CANADA
Montreal Gazette
BY THE CANADIAN PRESS JULY 21, 2013
Education policy has long been a source of tension between the federal government and First Nations, from the painful legacy of residential schools to the current debate over the upcoming First Nation Education Act. Here are some key moments:
1874
The Canadian government’s involvement in residential schools begins. Aboriginal children are removed from their communities across the country and placed in government-funded, church-run institutions. These schools are used to assimilate aboriginal children, by exposing them to new language and cultural traditions while stripping them of their own.
1972
The National Indian Brotherhood (which later becomes the Assembly of First Nations) asks for more control of its peoples’ education. A policy is outlined in a paper called Indian Control of Indian Education.
1996
The last residential school closes in Yellowknife. The negative repercussions of life at these schools trickles down through generations of aboriginal peoples.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.