The Unfolding Shadow: Canada’s Residential School Legacy and the Enduring Scar on Turtle Island
The land now known as Canada, or Turtle Island as it is known to many Indigenous peoples, bears an indelible scar, a wound that festers generations after its infliction. This is the legacy of the Indian Residential School system – a brutal, government-funded, church-administered program designed not merely to educate, but to "kill the Indian in the child." For over a century, this system systematically stripped Indigenous children of their language, culture, spirituality, and identity, leaving behind a profound intergenerational trauma that continues to reverberate through communities today. This is not merely a historical footnote; it is a living, breathing injustice that demands ongoing truth, reconciliation, and justice.
From the 1830s until the last school closed in 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and sent to residential schools. The stated goal, articulated by Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs Duncan Campbell Scott in 1920, was chillingly clear: "I want to get rid of the Indian problem… Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department." This was a policy of cultural genocide, an attempt to erase an entire civilization under the guise of "civilizing" and "Christianizing."
Upon arrival at these institutions, children were immediately stripped of their traditional clothing, given new, often European names, and punished for speaking their ancestral languages. Siblings were often separated, severing crucial family bonds. The curriculum, if it can be called that, was rudimentary, focused more on manual labour and religious indoctrination than academic achievement. Many schools were underfunded, overcrowded, and unsanitary, leading to rampant disease. Tuberculosis outbreaks were common, with death rates in some schools reaching as high as 60 percent. Children died far from home, their graves often unmarked and their families never informed.
The physical, emotional, and sexual abuse within the residential schools was widespread and systemic. Survivors recount horrific stories of beatings, solitary confinement, forced starvation, and various forms of sexual assault. These acts of violence were perpetrated by staff members, many of whom faced no accountability. The trauma inflicted was not just physical; it was deeply spiritual and psychological. Children learned that their culture was inferior, their spiritual beliefs pagan, and their very existence as Indigenous people a problem to be solved. They were taught to despise themselves, their families, and their heritage.
The consequences of this systematic abuse did not end when the last school closed. Instead, they became deeply embedded in the fabric of Indigenous communities, manifesting as what is now understood as intergenerational trauma. Children who never experienced healthy parenting themselves often struggled to parent their own children, leading to cycles of neglect and abuse. The loss of language and cultural knowledge created a void, weakening community ties and spiritual foundations. Many survivors turned to substance abuse as a coping mechanism, contributing to alarmingly high rates of addiction, mental health issues, and suicide within Indigenous populations. The breakdown of family units, the erosion of trust in institutions, and the perpetuation of cycles of violence are direct legacies of the residential school system.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), established in 2008, was a monumental effort to document the experiences of residential school survivors and to educate Canadians about the system’s devastating impacts. Over six years, the TRC heard from more than 6,500 witnesses, collecting heart-wrenching testimonies that laid bare the full extent of the horror. In 2015, the TRC released its final report, concluding that Canada’s residential school system amounted to "cultural genocide." The report issued 94 Calls to Action, comprehensive recommendations addressing everything from child welfare and education to justice and health, aimed at redressing the legacy of residential schools and advancing the process of Canadian reconciliation.
Yet, the path to reconciliation has been slow and fraught with challenges. Many of the Calls to Action remain unfulfilled, and systemic inequities persist. A turning point in public awareness, however, came in May 2021, when the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the preliminary discovery of what are believed to be the unmarked graves of 215 children at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. This discovery, and the subsequent findings at other former residential school sites across the country – Cowessess First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, Kapawe’no First Nation, and many more – sent shockwaves across Canada and the world.
These findings confirmed what Indigenous communities had known for generations: that many children sent to residential schools never returned home. The ground beneath these institutions holds the painful truth of mass child mortality and the callous disregard for Indigenous lives. These discoveries brought renewed calls for justice, for the identification and repatriation of remains, and for accountability from both the government and the church organizations that operated the schools. Pope Francis, after initial reluctance, issued a historic apology in Canada in July 2022, expressing "sorrow" for the role of members of the Catholic Church in the "deplorable" residential school system. While a significant step, many survivors and advocates continue to demand more concrete actions, including the return of Indigenous artifacts, financial reparations, and access to church records.
The residential school legacy also manifests in the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights and self-determination. The erosion of traditional governance structures, the imposition of the Indian Act, and the dispossession of land are intrinsically linked to the assimilationist policies that underpinned the residential school system. Today, Indigenous communities are fighting to reclaim their sovereignty, revitalize their languages, and rebuild their nations on their own terms. Cultural resurgence, language immersion programs, Indigenous-led education initiatives, and traditional healing practices are all vital components of this ongoing process of decolonization and healing.
For non-Indigenous Canadians, understanding this legacy is not about assigning individual blame, but about acknowledging a collective historical responsibility. It requires confronting uncomfortable truths about Canada’s past, recognizing the enduring impacts on Indigenous peoples, and actively participating in the journey towards genuine reconciliation. This means supporting Indigenous-led initiatives, advocating for the full implementation of the Calls to Action, and working to dismantle systemic racism wherever it exists.
The scar on Turtle Island is deep, but it is not beyond healing. The resilience, strength, and determination of Indigenous survivors and their communities offer a powerful testament to the enduring spirit that colonialism sought, but failed, to extinguish. The legacy of residential schools is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of assimilationist policies and the profound importance of truth, justice, and respect for all peoples. It is a story not just of pain, but of unwavering spirit, cultural survival, and the ongoing struggle for a future where all children on Turtle Island can thrive, rooted in their identities and free from the shadows of the past.
