Residential Schools

The Strong and Free podcast series is part of a larger Black History education campaign created by Historica Canada. Along with the podcast series, Historica Canada offers a video series, an education guide, and several new entries on The Canadian Encyclopedia about Black History in Canada.Follow Historica Canada on Twitter,  Instagram, and TikTok @HistoricaCanada, and on Facebook at facebook.com/Historica.Canada/ For more resources, visit historicacanada.ca.

A Place to Belong is part of a larger education campaign created by Historica Canada and made possible in part by the Government of Canada. Along with the podcast series, Historica Canada also offers a video series and an education guide about the history of multiculturalism in Canada. Visit historicacanada.ca for more.  Follow @HistoricaCanada on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok and @Historica.Canada on Facebook. 

In the late 1940s, a Special Joint Committee created by the Government of Canada found that Indian Residential Schools weren’t working. Residential schools across the country were ordered to be closed and their students be transferred to provincial schools. But then, over a decade later, two new residential schools opened in Inuvik, Northwest Territories: Grollier Hall and Stringer Hall. In this episode, Dinjii Zhuh historian Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser, an assistant professor in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Native Studies, explains why the government ignored those recommendations, and what that meant for institutionalized students. Survivors Piita Irniq and Abraham Anghik Ruben give first-hand accounts of life in Northern residential schools. Hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, this is “Residential Schools: Inuit Experiences.”

The Métis are sometimes described as the “forgotten people,” particularly when it comes to the residential school experience. In this episode, Dr. Tricia Logan, a Métis historian and researcher at the Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC, describes the complex and nuanced experiences of Métis students within the system. Hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, this is “Residential Schools: Métis Experiences.”

Gordon’s Indian Residential School in Punnichy, Saskatchewan shut its doors in 1996. It was the last federally run residential school in Canada. More than two decades later, the legacy of what went on behind those doors continues to be felt by Survivors, their families, and communities. In this episode, University of Manitoba’s Dr. Niigaanwewidam Sinclair describes the effects of residential schools on First Nations peoples. Survivors Riley Burns and Ed Bitternose recount their personal experiences at Gordon’s. Hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, this is “Residential Schools: First Nations Experiences.”

Coming March 3, 2020: A three part podcast series hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais about the history of residential schools in Canada. The Residential Schools podcast series aims to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools, and honour the stories of Survivors, families, and communities.