Educating Our Educators (March 2011) - Algoma District School Board

Canadian society did not challenge either the intent of the system or the assumed beneficial effects of the programthroughout its history. Aboriginal people, for the most part, experienced residential schools as inherently violent even inthose situations where school personnel were kind and educational benefits were valued.In order to implement the policy, Truant Officers, Indian Agents, and/or RCMP police officers went to ‘Indian reserves’ toforcibly remove First Nations’ children ages 5 to 15 years from their families in order to attend residential schools. ManyFirst Nation children lost their family connections or contact to their communities for years at a time.Although the schools are often referred to as Indian residential schools, Métis children were recruited to fill places in themthroughout their history. From 1955 to 1970, residential schools and hostels for Inuit students were operated in the Northunder federal authority. Before 1955, Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in the Arctic operated residential schoolswith federal subsidies. After 1970, schools came under the authority of the government of the Northwest Territories. From1950 to 1970, the integration of Aboriginal people into residential school systems was recognized as a failedpolicy which resulted in placing Aboriginal children into mainstream public schools in the late 1950s.Residential Schools in the Algoma DistrictThere were 6 Indian residential schools that were in operation within the territory covered by the AlgomaDistrict School Board: Shingwauk and Wawanosh in Sault Ste Marie; St. Peter Claver, St. Joseph’s, andGarnier High School in Spanish; and St. John’s in Chapleau.Students of Shingwauk Residential SchoolEducating Our Educators – Educating Our Aboriginal StudentsRevised March 201136