“Education is what got us into this mess and education is key to getting us out of it.”
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Chair, The Honourable Murray Sinclair
Summary of history of Indian Residential Schools system (IRS)
- IRS attendance became mandatory for Indigenous children in 1894 from as young as 5 years old.
- In 1920, the Indian Act made attendance at Indian Residential Schools compulsory for Treaty-status children between the ages of 7 and 15
- IRS system peaked in 1931 with 80 schools, however the last residential school in Canada didn’t close until 1996.
- It’s estimated more than 150,000 children were sent to Indian Residential Schools (IRS).
- Half of all the children who went to IRS did not survive even after they passed out of school.
- The IRS system caused multi-generational trauma that is still causing suffering today.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) concluded that residential schools were “a systematic, government- sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” The TRC characterized this intent as “cultural genocide.”
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- In the 1980s, IRS survivors began suing the Canadian government for the harm caused, culminating in the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) – the largest class-action resolution in Canadian history ($2billion).
- In 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed to investigate the full extent of harm caused and recommend solutions.
- Orange Shirt Day started on 30 September 2013 to promote awareness on the impact of the IRS system on Indigenous people.
- In 2015 finally, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published its final report with findings of 94 ‘Calls to Action’, summarized and published in 6 volumes.
- Orange Shirt Day became the federal, statutory National Truth and Reconciliation Day in 2021.
What can we do?
We can plan and participate in the Orange Shirt Day to listen to Indigenous stories and empathize. Read and spread awareness about the 94 Calls to Action and 150 Acts (e.g., learn your region’s land acknowledgment, attend a powwow, download an indigenous podcast, etc.).
References
Reconciliation Education. (2023). https://www.reconciliationeducation.ca/what-are-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-94-calls-to-action#2
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. (2023). https://nctr.ca/education/