Canada's Boarding Schools: A Sad Story

These special schools were spread all across Canada, in many different places. Some were in big cities, and others were way out in the countryside, far from the villages where Indigenous children lived. It was like sending kids to a camp that was so far away, they couldn't easily visit their parents.

The Canadian government and church groups worked together to build and run these places for a very long time.

These schools started a long, long time ago, even before Canada was a country! They became more common after a special law called the Indian Act was made. Then, it became a rule that Indigenous children had to go to these schools.

By the time many parents were alive, about 30 out of every 100 Indigenous kids were sent away. The last of these schools finally closed its doors not too long ago, in 1997.

Going to these schools was very hard for the children. They were taken away from their families and weren't allowed to speak their own languages or practice their traditions. It was like being told you couldn't play your favorite game or sing your favorite song.

Sadly, many children were treated badly, and some got very sick. Over 4,000 children died at these schools, often from sicknesses like tuberculosis.

After many years, people started to understand how much pain these schools caused. The government and churches said they were sorry for their part in it. A special group called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission looked into what happened.

They learned that the schools were meant to make Indigenous children forget their own ways and become like other Canadians. This was a very sad and unfair time in Canada's history.