What are we talking about??!

Q: What are WE talking about?

 

A: Well, what "Children from Home and Family" (Ratiksa'onkón:'a) is talking about is the history of Residential Schools, the Aboriginals that were effected, and how communities in Canada are effected today.

 

Q: What are (were) Residential Schools?

 

A: Explained furthur in the HISTORY page, Residential Schools were established in the 1870s for "Indian students." Children between the ages of 4-16 were forced from their homes to attend these schools; essentially to be assimilated into the majority ethnic--white people.

 

Q: Do these schools still exist in Canada?

 

A: Thankfully, NO. The last Residential School in Canada was closed in 1996.

 

Q: How many Residential students attended?

 

A: It is estimated that 15,000 children attended Indian Residential Schools.

 

Q: How did the initiative of Residential Schools come about?

 

A: Conceived by Christian churches and the Canadian government as an attempt to both educate and convert Aboriginal youth and to integrate them into Canadian society.