arrival at the schools, children experienced immediate systematic changes, which included having their traditional clothing replaced, being assigned numbers or new names, and having this physical feature forcibly altered.
What is having their hair cut?
Unlike modern day schools where students return home each afternoon, residential schools were designed as these types of institutions, meaning children lived, ate, and slept at the school full-time
What is a residential school
Implemented in 1920 under the Indian Act, this legal change made attendance at residential schools mandatory for all First Nations children between certain ages.
What is compulsory attendance (for children ages 7 to 15)?
Often described by government officials with the explicit intent to "kill the Indian in the child," this overarching policy framework aimed to strip children of their languages, traditions, and distinct cultures
What is forced assimilation (or cultural genocide)?
True or false; Closing in 1976 in Rankin Inlet, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut), this institution holds the distinction of being the final federally funded residential school to shut down.
False - it closed in 1996
Observed annually on September 30th, this national day of commemoration honors residential school survivors, their families, and communities while promoting ongoing education
What is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day)?