What Are Residential Schools?

In Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. Attendance was mandatory from 1894 to 1947. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches.

What was the purpose of residential schools?

Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their home, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate into the dominant culture.

Do residential schools still exist?

The last federally-funded residential school, Kivalliq Hall in Rankin Inlet, closed in 1997. Residential schools operated in every Canadian province and territory with the exception of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.