IRSRC - Residential School History

Indian Residential Schools in Canada - Historical Chronology

1620-1680
In New France the first boarding school arrangements are made for Indian Youth by the Récollets, a French order, and later the Jesuits and the female order the Ursulines. By 1680 the New France experiment of educating Indian children in residential establishments is teminated.

1820s-40s
Early church schools run by Protestants, Catholics, Anglicans, and Methodists established.

1847
Egerton Ryerson's study of Native education, undertaken at the request of the Assistant Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, under the Imperial Government, became the model for future Indian Residential Schools (IRS). Ryerson recommended that the schools provide domestic education, religious instruction for the Indian, for "nothing can be done to improve and elevate his character and condition without the aid of religious feeling..." The recommended focus was on agricultural training; and the government would control the schools only through inspections of them, reports from them and grants to them on the basis of the inspections and reports.

1848-51
The Department of Indian Affairs (DIA), under the Imperial Government, plan to allot private property to encourage Indians in industry was rejected by band councils, but bands were very supportive of education and new schools were established.

1856
A shift in Imperial Government policy towards assimilation through education begins. DIA began to refine its approach in the growing belief that adult Indians could not be changed, resulting in an emphasis upon educating children.

1860
Responsibility for Indian Affairs transferred from imperial government to the Province of Canada.

1860s-70s
Disappearance of the buffalo forced changes in prairie west; Plains Indians sought knowledge of agriculture and requested schools as part of the treaties that set up reserves for them.

1867
With the enactment of the British North American Act, Indian Education becomes federal responsibility. Indian Day Schools are set up in accordance with Treaty provisions of the 1850's.

1876
First Indian Act gives authority to Minister of DIA to control Indian Education.

1879
Nicholas Flood Davin, Conservative M.P., was sent to the US in January to study the Indian education system and report on its appropriateness as a model for the Northwest Territories (NWT). Davin recommended that four denominational industrial boarding schools be established in the NWT so that Indian children could learn Christian morality and work habits away from the influences of the home. With its numerous recommendations, Davin's report had an important influence in shaping the early residential school system. Existing Mission schools would become feeder schools for the larger government run Industrial schools that would enrol students at the approximate age of 14. Industrial schools taught Indian students trades.

1884
The Indian Act was amended to allow regulations to be made regarding, among other things, compulsory attendance for those status Indians under the age of 16 until they reached 18 years of age in Indian schools.

1895
Deputy Secretary General of Indian Affairs (DSGIA) Reed reported in the 1895 annual report that the DIA's move away from day schools toward industrial schools off reserve was gradually earning the approval of the Indians of Manitoba, BC and the North-West Territories.

1900
By this time, only 22 industrial and 34 mission boarding schools were in existence, compared to 225 day schools. Like the day schools, the boarding schools were located on reserves but had the advantages of ensuring attendance while the parents were away but allowing contact with them when they were on the reserve.

1920
Amendment to Indian Act made attendance mandatory for all children 7-15. Chiefs and band councils are given the right to inspect schools in a further provision of the Indian Act. Term ‘residential' replaces ‘boarding' and ‘industrial' in DIA terminology.

1936
The Indian Affairs Branch comes under Department of Mines and Resources; provincial curricula were to be used, with an emphasis on vocational training in residential schools.

1944
The Director of Indian Affairs appeared before the Special Committee on Reconstruction and Re-Establishment to argue for a shift from residential to day schools.

1946
The Anglican Church was conducting its own "investigation into the Indian work of the Church, especially with regard to Residential Schools" The Church committee recommended that youngsters be taught to read and write English, simple Arithmetic, the Geography of their own region, and the history of their own people.

1948
Beginning of era of integration of Native and non-Native schools, which lasted 40 years.

1949
The Director of Education laid out his five year plan for Indian education. He asserted that the churches had "taken the initiative" regarding construction of IRS and that "a new policy must be instituted in which the Department decides on the basis of professional surveys and reports, as to the necessity of erecting this type of school."

1950
A policy statement from the IAB Director in a memorandum to the Deputy Minister noted that attendance at residential schools should be restricted to underprivileged children who have no homes or whose home conditions are undesirable and to children who live in areas where it is not possible for them to attend day schools.

1951
The IAB replaced half-day with full-day instruction; as the old system of residential schools began to disappear and more children began to attend day schools.

1952
The Canadian Home and School and Parent-Teacher Association elected to its National Committee an Indian representative who prepared a "Report on Indian Education" which presented a comparison of the statistics for 1945 and 1951, that showed an increase in the numbers of children being educated. It also noted that the federal government was being more diligent regarding the needs of Aboriginals in Canada.

1956
Regulations for the establishment of school committees were set up and Branch field staff was requested to encourage and assist all Band Councils to develop these committees. In ten years about fifty would form.

1957
A memorandum prepared by the Superintendent of Indian Education reviewed the activities of the Education Division for the period 1952-57. The Superintendent noted that during this time residential schools saw an increase of Indian teachers from 42 in 1952 to 81 in 1957.

1957
A memorandum from the Director to the Deputy Minister recommended establishment of a Board of Indian Education made up of representatives of the government, Indians, the churches and the Canadian Education Association. They would meet annually to discuss educational policy and so an opinion could be obtained on new policies before they were launched.

1958
At the Fourth Conference of Regional Inspectors of Indian Schools, held in Ottawa in April, it was recommended that the IRS system be demolished, but it was subsequently realized that residential schools were necessary under certain circumstances, and these schools were increasingly playing the role of boarding places.

1958
A memorandum to the Secretary of the Treasury Board sought funding for establishing kindergartens for Indian children 5 years of age. The primary purpose of this new policy was to assist Indian children with the "most formidable handicap that faces" them, the requirement of learning a second language.

1958
Between 1949 and 1958, attendance in IRS had grown by about 50% in this period to over 37000. Only 7330 Indian students attended non-Indian schools but this represented an increase of almost 500%.

1966
A proposal from The Canadian Welfare Council for a study of the residential school system was submitted to the department on April 4. The study noted that priority in admission to Residential Schools was now given to children where there was family breakdown.

1967
A memorandum from the Director of Education Services to the regional school superintendents made recommendations regarding Indian cultural activities in residential schools. A new programme was to bring half an hour a week of "instruction in some aspect of Indian culture..."

1967
The Department reported that the role of Indian education continues to change as Native people began taking an increasingly active part of in the education of their children via local boards of education.

1968
The Education Branch undertook an extensive survey of textbooks used in both provincial and federal schools across Canada. The provinces cooperated fully with improvement or removal of any texts found "inappropriate."

1969
DIAND assumed management of residential schools. Day schools and other arrangements replaced residential schools, which become special service only. Parental consent was required for placing children in a residential school and parents were now included on school committees. By this time, 60% of Indian students were in provincial schools.

1969-70
Increased consultation with Native people was recommended in a memorandum from the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of Indian Consultation and Negotiation to the ADM of Indian and Eskimo Affairs following statements from Native leaders who were critical of the level of participation "in matters affecting their present and future situation," including education.

1970
Blue Quills Residential School is the first of the residential schools to come under the control of First Nations. The NIB calls for the end of federal control of native schooling.

1970-71
The Department decided to close Indian residences "as soon as it is practical and reasonable to do so."

1971
In the committee's fifth report, known as the Watson Report, The Standing Committee on Indian Affairs and Northern Development was critical of the Department's efforts regarding education. The report noted that both DIAND and the provinces were aware of the "inadequacies in the education programs" but their "new awareness has produced many improvements and imaginative innovations."

1971
A five-year programme was established for Native Cultural/Education Centres by Cabinet decision in July. Furthermore, bands were becoming more involved in establishing education centres; one example is the Old Sun campus founded by the Blackfoot.

1973
Control of the Indian education program is given to Band Councils and Indian education committees. The department would train Native people to administer schools and consent was required by Native people before any shift from the federal to the provincial educational system was made. Furthermore, Native Cultural/Educational Center Programs would continue, a revision of curricula to meet requirements of Native students would ensue, and a higher emphasis on post-secondary education would be put in place.

1973
The Department had been supporting training programs for Native teachers but the number of Native teachers was still too low to meet the demand. In recognition of this difficulty, the Department required that non-Native teachers "take courses in inter-cultural education so as to increase their understanding of the Indian child..." All teachers were expected to have completed these courses by 1975.

1973-74
Cultural identity would be strengthened as more and more Native people became involved as staff in many different roles in the educational system. By 1974, over 34% of staff had Indian status.

1975
A DIAND publication reported that 174 federal and 34 provincial schools had language programs in 23 Native languages.

1975
In October, a provincial Task Force on the Educational Needs of Native Peoples heard many recommendations from Native representatives that reiterated the goals of training for Native teachers, increased language and cultural programs and improved funding for Native control of education.

1979
Only 15 IRS still operating. The Department undertook a "major Education evaluation." These measures included initiatives in the Regional Offices to increase the involvement of Native people in education and ways to increase the "sensitization of our school principals and teachers on reserves of the particular cultural and other needs of Indian students."

1982
A Statement of Policy provided notes that the mandate is to support Indian people in assuring their cultural continuity and development by providing Indian youth with the knowledge, attitudes and life skills necessary to become self-sufficient and contributing members of society. The Departmental objective for this policy was to "ensure quality education through Indian control."

1989
Allegations of sexual abuse of non-native orphans by Christian Brothers at Mount Cashel Orphanage in Newfoundland are made public and pave the way for litigation for residential school victims.

1991
Public awareness on the issue of abuse grew in the early 1990s. One result was the First Canadian Conference on Residential Schools, held in Vancouver on June 18-21. According to a press line written for the purpose, the key points in the government's response on the issue of abuse in residential schools included "mention [of] the personal impact of the issue and the assimilation, loss of culture and familial disruption which resulted from the residential school system..." However, it was stressed that past government policies cannot be undone - DIAND policies now support Indian self-government as well as Indian control over their own schools..."

1991
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate offer an apology to the First Nations peoples of Canada.

1993
7 IRS operating: 6 under band control and 1 by DIAND at First Nation's request.

1993
In a message from the Primate to the National Native Convocation, the Anglican Church of Canada offers an apology to the First Nations peoples of Canada.

1994
The Presbyterian Church offers a confession to First Nations peoples of Canada.

1996
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) issues its final report in November. The five volume, 4,000 page report covers a vast range of issues and its 440 recommendations call for sweeping changes to the relationship between Aboriginal and non Aboriginal people and governments in Canada. There is an entire chapter dealing with residential schools.

1996
The last federally run residential school, the Gordon Residential School, closes in Saskatchewan.

1998, January 7
The Honourable Jane Stewart and the Honourable Ralph Goodale unveil Gathering Strength Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan, which is a long-term, broad based policy approach in response to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. It includes the Statement of Reconciliation: Learning from the Past, in which the Government of Canada recognizes and apologizes to those who experienced physical and sexual abuse at Indian Residential Schools and acknowledged its role in the development and administration of residential schools.

1998
St. Michael's Indian Residential Schools becomes the last band run school to close.

1998
The United Church's General Council Executive offers a second apology to the First Nations peoples of Canada for the abuse incurred at Residential Schools. Litigation naming the Government of Canada and major Church denominations grows from several hundred to 7,500.