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Teaching a Controversial History Topic: The Indian Residential School System

Chris Allard
University of Manitoba
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Introduction
The emotional nature of the Indian Residential School system makes it challenging to
study and discuss in any grade 11 history classroom. Although it is difficult for both students and
educators to discuss this sensitive and controversial topic, it is crucial that the legacy of the
residential school system is addressed in the classroom. This includes discussing physical and
emotional abuse, intergenerational trauma, and the reconciliation process. It is possible, however,
for educators to discuss this sensitive topic in an appropriate and authentic way. As this paper
will demonstrate, integrating Aboriginal perspectives, locating unbiased websites and films, and
asking questions that foster critical thinking will help students grasp the seriousness of the topic
in an appropriate way.

Preparing to Teach About Residential Schools

When an educator is preparing to teach students about a controversial and sensitive
topic like the Indian Residential School system, they must first consult resources that
incorporate Aboriginal perspectives (St. Amant, 2014). If teachers want to give students an
appropriate and accurate understanding of the topic, they will need to use credible and unbiased
resources to learn about the residential schools and their impacts. If a teacher does not have a
proper understanding of this sensitive issue, how will he/she be able to effectively discuss
cultural genocide or intergenerational trauma? In particular, educators should consult websites
such as Legacy of Hope Foundation, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and
Where are the Children. These three websites are exceptional teacher resources because they
incorporate the voices of residential school survivors. Testimony from residential school
survivors is perhaps one of the best ways to show students what residential school students
endured. Listening to survivors discuss their hardships can be emotional and difficult at times,
but it allows students to become part of the reconciliation process. These websites are also
beneficial to teachers because they provide concise, but in-depth, descriptions of the history of
the residential schools, the intentions of the system, and the healing process. Consulting
different resources to learn information is crucial for educators, but knowing how to deliver the
sensitive content is even more important. Planning a WebQuest would be an exceptional way to
deliver a variety of information to students. If a teacher decides to do an activity such as this,
they must first find websites that accurately describe the history and consequences of the
residential school system. Most importantly, the websites should help students draw
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connections between the residential school system and the problems that we see today in
Canadian Aboriginal society. Not only is a WebQuest beneficial to the students, but it is also
beneficial to the teacher. When a teacher is composing a WebQuest, they are expanding their
knowledge of the topic by studying multiple websites. Consequently, the teacher will be more
prepared to answer students questions and lead class discussions.

Teaching About the Residential Schools

When educators are teaching students about the residential school system, they must
understand that it a sensitive topic that many students might find emotionally disturbing. So, how
can educators introduce this topic to their students in an appropriate (yet accurate) way? Teachers
could begin by showing the video of Stephen Harpers formal apology or navigating through the
Truth and Reconciliation Commissions website with their students. Showing a timeline of the
residential schools would also be a great way to introduce students to this heavy topic. It is also
important, however, for students to be somewhat uncomfortable with a topic as sensitive and
controversial as this. Although teachers need to approach residential schools with sensitivity,
they also need to tell their students that this was a form of cultural genocide. Hundreds of
thousands of Aboriginal children were torn from their families and forced to reject their heritage,
adopt Christianity, and speak the English language. Moreover, students need to know that
thousands of our fellow Canadians (Aboriginals) continue to suffer intergenerational trauma due
to the actions of the government and churches. When delivering this content, teachers must use
authentic voice and uncover bias. According to Deborah St. Amant (2014), teachers must use
people and resources that represent an authentic voice of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people.
Since many Canadian history textbooks are outdated and Euro-centric, educators need to inform
students that important voices are missing (St. Amant, 2014). In order to uncover the bias and
include Aboriginal perspectives, teachers could create a WebQuest that takes students to websites
created by Aboriginal organizations or residential school survivors. It is essential, however, that
teachers always show videos that include testimony from former residential school students.
Films such as Where Are the Children, We Were So Far Away, and Our StoriesOur Strength
include authentic perspectives from survivors and their families. Although these videos are
emotionally disturbing at times, they open students eyes to the abuses and other injustices that
occurred at these church and government-run institutions. These videos also reinforce the notion
that the residential school system was a form of cultural genocide. According to a 2015 Angus
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Reid Institute survey, seventy percent of Canadians agree with the use of the term cultural
genocide to describe the residential schools policy (Hensley, 2015). This, of course,
demonstrates that there are still a fair number of Canadians who do not agree with the cultural
genocide label. When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released their findings in 2015,
former Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not support the idea that Canada used residential
schools as a weapon to commit cultural genocide against Aboriginal people (APTN, 2015). If
students are exposed to opinions such as this, they will be more likely to underestimate the
severity of the situation. For this reason, it is crucial that educators expose students to authentic
and credible Aboriginal perspectives that help uncover bias.

Assessing Students Understanding of Residential Schools

As mentioned previously, WebQuests and films are appropriate and effective methods for
teaching students about the Indian Residential School system. If a teacher decides to deliver
information using these two teaching strategies, they have to decide how they will evaluate the
students understanding of the content. With a WebQuest, a teacher could create questions that
foster critical thinking and application of new knowledge. For instance, the teacher could ask:
Listen to the formal apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and discuss why it is important
to the reconciliation process. If students were viewing Where Are the Children, the teacher
might ask: Now that you have heard testimony from multiple survivors, explain why the Indian
Residential School System was a form of cultural genocide. Be sure to support your answer with
references to survivors experiences. Another possible question could be: As you saw in the
video, the residential school experience continues to impact the lives of former students and their
families. How are the survivors interviewed in the video working toward healing and
reconciliation? What lessons can we learn from their resilience? Although there is a place for
basic facts in history, it is essential that students answer questions that will help them form links
between the past, present, and the future. This will ultimately help students to become
knowledgeable and active participants in an ever changing world (Seixas, 2006). With regard to
the residential schools, students will become part of the reconciliation process as they acquire
knowledge and think critically. In some cases, students might even become motivated to take
action by writing to their Member of Parliament or volunteering with an Aboriginal justice
group.
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Concluding Statement
Thus, with access to unbiased resources that include authentic Aboriginal perspectives,
teachers can effectively and sensitively discuss the Indian Residential school system in a way
that will help students think critically and become part of the reconciliation process.
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References

APTN. (2015, June 2). PM Harper wont implement TRC recommendation on UN declaration on

Indigenous peoples. APTN National News. Retrieved from

http://aptn.ca/news/2015/06/02/pm-harper-wont-implement-trc-recommendation-un-

declaration-indigenous-peoples/

Hensley, L. (2015, July 9). Residential school system was cultural genocide, most Canadians

believe according to poll. National Post. Retrieved from

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/residential-school-system-was-cultural-

genocide-most-canadians-believe-according-to-poll

Seixas, P. (2006). What is historical consciousness? In R. W. Sandwell (Ed.), To the past: History

education, public memory, and citizenship in Canada (pp. 11-22). Toronto: University of

Toronto Press.

St. Amant, D. (2014). First Nations, Metis, and Inuit student success. Toronto: Pearson

Education.