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Education

New Report Offers a Nuanced Perspective on Canada’s Indian Residential Schools

Published

1 week ago

5 minute read

From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Positive stories about Indian Residential Schools must also be heard

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is pleased to announce the release of a thought-provoking new report titled Positive Stories of Indian Residential Schools Must Also be Heard by Hymie Rubenstein and James C. McCrae. This report challenges the dominant narrative surrounding Canada’s Indian Residential Schools, advocating for a more balanced and comprehensive understanding of their historical legacy.

In Positive Stories of Indian Residential Schools Must Also be Heard, Rubenstein and McCrae critically examine the current portrayal of the residential school system, which is often overwhelmingly negative. The authors argue that this narrative fails to acknowledge the positive experiences of many former students and the genuine intentions of those who worked within the system. While not dismissing the testimonies of abuse, the report emphasizes that these accounts do not represent the full spectrum of experiences at the schools.

The report highlights several stories of individuals who credit their time in residential schools with shaping their successful futures. For instance, Len Marchand, Canada’s first status Indian member of parliament and a federal cabinet minister, attended the Kamloops (BC) Indian Residential School and spoke highly of the education he received there. In his memoir, Breaking Trail, he noted that his time at the school inspired his desire to help his people through education.

Similarly, Tomson Highway, a celebrated Canadian playwright and composer, described his years at Guy Hill Indian Residential School in Manitoba as “nine of the best years of my life.” His parents chose to send him to the school, believing it would provide better opportunities for their children. The skills Highway acquired, including classical piano, were instrumental in his later achievements.

Reverend Canon Stan Cuthand, an Indigenous Anglican priest who served as a chaplain at several residential schools, also offers a positive perspective. He recalled that the schools were not “terrible places” and praised the efforts of staff who worked to protect and nurture the children, even integrating Indigenous culture into the curriculum.

As students return to classrooms this fall, the topic of residential schools has taken a central role in many curricula across the country. However, there is concern that some teachers focus solely on the “horrors” of these institutions or even frame Canada as a genocidal state, leaving little room for a balanced discussion. This report urges educators to offer a more nuanced view that includes both the positive and negative aspects of the residential school system. Stories like those of Tomson Highway and Len Marchand demonstrate that not every experience was one of trauma, and some students went on to achieve remarkable success as a result of their education.

The report also touches on the experiences of Lea Meadows, whose mother, Elsie McLaren Meadows, had a positive experience at the Brandon (Manitoba) Indian Residential School. Inspired by her time there, Elsie became a teacher and later worked in similar schools. Meadows argues that it is unjust to label all who worked at these schools as abusers, recognizing that many were dedicated to the well-being and education of the children.

Moreover, the report cites instances where Indigenous communities themselves supported the continuation of residential schools. For example, in 1970, Alberta’s Saddle Lake First Nation residents successfully protested the closure of Blue Quills School, taking control of the institution themselves. Similarly, in 1971, eight Saskatchewan bands advocated for the Marieval Indian Residential School to remain open, emphasizing its importance for children from challenging home environments.

Positive Stories of Indian Residential Schools Must Also be Heard is a timely and significant contribution to the ongoing debate about the legacy of the residential school system. It encourages Canadians to consider all perspectives in the pursuit of truth and reconciliation, acknowledging both the positive and negative aspects of this complex history.

Download the backgrounder here. (10 pages)

About the Authors:

  • Hymie Rubenstein is the editor of REAL Indigenous Report. A retired professor of anthropology, he served as a board member and taught for many years at St. Paul’s College, University of Manitoba, the only Roman Catholic higher education institution in Manitoba.
  • James C. McCrae is a former attorney general of Manitoba and Canadian citizenship judge.
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Alberta

$8.6 billion committed: Province to fund up to 30 new schools and 8 modernizations in each of next 3 years

Published on September 18, 2024

By

Alberta’s government is committing $8.6 billion to complete and open 200,000 new student spaces across the province in the next seven years.

Alberta’s population is growing exponentially as more people from across Canada and around the world choose to make the province their home. This rapid growth is causing strain on the Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system, with student enrolment increasing at historic rates.

To keep up with fast-rising student enrolment, Alberta’s government is committing $8.6 billion through the new School Construction Accelerator Program. This program will create more than 200,000 new and modernized spaces for students to learn, grow and reach their full potential. Starting in Budget 2025, Alberta’s government will kick-start up to 30 new schools and as many as eight modernizations and replacement schools every year for the next three years.

“Every student deserves a quality education in a school that can meet their learning needs and set them on a path to success in the future. As hundreds of thousands of people are choosing to make Alberta their home, we are responding by funding and building the schools our fast-growing communities need. As we build, we’re asking school boards and municipalities to work with us so we can get shovels in the ground as quickly as possible.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

The Calgary Metropolitan Area and Edmonton Metropolitan Region, along with other communities across the province, have been feeling the pressures of strong student growth and aging school infrastructure. The School Construction Accelerator Program will result in 50,000 new or modernized student spaces over the next three years – and more than 150,000 new and modernized spaces over the following four years. In total, the School Construction Accelerator Program will mean approval for up to 30 new school projects and as many as eight new modernization and replacement projects every year over the next three years. In addition to the school projects, 20,000 new student spaces will be delivered through modular classrooms over the next four years.

“We are investing in the future of our province. Through our commitment to kick-start 30 new schools each year over the next three years, we are delivering new student spaces across the province and in our fastest-growing communities for students to learn, grow and reach their full potential.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education

“I look forward to working with my ministry and industry partners to build the schools Albertans need and ensuring that each project is as unique as the students who use them. School builds, modernizations and renovations support tens of thousands of jobs across the province. As Alberta communities continue to grow, this announcement will allow us to meet demands for spaces faster and more efficiently, all while creating jobs and boosting our local and provincial economies.”

Pete Guthrie, Minister of Infrastructure

The School Construction Accelerator program also takes immediate action to speed up the construction of schools by enabling school projects to be approved in-year for their next stage in the construction process without having to wait for the next budget cycle. This means all previously approved school projects currently in the planning and design stages can move forward to the next stage as soon as they are ready to do so. Through this change, 10 previously announced priority school projects are now approved for the next stage of project delivery, including six moving to full construction.

“We appreciate the government’s recognition that there is an urgent need to provide additional learning spaces for CBE students. CBE families are looking forward to new schools in their growing communities and modernizations to address aging infrastructure. Thank you to the Premier and the Government of Alberta for this much-needed investment.”

Patricia Bolger, board chair, Calgary Board of Education

“Edmonton Public Schools is grateful for the province’s funding for school infrastructure. This crucial support will help us meet urgent needs and positively affect our students and families.”

Julie Kusiek, board chair, Edmonton Public Schools

The population growth has not only increased pressure in the public and separate school system but has increased demand for publicly funded charter programming and space needs. Public charter schools play an important role in Alberta’s education system by offering unique programming to students focused on a learning style, teaching style, approach or pedagogy not already being offered by school boards where the charter is located. As part of this accelerated program, Alberta’s government will add 12,500 new charter school student spaces over the next four years through a Charter School Accelerator pilot program.

“The Association of Alberta Public Charter Schools is elated by this historic capital announcement. It will help ensure that more families and students can access the excellent programming our public charter schools offer for generations to come.”

Joanne Higgins, president, The Alberta Association of Public Charter Schools (TAAPCS)

Independent schools offer specialized learning supports as well as religious and cultural programming to support parental and educational choice. Alberta’s government will continue to explore opportunities for a school capital pilot program for non-profit independent schools to broaden learning options for Alberta families.

Quick facts

  • The School Construction Accelerator Program will deliver more than 200,000 new and modernized student spaces.
    • Previously approved school projects and modular classrooms will create about 50,000 new and modernized student spaces over the next three years.
    • The program will create about 150,000 additional new and modernized student spaces. This includes:
      • more than 100,000 new student spaces
      • more than 16,600 modernized student spaces
      • more than 20,000 student spaces in new or relocated modular classrooms
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Education

New Brunswick premier took just 3 days to ban group giving explicit presentation at schools: docs

Published on September 13, 2024

By

From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Maagad

The group, HPV Global Action, had shown the graphic material to students in Grade 6 through Grade 12 (roughly aged 11 to 18) without appropriate parental notification. 

Internal documents show that New Brunswick banned a graphic “sex-education” presentation from schools just three days after parental outcry. 

According to documents obtained by Rebel News, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs took only three days to enforce new pro-family polices after his office was notified of inappropriate material being shown to school children.   

“We now know that Premier Higgs’ office was flagged about the presentation on May 24, 2023,” the report found. 

“Within hours, Higgs took to social media to express his outrage, promising swift action. By May 27, third-party presentations were banned, and a new review process was put in place,” it continued.   

On May 27, the premier shared slides of a presentation given by a third-party group to New Brunswick school children that contained questions about pornography, masturbation and anal “sex.”

The group, HPV Global Action, had shown the graphic material to students in Grade 6 through Grade 12 (roughly aged 11 to 18) without appropriate parental notification.  

“To say I am furious would be a gross understatement,” Higgs declared at the time, adding that the group had been banned “effective immediately.”  

Earlier that month, New Brunswick became the first of now many provinces to promise pro-family legislation to protect children from LGBT indoctrination in schools. 

As LifeSiteNews previously reported, part of the legislation included reviewing Policy 713, the province’s public school Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity policy, arguing that the current policy denies parents their rightful knowledge if their child wants to “change” genders.   

As a result, Higgs introduced a new policy which required parental consent for teachers to use different names or pronouns for students under age 16. It also mandated separate change rooms and washrooms for boys and girls, based on their biology.  

Higgs is far from alone in his fight to protect Canadians from the LGBT agenda. In fact, Alberta and Saskatchewan have recently introduced legislation to uphold parental rights.    

In February, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced new legislation that would ban doctors from pharmaceutically “transitioning” children, require parental consent for pronoun changes in school, and bar men claiming to be women from women’s sports.      

Similarly, last September, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced that he will invoke his government’s notwithstanding clause to protect legislation stating that parents must be told if their child “changes” genders at school; a judge had ruled against the enforcement of the law earlier that day.       

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