Canada being the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy in 1971, its dark history of cultural genocide against indigenous people may come as a surprise to some. Funded by the Canadian government and Christian churches, the residential school system was developed to "kill the Indian in the child".
The last Canadian residential school was shut down as recently as 1986. Below are 10 lesser known facts regarding the Canadian residential schools system and its victims.
5.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse was common at residential schools. Both girls and boys were raped not only by the priests and other staff running the schools, but also by older schoolmates. Girls that became pregnant were forced to undergo abortions. In fact, children who were sexually abused were even forced to pray for the guidance and forgiveness of their abusers.
4.
Frequent Student Deaths
Student deaths were so common at these schools that many of their architectural plans included graveyards. Death rates at schools ranged from 30% to 60% within the first five years. These percentages are only reflective of reported deaths, however. Since the government stopped recording student deaths after a certain point, the true percentages are most likely significantly greater. The most common cause of death was tuberculosis, an infectious disease that students were susceptible to due to the lack of segregation of sick students as well as the deprivation of medical attention. Other causes of death included suicides, freezing after attempting to run away and accidents that resulted from the unsafe working conditions children were exposed to.
3.
Occasional Resistance by Students
Sometimes, students would attempt to resist the harsh conditions they were forced to live with. Common acts of disobedience included stealing food and running away (students who opted to run away almost never survived, much less returned home). There are even reports of students burning down their schools.
2.
Failure to Provide Adequate Education or Training
Children in the residential school system were treated more like child labourers than students. Typically, students only spent 2 to 4 hours a day in the classroom, and the rest of their day was spent working. By the time they were 18, most students had only reached grade 5. With such little education and learning of valuable skills, aboriginal graduates were unable to compete with Euro-Canadians in the workplace and had trouble finding any jobs.
1.
Cycles of Family Abuse Over Generations
Once the students of the schools turned 18, they were released and allowed to return to their families. However, those returning home were often unable to communicate with their families and could not identify with either the indigenous or Euro-Canadian culture. The depression of the everlasting feeling of isolation, as well as the fact that the children were raised without love or care in these schools, resulted in a vicious cycle of physical, emotional and sexual abuse as survivors were (and still are) unable to love and care for their own children.
Sexual abuse was common at residential schools. Both girls and boys were raped not only by the priests and other staff running the schools, but also by older schoolmates. Girls that became pregnant were forced to undergo abortions. In fact, children who were sexually abused were even forced to pray for the guidance and forgiveness of their abusers.
Student deaths were so common at these schools that many of their architectural plans included graveyards. Death rates at schools ranged from 30% to 60% within the first five years. These percentages are only reflective of reported deaths, however. Since the government stopped recording student deaths after a certain point, the true percentages are most likely significantly greater. The most common cause of death was tuberculosis, an infectious disease that students were susceptible to due to the lack of segregation of sick students as well as the deprivation of medical attention. Other causes of death included suicides, freezing after attempting to run away and accidents that resulted from the unsafe working conditions children were exposed to.
Sometimes, students would attempt to resist the harsh conditions they were forced to live with. Common acts of disobedience included stealing food and running away (students who opted to run away almost never survived, much less returned home). There are even reports of students burning down their schools.
Children in the residential school system were treated more like child labourers than students. Typically, students only spent 2 to 4 hours a day in the classroom, and the rest of their day was spent working. By the time they were 18, most students had only reached grade 5. With such little education and learning of valuable skills, aboriginal graduates were unable to compete with Euro-Canadians in the workplace and had trouble finding any jobs.
Once the students of the schools turned 18, they were released and allowed to return to their families. However, those returning home were often unable to communicate with their families and could not identify with either the indigenous or Euro-Canadian culture. The depression of the everlasting feeling of isolation, as well as the fact that the children were raised without love or care in these schools, resulted in a vicious cycle of physical, emotional and sexual abuse as survivors were (and still are) unable to love and care for their own children.
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