Missing Children of Indian Residential Schools
On discovery of unmarked graves at former Indian residential school sites in Canada
Disclaimer: This story contains subject matter that some readers may find distressing. A National Residential School Crisis Line has also been set up to provide support to former students and those affected. This 24-Hour Crisis Line can be accessed at: 1-866-925-4419 .
Introduction
The recent discoveries of more than 2,000 unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools in Canada have brought the world’s renewed attention to the dark and shameful chapter of Canadian history - Between the 1870s and the late 1990s, at least 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation children were taken from their families and communities to attend government-funded, church-run residential schools in an attempt to assimilate them.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), a body mandated to examine the history and impact of the residential schools, declared in 2015 that the residential schools were “a systematic, government- sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages and to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.”
Many of those children who went to residential schools never returned. They were lost to their families. They were buried away from their families in long-neglected graves. The most basic of questions about missing children—Who died? Why did they die? Where are they buried? — have never been addressed or comprehensively documented throughout the history of Canada’s residential school system.
The Development of Residential Schools
The first Indian residential school opened in Brantford, Ontario, in 1831, before Confederation. In 1894, the federal government put in place regulations that authorize the government to separate an Indigenous child from their family if it was felt they were not being properly cared for or educated and place them in a residential school. In 1920, the Indian Act was amended to allow the government to compel any First Nations child between the ages of 7 and 15 to attend residential schools.
Christian churches, especially Roman Catholic, Anglican, United, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches were the major denominations involved in the administration of the residential school system. The government’s partnership with the churches remained in place until 1969. Although most of the schools had closed by the 1980s, it was not until the late 1990s that the last federally supported residential schools closed.
Where are the Residential Schools?
The Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) has recognized a total of 139 residential schools, although this doesn’t include schools operated without federal support, such as those run by provincial governments or by religious orders. The 139 schools operated in all Canadian provinces and territories except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador (N.L.). There were residential schools in N.L., but they were not included in the IRSSA.
Note: The graph was created based on the Residential School Location Data by Rosa Orlandini
The map below shows all the locations of those 139 residential schools. Many schools had several locations throughout the history of the institution. If the school moved from its original location to another property (properties), then the school is shown on the map with more than one location. Most of the residential schools were located in the northern and western regions of the country. With a few exceptions (e.g., the Mount Elgin and the Mohawk Institute), the Ontario schools were all in northern or northwestern Ontario. There were a few residential schools in Quebec and the Maritimes.
Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the map. Click on a particular school on the map to see its detailed information. To find out whether there are residential schools in your interest of area, use the search button on the upper right of the map.
Indian Residential School Locations in Canada
The graph on the right shows the total number of schools listed on the IRSSA that were in operation from 1867 to 1998. The total number of schools increased dramatically after the late 1880s (after the establishment of a formal federal policy on residential schools), and then stayed relatively constant until the late 1930s. Thereafter, although the total number of schools briefly declined during the 1940s and early 1950s, they sharply climbed to reach a peak of 90 in 1964. From 1972 onwards, the number of schools declined rapidly in all jurisdictions. The last schools closed in the late 1990s.
The map below shows how the locations of residential schools changed annually from 1863 to 1998. Click the Play/Pause button on the Time Slider at the bottom of the map to begin or pause the animation.
Indian Residential School Locations from 1863 to 1998
The tragedy of the loss of children was compounded by the fact that burial places were distant or even unknown. Many Aboriginal people have unanswered questions about what happened to their children or relatives while they were attending residential school.
The Discoveries of Unmarked Graves for Missing Children across Canada
Indigenous communities across Canada have been leading searches of residential school sites for unmarked graves. So far, more than 1700 unmarked graves have been discovered near the former sites of seven Canadian Indian residential schools in the Northwest Territories as well as in the provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. See the map below for details about those discoveries.
What about the other former residential school sites?
A number of First Nations have announced new searches for unmarked graves at various former residential school sites since May 28, 2021. The dashboard below shows information about the confirmed discoveries and planned/ongoing investigations for unmarked graves near the former residential school sites in Canada.
On the map, each dot represents a former residential school site and is symbolized by its gravesites status – if the dot is red, that means that there are confirmed discoveries of unmarked graves at this site. If the dot is orange, that means that the search for unmarked graves for this site is planned or underway. If the dot is yellow, that means that no known investigation for unmarked graves has been conducted or is currently planned or underway. Select a school from the list on the bottom left corner of the dashboard to see its detailed information.
As shown in the dashboard, about 40% of the former residential school sites haven’t been searched yet and no plans of investigation have been announced. This dashboard will be updated as new discoveries or investigations are announced.
Understanding the Past – Seeking Reconciliation
Canada’s residential schools for Aboriginal children operated for approximately 150 years. The damages inflicted by these schools continue to this day, which is reflected not only in the inter-generational trauma which passed from survivors to their partners, their children, their grandchildren, their extended families, and their communities, but also in the significant disparities in education, income, and health between Aboriginal people and other Canadians, as well as in the intense racism and the systemic discrimination Aboriginal people regularly experience in this country.
As addressed in the TRC principle of Reconciliation #10:
“Reconciliation requires sustained public education and dialogue, including youth engagement, about the history and legacy of residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal rights, as well as the historical and contemporary contributions of Aboriginal peoples to Canadian society.”
Below is a list of recommended documents and sources to learn more.
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 2015. What we have learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation.
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 2015. Canada's residential schools : missing children and unmarked burials: the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. 2015. Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
- NCTR - National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Residential Schools Records Resources (Library and Archives Canada)
- Indigenous Communities and Organizations Guide (Leddy Library, University of Windsor)
- Residential School Experiences Suggested Readings (Leddy Library, University of Windsor )