1600-1831
This 17th-century process, used by French missionaries, aimed to convert Indigenous peoples into French society through language, religion, and loyalty to the French crown.
Frenchification
This type of school was common along the north shore of Lake Ontario in the late 1700s.
Indian day schools
This 1876 piece of legislation gave the Canadian government the authority to control Indigenous identity and education.
The Indian Act (1876)
What is 1996?
This year marked the closure of the last federally run residential school in Canada.
This religious order replaced by the Jesuits in 1636—was the first to operate Indigenous boarding schools
The Récollets
Many Indian day schools relied on this kind of heating.
A wood stove
This was the main goal of residential schools: to remove Indigenous identity and replace it with Euro-Canadian culture.
Assimilation
What is the Federal Statement of Reconciliation?
This statement was issued in 1998 to formally acknowledge the harm caused by residential schools.
Issued by King George III, this 1763 document maintained the appearance of supporting Indigenous interests.
The Royal Proclamation of 1763
What opened in 1831 in Brantford, Ontario, and nicknamed “The Mush Hole”.
The Mohawk Institute Residential School
This traumatic experience marked the beginning of a child’s separation from culture, community, and family, as they were removed to attend residential schools.
Being taken away from their home environment
What is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report?
Released in 2015, this major national report included the Calls to Action.
Throughout the 1770s–1790s, these two Christian denominations operated day schools to promote English language and Christian lifestyle among Indigenous children.
The Catholic and Anglican churches
At residential schools, Indigenous children were forbidden from doing this.
Speaking their language or practicing their culture
This emotional and psychological consequence affected survivors long after leaving school, impacting parenting, relationships, and self-worth.
Intergenerational Trauma
What is reconciliation?
Beginning in 2017 and continuing today, these efforts focus on healing, awareness, and education.
Established in 1831 and run by the Anglican Church, this institution became the first official residential school in Canada
The Mohawk Institute
What was first introduced in 1876 and amended almost yearly for decades.
The Indian Act
This term describes how survivors were torn between two worlds — disconnected from their culture but never fully accepted into European-Canadian society.
Identity conflict
What is survivor testimony?
These personal accounts helped Canada understand the truth about residential schools after they closed.