What is a residential school?
A residential school is one of the Canadian governments biggest taboos. It is a school where all First Nation children were sent if they were between the ages of 7-15, and their families could not support them or thought it was a good idea. The schools opened in 1820 and the last school closed in 1996. A total of 150 000 children suffered the effects of these schools.
What did they do at the schools?
The children were sent there to get a 'proper education.' The Canadian government created the residential school to teach the kids a new religion, new language, and new life. They were treated strictly. The nuns (who taught them) didn't teach much though, they mostly forced the children to do chores and hard labour. The children were forced to cook, clean, and work on the farm.
What were some of the rules?
They were not permitted to speak their native language, or talk badly about the school to their family. They weren't allowed to interact with the boys unless supervision was there. They could only eat what they were given, and they had to eat it no matter what. They weren't allowed to miss mass for any reason, and always had to pray. There were many more rules, their lives were shaped around rules, but those are the main ones.
How were they punished?
There is a tab just on this information- usually very strictly and harshly. It was physical, mental and there are even times they were sexually abused. One boy remembers "for Christmas.. the only thing we were allowed.. was the candy and fruit.. so we had to eat it all before it was taken from us. ..When we went to Christmas dinner we were unable to eat... salt shaker.. whole thing spilled into my dinner... Sister Anderson stirring everything up with a spoon. She.. grabbed.. my hair and titled my head back.. she shovelled the food in my mouth until I threw up.. When I stopped vomiting, she ..shovelled the rest of the food in...I was in that infirmary for I don't know how long." (Knockwood, 1992)
When could they see their families?
The children who had families who could look after them were permitted to go home during the summer. As well as that, the parents were allowed to visit on Sundays. Most parents though were too far away to visit, so some kids didn't see them the entire school year.
How did they communicate with their families and other students?
They didn't communicate much with their families. They were permitted to write to them at Easter, and Christmas. However, you were not allowed to tell your family anything bad about the school. "writing non-commintal letters while the nun walked up and down the aisles looking over our shoulders... One of the boys wrote that one boy had tried to run away and had his head shaved as a punishment.. Loyalty to your family, she (Sister Adrian) explained, meant not letting anyone else know about anything bad that happened at the school. The boy..wasn't allowed..to write to his parents until Easter." (Knockwood, 1992)
The other students were not permitted to speak during lessons. While they were doing hard labour unsupervised, they could talk then. They had two hours of social time per day, but still were not allowed to speak to the boys.
The other students were not permitted to speak during lessons. While they were doing hard labour unsupervised, they could talk then. They had two hours of social time per day, but still were not allowed to speak to the boys.