Indian Residential Schools - Every Child Matters

The recent discovery of numerous children's bodies at former Indian residential school sites in Canada has brought to light the tragic legacy of the residential school system.

From the late 1800s to the 1990s, the Canadian government ran a network of boarding schools for Indigenous children, with the goal of assimilating them into Canadian society and eradicating their cultural traditions and languages. Children as young as three years old were forcibly taken from their families and placed in these schools, where they were often subjected to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Many children also died due to illness, neglect, or abuse while attending these schools.

The discovery of children's bodies at the former residential school sites is a tragic reminder of the horrors that Indigenous children experienced while attending these schools. The remains of these children were often buried in unmarked graves, and their deaths were not properly documented or investigated. It is believed that there are many more children's bodies yet to be discovered.

The findings have sparked calls for justice and reconciliation for the Indigenous peoples of Canada, as well as demands for a full accounting of the deaths and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding them. It is hoped that these discoveries will help to raise awareness of the ongoing impact of the residential school system on Indigenous communities and lead to greater understanding and healing.

As September 2021, the number of children's bodies discovered at former Indian residential schools in Canada was more than 1,300. However, it's important to note that this number may change as more sites are searched and as investigations continue. It's also important to remember that behind each of these numbers is a tragic story of a young life lost and a family left to grieve. The discovery of these children's bodies has brought renewed attention to the legacy of the residential school system in Canada and the ongoing efforts towards reconciliation and healing for Indigenous peoples.

There have also been documented cases of children's deaths in Indian residential schools in the United States. The Indian boarding school system in the US was similar to the Canadian residential school system in that it sought to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children into American society by separating them from their families, culture, and language.

While specific numbers are difficult to determine due to incomplete records and inconsistent reporting, it is known that many children suffered from poor living conditions, inadequate nutrition and healthcare, physical and sexual abuse, and neglect in these schools. As a result, many children became ill and some died while attending these schools.

In recent years, there have been efforts to investigate and document the deaths of children in US Indian residential schools. In 2021, the United States Department of the Interior announced a comprehensive review of the federal government's boarding school policies and their lasting impacts on Indigenous communities, including the loss of human life. The discovery of children's remains at former residential school sites in Canada has also prompted calls for similar investigations in the US.

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model