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Residential School Timeline

1831

Mohawk Indian Residential School opens in Brantford, Ontario.

The Mohawk Training Institute in Brandford, Ontario. Three-story building with a columned entrance, four chimneys, and a cupola at the top.
Page 48 of the Indian Act, 1876, with the introduction to the Act, and definitions of the terms ‘band’, ‘irregular band’ and ‘Indian’.

1876

The Indian Act is enacted giving Government the exclusive right to create legislation regarding Indians and Indian lands. This Act identifies who is an Indian and establishes related legal rights.

1883

Sir John A. Macdonald authorizes the creation of residential schools in the Canadian West. Sir Hector Langevin, Secretary of State for the Provinces tells Parliament:
“In order to educate the children properly we must separate them from their families. Some people may say this is hard, but if we want to civilize them we must do that.”

Indigenous students and religious staff sit on a hill overlooking a river near the Qu’Appelle Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.
Page 108 of the Indian Act amendment prohibiting ammunition and Potlachs, and restricting transfer of property.

1885

Amendment to the Indian Act – traditional Indian ceremonies, such as potlatches and the Sun Dance, are prohibited.

1907

Medical Inspector for Indian Affairs, Dr. P.H. Bryce, reports that health conditions in residential schools are a “national crime.”

Two rows of white iron beds with white bedding in an attic. An item on each bed has been crossed out with red ink.
Black and white image of a scowling white man surrounded by over 20 Indigenous children in what may be a railcar.

1920

Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs, makes residential school attendance compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 15.

1951

Major revisions are made to the Indian Act – women are allowed to participate in band democracy, prohibitions on traditional Aboriginal practices and ceremonies are removed.

Page 131 from An Act respecting Indians, 1951, that includes definitions of ‘band’, ‘child’, ‘Council of the band’, ‘Department’, ‘elector’, and ‘estate’.
Colour photo from the 1950s of Indigenous children standing on a path and field wearing winter clothing with a long white building in the background.

1958

Indian Affairs regional inspectors recommend the abolition of residential schools

1961

Amendment to the Indian Act – Status Indians can vote without having to give up their status.

1950s or 1960s photo of a line of seven Indigenous teenage boys wearing suits and smiling.
Page 10 from an untitled document in English and French discussing the Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada and Equalization and Regional Disparities.

1982

The Constitution Act is amended and now recognizes and affirms the rights of “Indian, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada.”

1986-1994

The United Church, the Catholic Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Anglican Church, and the Presbyterian Church all issue formal apologies for their participation in the residential school system.

Four people, including children, two in traditional clothing, standing on a stage with a totem pole behind them and a sign that says Remembering the Children.
Page from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Summary of Recommendations about a Public Inquiry.

1996

The Final Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples is released. It calls for a public inquiry into the effects of residential schools on generations of Aboriginal peoples.

1996-1998

Class action law suits begin to appear, including those headed by Willie Blackwater and Nora Bernard.

Page from Vancouver Registry about the Supreme Court Hearing of Survivors versus The Queen and United Church of Canada.

2005

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine announces a class action lawsuit against the Government of Canada over the legacy of the residential schools.

2008

Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes to First Nations, Inuit and Métis for the residential school system. Image credit – The Canadian Press: Fred Chartrand

11 Indigenous leaders and Survivors stand in a circle on the floor of Parliament during the Government of Canada apology.
Three Indigenous people sit on a stage with blankets around each of them and cedar branches in front of them.

2009

As part of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is launched and hosts events all across the country to listen to Canadians who want to share their residential school stories.

2010

First TRC National Event held in Winnipeg Manitoba.

Justice Murray Sinclair speaks with an Indigenous man as others look on.

2013

A group of people stand around The Bentwood Box. Two are holding a document in a folder.

2013

Signing Ceremony officially recognizing the University of Manitoba and its partners as the permanent host of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

2014

Final TRC National event held in Edmonton Alberta.

A group of people, including Justice Murray Sinclair, hold a quilt over The Bentwood Box.

2015

Closing Ceremonies of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

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