Throughout Canadian history, Indian Residential Schools have been a controversial topic of discussion. As early as mid 1800’s, Indian Residential Schools were popping up all over Canada to fulfill the views and the expectations of the white population towards the Indigenous population. The primary goal of these schools was to assimilate the Indian children into the more desired European Christian culture, no matter the harm and torment that would come to the children. Throughout my essay, I will explore the growth, diminishment, and eventual elimination of Indian Residential Schools from the turn of the twentieth century to the last few years of this decade, and how Canadian residential schools affected those who attended and how this contributes to our understanding of the history of education and childhood in Canada. The points I will be focussing on are; who constructed these schools and why, how did these schools influence the education and childhood of these Indian children, how were these children treated in these school and how this further impacted their lives in the future, and lastly, how Indian Residential Schools contributed to the history of Canada. 

The reason why I chose this as my research topic was because this is something that really interests me in history; Indigenous issues like the Indian Residential School system. This topic deals with the segregation and discrimination of children primarily due to their race and how this effects the education and the childhood of the child, is one aspect my ePortfolio will be discussing. My research topic of Indian Residential Schools showcases my main argument of this ePortfolio perfectly by explaining how segregation and discrimination of children can impact their childhood and education.

Header Image from: https://tlichohistory.ca/en/stories/residential-schools