QUICK FACTS

DISCLAIMER

Many of the information with regard to the Indian Act, the Residential Schools, the Indian Day Schools, the Indian Hospitals, the Sixties Scoop and the Millennium Scoop has been suppressed and withheld from the public until recent years which makes getting accurate information and numbers difficult.

THE INDIAN ACT

The Indian Act was formalized in 1876 and is still present to this day

Who is affected?

All First Nations Peoples on and off of Reserves are subject to the Indian Act.

What was done?

Aims to control the identity, lives and lands of First Nations Peoples. The Indian Act arbitrarily decided the criteria for who can be considered a First Nations person; this was done without any consultation from the Indigenous Peoples themselves. The Indian Act governs practically everything for First Nations including funding for bands and band members, band registration, band council system, wills, lands and estates. The Indian Act also restricts land ownership by First Nations Peoples with the stipulation of “land held by the Crown for the use of and benefit of the respective bands for which they were set apart “ so “Certificates of Possession” convey “ownership” instead of actual title to the land.

Where Did It Happen?

The Indian Act applies to First Nations Peoples throughout the country.

Why did it happen?

The Indian Act was created as a legal tool to implement assimilation practices and as a means to assert and maintain control over First Nations Peoples.

How is The Indian Act used?

The Indian Act is implemented through laws and policies that govern the identities, lives and lands of First Nations Peoples on Reserve.

Reserves

Reserves originated in 1637 but were codified in 1876 by the Indian Act

Who is affected?

First Nations Peoples on Reserve.

What was done?

Reserves are tracts of land set aside for First Nations Peoples. Reserve lands are not owned by First Nations Peoples but rather land held by the Crown for the use of and benefit of the respective bands for which they were set apart. Reserves were often put on barren land and in remote locations. Reserves are segregated First Nations communities where interaction with the rest of the population is difficult due to their remoteness. The original segregation was maintained with the pass system where First Nations Peoples would have to tell the Indian Agent where they were going, how long they would be gone and when they would be back; failure to return on time would result in punitive measures.

Where Did It Happen?

Reserves can be found throughout the country primarily in remote locations.

Why did it happen?

Originally used to impose a sedentary lifestyle for First Nations Peoples but later used to segregate and isolate First Nations Peoples away from the rest of society.

How are the conditions on reserves?

Many reserves suffer from isolation, poverty, social issues, infrastructure issues, housing issues and a lack of clean drinking water. Many of these conditions can be directly attributed to the harmful policies of the Indian Act.

The Residential Schools

Residential Schools were in operation from 1831 – 1996

Who is affected?

An estimated 150,000+ First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children were forced to attend residential schools while they were in operation. An estimated 6,000+ First Nation, Inuit, and Metis children lost their lives at residential schools. (The official number of lives lost is still being determined)

What was done?

First Nations children were forced to attend residential schools with devastating consequences including mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual abuses to varying degrees. Indigenous parents could not refuse to send their children or they would be subject to punitive measures. The Residential Schools were segregated schools for Indigenous children which made integration with the rest of the population impossible. The intergenerational trauma suffered by so many generations of Indigenous children throughout the decades should always be recognized, understood and acknowledged. The fallout from the Residential Schools still persists to this day in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities.

Where Did It Happen?

Residential Schools operated throughout the country.

Why did it happen?

The original intent of the residential schools was to assimilate Indigenous children into the western way of life. The stated goal of the residential school system was to “kill the Indian in the child” through the forced assimilation into western ways of doing things.

How many were there?

139 Residential Schools were in operation over a 165 year period.

The Indian Day Schools

Indian Day Schools were in operation from 1867 – 2000

Who is affected?

An estimated 200,000 – 300,000 First Nations children were forced to attend Indian Day Schools. An estimated 500 + First Nations children lost their lives at the Indian Day Schools. (The official number of lives lost is still being determined)

What was done?

First Nations children were forced to attend Indian day schools with devastating consequences including mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual abuses to varying degrees. Indigenous parents could not refuse to send their children to Indian day schools or they would be subject to punitive measures. The Indian Day Schools were segregated schools for First Nations children which made integration with the rest of the population impossible. The intergenerational trauma that so many First Nations children suffered while at the Indian day schools should always be recognized, understood and acknowledged. The fallout from Indian Day Schools system persists to this day in First Nations communities.

Where Did It Happen?

Indian Day Schools operated throughout the country on First Nation reserves.

Why did it happen?

One of the earliest mechanisms for assimilation. The Indian Day Schools mission was similar to the Residential Schools in that Indigenous languages and cultures were to be eliminated in favour of the western way of living.

How many were there?

695 Indian Day School operated over a 133 year period.

The Indian Hospitals

The Indian Hospitals were in operation from 1893 – 1981

Who is affected?

First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and adults.

What was done?

: First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and adults were forced to get treatment. While there patients were often subjected to unnecessary and/or experimental treatments. Indigenous patients were forced into care with devastating consequences including mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual abuses to varying degrees. Patients were also held there against their will and would be subject to punitive measures for refusing treatment or for trying to leave before they were officially discharged. The intergenerational trauma that so many Indigenous infants, children, youth and adults experienced at the Indian hospitals should always be recognized, understood and acknowledged. The fallout from the Indian Hospitals persists to this day.

Where Did It Happen?

Indian Hospitals operated throughout the country.

Why did it happen?

The original rationale was to provide treatment for tuberculosis for Indigenous patients but another goal was to segregate Indigenous People from the rest of the population. The Indian Hospitals were operated as racially segregated hospitals to provide rudimentary care for Indigenous Peoples.

How many were there?

An estimated 22 Indian Hospitals were in operation throughout the years.

The Sixties Scoop

The Sixties Scoop went on from 1951 – 1981

Who is affected?

First Nations, Inuit and Metis infants and children.

What was done?

The mass removal of Indigenous infants and children into foster care and to adoptive non-Indigenous parents across the country and also to the United States, Europe and New Zealand.

Where Did It Happen?

The mass removal of Indigenous infants and children from their home communities took place all across the country. Indigenous children were adopted out to non-Indigenous families across the country and also to the United States, Europe and New Zealand.

Why did it happen?

The rationale of the time was because it was easier to just apprehend Indigenous infants and children instead of doing the necessary work to help keep the children with their families and in their communities.

How many people were affected?

An estimated 10,000 + Indigenous infants and children were apprehended and sent to live with non-Indigenous families. Our Indigenous Peoples estimate the number to be closer to 20,000 + Indigenous infants, children and youth.

The Millennium Scoop

The Millennium Scoop started in 1981 and continues to this day

Who is affected?

First Nations, Inuit and Metis infants, children and youth.

What was done?

The mass removal of infants, children and youth into foster care across the country and to the United States. Many of the adoptive Indigenous infants, children and youth suffered various mental, emotional, physical and sexual abuses at the hands of their adoptive parents and families. The abuses suffered by the adopted Indigenous infants, children and youth continue to have long term detrimental effects on Millennium Scoop survivors.

Where Did It Happen?

The Millennium Scoop is still happening all across the country.

Why did it happen?

The rationale remains that it was easier to just apprehend Indigenous infants, children and youth instead of doing the necessary work to help keep the children with the families.

How many people were affected?

An estimated 20,000 + Indigenous infants, children and youth were apprehended from their homes and communities. Our Indigenous Peoples estimate the number to be closer to 40,000 + Indigenous infants, children and youth were apprehended from their homes and communities.