Residential Schools: Part 02 Life Inside the Schools

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In Part 02 of our series, Ali and Valerie examine what daily life was like for children forced into Canada’s residential school system. We look closely at the strict routines and harsh rules designed to erase Indigenous identities, and the punishments used to enforce obedience.

This episode also confronts the abuse and neglect these children faced—physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as starvation and medical experimentation that put lives and health at risk. We also discuss the central role of the Catholic, Anglican, United, and Presbyterian churches in operating these schools and shaping this system of harm.

These are difficult but necessary stories to tell. We share them to honour survivors, remember those who never returned home, and challenge the ongoing legacy of this system.

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This foundation supports urgent needs like housing, food security, legal defense, and cultural revitalization—all grounded in the principle that land back also means resource back.

If you live, work, or benefit from life on stolen land, consider learning more or making a monthly contribution at PayYourRent.ca.

Justice isn’t a moment—it’s a commitment.

Edited by Kyle McDonnell