Indigenous Realities and Resistance · Term 2

The Numbered Treaties: Context and Motivations

Comparing the written text of treaties with the oral traditions and understandings of First Nations.

About This Topic

The Residential School System is a painful but essential part of Canadian history. Students examine the origins and early operation of these schools, which were designed with the explicit goal to 'kill the Indian in the child.' This topic focuses on the partnership between the federal government and Christian churches and the devastating impact of separating children from their families, languages, and cultures.

Students will investigate the Davos-Scott report of 1907, which highlighted the appalling health conditions and high death rates in the schools, and the government's failure to act. This topic requires a trauma-informed and sensitive approach, focusing on the resilience of survivors and the ongoing process of Truth and Reconciliation. This topic comes alive when students can use primary source evidence and survivor testimony to understand the systemic nature of the schools and the long-term impacts on Indigenous communities.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: The Davos-Scott Report

In small groups, students read excerpts from Dr. Peter Bryce's (Davos-Scott) 1907 report on health in residential schools. They identify the specific problems he found and discuss why the government chose to ignore his recommendations.

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

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Think-Pair-Share: The Power of Language

Students reflect on what it would feel like to be forbidden from speaking their own language. They pair up to discuss how the loss of language affects a person's connection to their family and culture over generations.

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

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Gallery Walk: Resilience and Survival

Display stories and artwork by residential school survivors that highlight their strength and the ways they maintained their identity. Students use a 'reflection journal' to record their thoughts and questions.

⏱ 45 min·Individual

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Residential schools were just like regular boarding schools.

What to Teach Instead

Unlike regular boarding schools, attendance was often mandatory, and the primary goal was to eliminate the students' culture and identity. Using a 'comparison chart' of goals and methods helps students see the unique and harmful nature of the residential school system.

Common Misconception

The government didn't know how bad the conditions were.

What to Teach Instead

Reports like the Davos-Scott report proved that the government was fully aware of the high death rates and poor conditions but chose not to provide the necessary funding to fix them. Analyzing these reports helps students understand the systemic neglect involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of residential schools?

The purpose was the forced assimilation of Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture. The government and churches wanted to strip children of their Indigenous languages, religions, and traditions, believing this was the only way to 'civilize' them and make them part of the new Canada.

How many children attended residential schools?

It is estimated that over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were forced to attend these schools between the 1870s and 1996. Many children never returned home, and thousands died from disease, abuse, and neglect.

What is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)?

The TRC was established to document the history and lasting impacts of the residential school system. It provided a platform for survivors to share their stories and created 94 'Calls to Action' to help Canada move toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

How can active learning help students understand the residential school system?

Active learning, when handled with great sensitivity, allows students to engage with the evidence of systemic injustice. By analyzing primary source reports and listening to survivor testimony, students move beyond a 'textbook' understanding and begin to grasp the human scale of the tragedy and the importance of active reconciliation today.

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