Residential School System

The Canadian Indian residential school system (Residential schools in Canada) was first established in the nineteenth century in1879. Residential schools were seen by the Canadian government as a way to civilize and educate the native aboriginals, and found this way and attempt to get rid of the Indian problem. In 1895 a Canadian governor stated in a report from a residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia that the purpose of the residential school is to civilize the Indian and to make them good, useful and law abiding members of society with strict punishments for any wrong doings. Their main reason was to kill the Indian in those children. The goal of residential schools was to convert Aboriginals into white society through children since they were easier to influence and adapt to the new lifestyle, because adults have already grown up on certain beliefs. Because long before Europeans came to North America, aboriginal people had system of education of their own. The aboriginal children were taught to survive on their own. Aboriginal elders and parents passed on their survival skills to their children.
These residential schools have become mandatory. The Canadian government saw this was the only way to educate these people, and changing their way of life, by changing their religion, language ,and beliefs. The residential school’s main focus was to tech these native’s the English language and change their religion into the Christianity faith. The schools were run by church priest and nuns in almost every province in Canada from 1860-1884. By 1931 there were eight residential schools. The period of these credentials school lasted for sixty five years, up until the last residential school which was closed down in 1996. This ...

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...rior to them, they erased all their cultures from their minds. And this was a successful goal for the Canadians.
Moreover, Up until 1996 when the last residential school was closed and the natives finally had their freedom and choice, the Canadians did not want to admit that this was a shameful or a harmful thing was done. Because the impacts of these schools were horrible, natives today and since them had their rights, and have done many attempts to inform people about their experiences as residential school students. Many natives gather today with Canadians to show that they still are hanging on to their native culture and traditions and have not forget them. Also the Canadians show their apologies to them. And aboriginal and non-aboriginal, began to pick up the pieces. In conclusion the residential school system in itself is remembered for the damage it brought.