Residential Schools
What is a residential school?
Residential schools were a government-sponsored, church-run school system in Canada designed to isolate Indigenous children from their families, cultures, and languages to assimilate them into Euro-Canadian society.
What is the Indian Act?
The Indian Act is a Canadian federal law, first passed in 1876, that governs matters relating to "Indian status," bands, and Indian reserves. It is a paternalistic, colonial document designed to assimilate Indigenous peoples into Euro-Canadian society by controlling their land, resources, culture, and definition of legal status
Define: Treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between states, international organizations, or in specific contexts like Canada, between the Crown and Indigenous peoples. These agreements establish, define, and reaffirm reciprocal rights, responsibilities, and obligations, often relating to peace, land, and resources.
What are the 3 groups of Indigenous People in Canada?
First Nations, Metit, Inuit
On a day 1 schedule, what period do you have me?
Period 3
Why do residential schools still matter today?
Residential schools still matter today because their effects did not end when the last school closed in 1996. The system created a legacy of intergenerational trauma and systemic inequality that continues to shape the lives of Indigenous families and the broader Canadian society
What are two common Indigenous stereotypes and why is this harmful?
Various Answers
Define: Colonizers
Colonizers are individuals, groups, or nations that settle in a new territory, taking control over the land, resources, and indigenous population, often through force or coercion.
What were some things Sir John A. Macdonald did to Indigenous People? List 2 things
Create the Indian Act, Reserves, Pass System, Residential Schools, Starve Indigenous People, etc...
How long did I have to read every day for as a kid?
What were some of the negative things that happened at residential schools? Name at least 3 things.
Abuse (Sexual, Verbal, Physical)
Loss of Culture (No speaking their language, cutting their hair, no wearing their clothes)
Health & Diseases issues - Underfed & Malnourished
Trauma - Confined, Chained, Beaten, Abused
Name 3 things that the Indian Act did
Various Answers
Define: Assimilate
Assimilation is the process where individuals, groups, or ideas are absorbed into a dominant culture, system, or structure, adopting its habits, customs, and traits
Name 2 things that colonization does
Modification of Indigenous way of life (Changing their lifestyle, traditions, culture), Set up Political Control (Indian Act, etc…), Forcing Indigenous populations to be economically dependent on the colonizer, Provide poor quality social services (poor education/health care)
What anime is Mr. Spencer currently catching up to?
Demon Slayer
When did the last Residential School close?
1996
What was one way someone could lose "Indian Status"
Enfranchisement - his was a process where Indigenous people were forced or coerced into giving up their status to become "Canadian citizens" with full rights, which often meant losing their treaty rights and, in some cases, the right to live on their reserve.
University - Historically, obtaining a university degree, becoming a doctor, lawyer, or Christian minister often resulted in automatic, forced enfranchisement (loss of status).
Marrying out - Until 1985, a status Indian woman who married a man without status automatically lost her own status, her treaty rights, and her band membership. Conversely, a non-status woman marrying a status man gained status
Define: Reserve (Indigenous)
Indigenous reserves are specific tracts of land in Canada set aside for the exclusive use and occupancy of First Nations, managed under the federal Indian Act. Legal title to these lands is held by the Crown, not the First Nations themselves. They represent a small fraction of traditional territories, often located in remote areas
When was the first Residential School in Canada created?
1831 - Mohawk Institue Residential School - Brantford Ontario
At what age did I attend my first Raptors game?
9
What were 2 duties that girls and boys had to do at residential schools?
Girls: Laundry, Cooking, Cleaning, Sewing
Boys: Maintenance, Carpentry, Construction, Farming
What year was the Indian Act Created?
1876
Define: Reconciliation
Reconciliation is the restoration of friendly relations after a dispute, or the process of making two seemingly inconsistent ideas, facts, or financial accounts compatible
What was the pass system?
The pass system was an illegal, 60-year administrative policy (1885–1941) enforced by the Canadian government requiring Indigenous people—primarily in the Prairie West—to obtain a written pass from an Indian Agent before leaving their reserve. It was used to restrict movement, prevent gatherings, and enforce segregation, often forcing individuals to wait hours or travel long distances to obtain permission
At what age did I complete all 10 levels of the Ontario Conversatory of Music Piano program?
16