Indigenous Experiences
The Canadian government forced Indigenous children into government-run schools meant to assimilate and erase Indigenous culture. What is the name of these schools?
Residential Schools
What was the Chinese Head Tax?
A tax imposed to discourage Chinese immigration between 1885–1923. It was the first legislation in Canadian history to exclude immigration on the basis of ethnic background. It was enacted to restrict immigration after Chinese labour was no longer needed to build the Canadian Pacific Railway.
What was the purpose of Residential Schools?
To assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture.
Who was Viola Desmond?
A Black Canadian woman who challenged segregation in Nova Scotia and is on the $10 bill. In 1946, she challenged racial segregation at a cinema in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, by refusing to leave a whites-only area of the Roseland Theatre.
True or False: Indigenous and Black Canadians are incarcerated at higher rates than White Canadians.
True
What was the first Canadian province to introduce an anti-racism law?
Ontario – Racial Discrimination Act, 1944
When did the last Residential School in Canada close?
1996
What happened during the Komagata Maru incident?
A ship of Sikh immigrants was denied entry to Canada in 1914 due to massive opposition from the public.
Who was the first Black woman to challenge school segregation in Canada?
Viola Desmond, indirectly—though her fight was against segregation in public spaces, not schools. In 1946, she challenged racial segregation at a cinema in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, by refusing to leave a whites-only area of the Roseland Theatre.
What was the Idle No More movement about?
A movement advocating for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections.
What does environmental racism mean?
Policies or practices that disproportionately harm racialized communities, e.g., toxic waste sites near Indigenous lands.
What is the purpose of the Canadian Human Rights Act?
To prevent discrimination based on race, gender, disability, etc.
What was the purpose of the Gradual Civilization Act (1857)?
This act aimed to assimilate Indigenous peoples by encouraging Indigenous people to voluntarily relinquish their Indigenous land rights and treaty rights in exchange for property rights, land for homesteading, and voting privileges.
What law banned Chinese immigration to Canada in 1923?
Chinese Exclusion Act
How do school funding policies contribute to racial inequality today?
Schools in wealthier (often White) areas receive more resources and better facilities than those in marginalized communities.
What is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)?
A process that documented Residential School survivors’ experiences and made recommendations for reconciliation.
What is carding?
A police practice where individuals, often racialized, are randomly stopped and questioned without cause.
What is the Employment Equity Act?
A law that promotes equal opportunities for women, Indigenous peoples, and racial minorities in the workplace.
What was the Sixties Scoop?
The mass removal of Indigenous children from their families into foster care or adoption by non-Indigenous families
What group was forced into internment camps in Canada during WWII?
Japanese Canadians
What is Eurocentrism in education?
The dominance of European perspectives in history, literature, and curriculum, excluding Indigenous and other non-White perspectives.
What was the Oka Crisis?
A 1990 standoff between Mohawk protesters and Canadian authorities over Indigenous land rights in Quebec
What is an example of racial profiling in Canada?
(E.g. Black and Indigenous people being disproportionately stopped by police)
What is Bill C-92?
A law that gives Indigenous communities control over their own child welfare services, reducing government intervention.
What does the term "land acknowledgments" mean?
Short statements recognizing both the land, the Indigenous people who live there, and the Indigenous people who lived on the land prior to Canada’s colonial history.
What was the Continuous Journey Regulation?
A law that prevented Indian immigrants from coming to Canada unless they took a direct journey, which was nearly impossible.
To what extent do European perspectives in history, literature, and curriculum, excluding Indigenous and other non-White perspectives dominate curriculum?
(We're looking for a percentage)
Over 80%—leading to a lack of diverse role models in education.
What does MMIWG stand for?
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls—referring to the disproportionate violence faced by Indigenous women in Canada.
How does systemic racism affect healthcare in Canada?
Indigenous and racialized communities face higher mortality rates, poorer access to services, and medical bias.
What did the 2021 discovery of unmarked graves at former Residential School sites lead to?
Increased public awareness, government action, and renewed calls for justice and reconciliation.
Name one lasting effect of Residential Schools on Indigenous communities.
E.g., intergenerational trauma, loss of language and culture, distrust of institutions.
What happened to Black settlers who tried to immigrate to Canada in the early 1900s?
They were actively discouraged through racist policies, medical tests, and land restrictions
What is one way teachers can make classrooms more inclusive?
E.g., diversifying curriculum, using Indigenous land acknowledgments, addressing bias, etc.
What is the significance of Orange Shirt Day?
A day to honour Residential School survivors and raise awareness about the legacy of the schools.
What are some barriers racialized Canadians face in employment?
Discrimination in hiring, wage gaps, lack of opportunities for advancement.
What is the role of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Canada?
It was a framework for recognizing Indigenous rights, though Canada was initially slow to adopt it.