residential schools

Residential schools were a network of boarding schools established in Canada primarily from the 1880s until the late 20th century, aimed at educating Indigenous children but more damagingly to assimilate them into Euro-Canadian culture by systematically eradicating their Indigenous identities. These schools, funded by the Canadian government and administered largely by Christian churches, forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families, forbade Indigenous languages and culture, and subjected students to severe punishment and widespread abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological harm. The education was mainly focused on manual labor and domestic skills rather than academic advancement. The residential school system disrupted Indigenous cultures, families, and communities profoundly, contributing to long-lasting intergenerational trauma and loss of language and traditions. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has described this system as cultural genocide. The schools officially operated until the late 1990s, with the last federally funded school closing in 1997. Thousands of children died in these schools due to neglect and disease, and many burial sites remain unidentified. Efforts for acknowledgment, apology, and reconciliation continue to address this dark chapter in Canadian history.