“TERRIBLY SADDENED,” is how Prime Minister Trudeau Justin described his reaction to the recent discovery of 751 unmarked graves in Saskatchewan, the site of a former residential school for Indigenous students in Canada[1]. These graves were found a mere month after the graves of 215 children were found in British Columbia, the site of another residential school. Between the late 1800s to the late 1900s, Canada operated more than 130 boarding schools for native children to assimilate them into “civilized” society. According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), approximately 6,000 Indigenous students died at these institutes. As the nationwide search for the 5,000 or so remaining bodies continues, Canada is now forced to re-examine its past and ruminate about how to rectify it.

The history of residential schools

   More than 150,000 Indigenous children were enrolled in residential schools from the 1870s to the late 1990s[2]. Bowell Mackenzie, the prime minister in the late 1800s, made attendance at residential schools mandatory for all Indigenous youth[3]. The government intentionally established these institutes far away from native communities to limit contact between the students and their parents. Parents who were willing to make the long journey to see their children were further restricted by the pass system, a policy that forced the Indigenous community to stay in Indian reserves[4]. This segregationist strategy required Indigenous people to provide a travel document, which was often very difficult to obtain if they wanted to leave their reserve.

   Along with isolation, admitted Indigenous students were subjected to ethnocide and abuse[5]. For example, students were forced to converse in either English or French, which led to a gradual loss of their native languages. They were also punished for practicing their native faiths and were forced to convert to Christianity as these institutes were sponsored by the Catholic Church and the Church of England. After graduating from their schools, they were strangers in their own communities and still experienced racism in mainstream Canadian society, despite their “white mannerisms.” In addition to cultural erasure, students endured sexual assault and harsh discipline[6]. About 70% of students from most residential schools experienced some form of sexual abuse. Of the 5,000 estimated offenders, fewer than 50 people have been convicted[7]. Many students even died at these schools. Due to administrative negligence, the exact number of school-related deaths is debated; however, the TRC has estimated that somewhere between 3,200 and 30,000 students never made it home[8]. These deaths are believed to be related to malnourishment, unsanitary conditions, lack of medical care, excessive physical abuse, and suicide.

   Though protesting was mostly ineffective in the late 1800s and early 1900s, students, Indigenous politicians, and parents still raised their collective voices against the harsh treatment of children at these institutes[9]. For example, students disrupted the daily activities of their schools by refusing to cooperate with the teachers and administrators, stealing food and miscellaneous supplies, running away, and setting fires as forms of protests to improve their quality of life. These acts of defiance grew into mass protests in the late 1990s. Combined with a lack of funding, the government realized that the business model for these institutes was unsustainable, which resulted in the closure of residential schools in the late 1900s[10].

The debate

   Though various police investigations and the TCR reports have shown the negative impact of residential schools on the Indigenous community, some conservative pundits defend these institutes and credit them with the “positive experiences” they provided[11]. Senator Beyak Lynn, appointed under former Prime Minister Harper Stephen, defended the religious leaders and administrators of these institutes for their good intentions. She claims to have talked to Indigenous people who spoke positively of their time in school and maintained their Christian faith after graduating. Like her, quite a few people believe that the TCR reports highlight the negative aspects and skim over the educational and moral values the schools instilled in Indigenous students. Professor Robert Beachy (Prof., Common Curriculum, Director of Veritas Research Center, UIC) strongly disagrees with her and said that her statements “are nothing more than pathetic excuses.” “The schools themselves are responsible for the conditions that the students who are compelled to come experience,” he said, referring to the “dismal and deplorable conditions,” which Senator Beyak skimmed over and trivialized.

What is the Canadian government doing now?

   In 2015, the TRC issued “94 Calls to Action,” a list of policy suggestions that aim to provide instructions for the government, the Canadian community, and religious institutes to promote reconciliation with the Indigenous community[12]. Besides the 14 completed projects, 60 are either underway or have just been proposed, and 20 have not even started even six years after Prime Minister Trudeau agreed to implement all of these policy changes. The project to implement procedures to identify unfound mass grave sites only recently started after 215 unmarked graves were recovered in British Columbia[13]. The project that the government reviews its statute of limitations laws to ensure that limitation defenses are not used against allegations of historical abuse against Indigenous people has fallen on deaf ears. At this rate, it is estimated that the remaining policy suggestions will be completed by 2062 at the earliest[14]. North Sheila, the former Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO) Grand Chief, believes that considerable progress would be seen if an oversight committee, headed by the Indigenous people, is put in charge of the implementation procedure.

   Some Indigenous people and lawyers have taken matters into their own hands; they are demanding immediate accountability, and have taken legal action against the Canadian government, churches, and various members of these institutes. In early June, Miller Brendan, an international law lawyer, asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to start a “preliminary examination” into the residential institutes in Canada[15]. As Canada gives ICC lawyers domestic powers, it is entirely possible that there will be a trial in the near future if the court takes on this case. However, the ICC has yet to respond to Miller’s request. Professor Beachy believes “it is possible that Canada will allow the ICC to investigate this issue. This would exert international pressure on the Catholic Church to cooperate with the investigation since the church has not volunteered any information even though they have been compelled every step of the way.”

*                  *                  *

   With the search for the remaining unfound remains of Indigenous students ongoing, Canada once again contemplates its role in the erasure of native language, identity, and culture. Currently, 75,000 former students still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcoholism, substance abuse, and, in extreme cases, even commit suicide. As the past cannot be undone or forgotten, Indigenous people ask for support from others to compel the government to fulfill the remaining policy suggestions.

[1] BBC

[2] Global News

[3] The Anglican Planet

[4] The Canadian Encyclopedia

[5] The Globe and Mail

[6] Anglican Journal

[7] National Post

[8] Toronto Star

[9] The Canadian Encyclopedia

[10] TVOntario

[11] CBC News

[12] CBC News

[13] National Post

[14] CTV News

[15] Al Jazeera English