Legacy and Closing of Residential Schools

Aboriginal people disliked the idea of residential schools. They were usually run by churches of a different culture (ex. Catholic) and were taught the ways of Canadian society. Aboriginal kids were taken by the Canadian government and transported to different parts of the country to be assimilated to the Canadian society. They were taught the ways of Canadian life. The kids were taught English or French and were banned from doing anything that was of Aboriginal culture. They would be punished if they did so. Kids were subject to being physically, sexually and mentally harassed.The Aboriginals did not want the children to be assimilated. They wanted to maintain their culture. If the children were assimilated, the culture in the future would vanish.

The closure of residential schools around the 1970s was great for the Aboriginals. The children would stop being assimilated, and they would maintain their own culture. This closure was significant to Canadian history as it brought the Canadian government and the Aboriginals closer. After so many years of major conflict, this brought less arguments between them. There were still some issues to be solved, but the closure of the schools was a good thing.

In 2005, 2 billion dollars was given to people who suffered in residential schools. In 2008, a formal apology for the bad treatment at residential schools was given by Prime Minister Harper on behalf of the Canadian government.

Sources

"Residential Schools." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Accessed July 30, 2015.

"The Residential School System." The Residential School System. Accessed July 30, 2015.