Why curriculum about Indian Residential Schools? This unit was developed in response to the call by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada to develop age-appropriate educational materials about Indian Residential Schools. In its Interim Report (2012) the Commission concluded that “Canadians have been denied a full and proper education as to the nature of Aboriginal societies, and the history of the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples.” The colonial foundations of our country resulted in a relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people that was always unbalanced and unjust. This relationship manifested itself in many ways, including the treatment of Indigenous people as wards of the government, the loss of land and language, and the banning of cultural practices that had sustained the diverse First Nations for millennia. A key component in this relationship was the imposition of the residential school system which the dominant culture hoped would bring about its goals of “civilizing and Christianizing.” Only in recent years has mainstream society acknowledged the extreme unjustness of the residential school system and the harm it caused to multiple generations of First Nations families and communities.

Electronic reproduction.

Introduction -- Background -- Planing for Instruction -- Resources Overview -- Part One : Setting the Stage for Inquiry -- Part Two: 150 Years’ Relationship -- Part Three: Research Projects -- Resources -- Glossary -- References and Resources -- Department of Indian Affairs School Files Index.