Churches burned, while government involvement ignored

The Facts

governments played a role

Catholic churches across Canada have been burned and an assailant arrested, but media and activists have ignored the involvement of past governments in the residential school program.

Since the beginning, various Christian churches have cooperatively managed the infamous residential school program with Canada's federal government. Only in 1969 did the federal government take over full operation of Canada's residential school program. Before then, the Department Of Indian Affairs funded the residential school network across Canada while Christian churches administered the operations.

Recent discoveries of alleged unmarked graves have put the spotlight on the Catholic Church and compelled activists to commit arson and to burn churches on reserves and in small Canadian rural communities.

Canadian news media and politicians have largely ignored the role played by several federal governments since the system was founded and since the last residential school was closed in 1997.

department of indian affairs

When the government took full control of the residential school system in 1969, Pierre Trudeau was the prime minister and the minister of Indian Affairs was Jean Chretien. Before then, much of the residential school system's funding and direction came from the Department Of Indian Affairs.

The first residential school was opened in 1828 and the last one was closed in 1997.

For a majority of the residential school system's existence, the Department Of Indian Affairs was involved in the funding and direction of the school network to some degree or another, until the system was put under the full jurisdiction of the federal government in 1969.

In 2011, the Department Of Indian Affairs was renamed to Aboriginal Affairs And Northern Development Canada. The department is currently known under the title, Crown-Indigenous Relations And Northern Development. In the earliest years, the department was run by the Superintendent-General Of Indian Affairs.

Since the federal government took full control of the residential school program in 1969, the department in charge of operating the residential school network had 13 ministers:

Jean Chretien (1968 to 1974) - Liberal

Judd Buchanan (1974 to 1976) - Liberal

Warren Allmand (1976 to 1977) - Liberal

James Faulkner (1977 to 1979) - Liberal

Jake Epp (1979 to 1980) - Progressive Conservative

John Munro (1980 to 1984) - Liberal

Doug Frith (1984) - Liberal

David Crombie (1984 to 1986) - Progressive Conservative

Bill McKnight (1986 to 1989) - Progressive Conservative

Pierre Cadieux (1989 to 1990) - Progressive Conservative

Tom Siddon (1990 to 1993) - Progressive Conservative

Pauline Browes (1993) - Progressive Conservative

Ron Irwin (1993 to 1997) - Liberal

Media fails to investigate

Of the major television networks in Canada, none have yet investigated the role and actions of Canada's federal government between 1969 and 1997, pertaining to the residential school system.

An analysis of CBC, Global and CTV evening news broadcasts since the discovery of an unmarked burial site at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, between May 27th and July 10th of 2021, showed only 3 mentions of the Department Of Indian Affairs and only 12 mentions of Canada's federal government. None of those mentions contained investigations or scrutiny involving the role of Canada's federal government, or its ministers, in Canada's residential school system between 1969 and 1997.

A sample analysis of 100 random online Canadian news stories about the residential school system between May 27th and July 10th showed only 7 mentions about the involvement of Canada's government (before 1969) or about possible government documents pertaining to residential schools, none of which contained comprehensive analysis or investigations about the government's role. Only one mention was found for the Department Of Indian Affairs.

Timeline

1828 - The first residential school is opened

1876 - Canada adopts the Indian Act under prime minister Alexander Mackenzie

1894 - The Indian Act is amended under prime minister Mackenzie Bowell, making attendance compulsory for all First Nation children

1969 - The federal government takes sole control of the residential school system

1997 - The last residential school is closed in what is now known as Nunavut

2011 - The Department Of Indian Affairs becomes Aboriginal Affairs And Northern Development Canada

2019 - Department Of Crown-Indigenous Relations And Northern Development is formed

2021 - An alleged unmarked burial site of children is discovered on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School