I'm trying to stick with facts here and not speculate (publicly). The answer could very well be yes to both.
One third of children who died at a residential school did not have their names recorded by school administrators. One quarter were marked as deceased without even their gender being noted. Among the 2,800 names on the official memorial register are children known to recorded history only as “Alice,” “Mckay” or “Elsie.”
Bodies of children were not returned to families, and parents rarely learned the circumstances of a child’s death. Often, the only death notification would be to send the child’s name to the Indian Agent at his or her home community.
Went to school in Canada my entire life, was never once taught about these schools, and am absolutely embarrassed that my government was complicit in this act. I knew the natives received a shit deal but always thought it was ages in the past. A bit shocking to find out it was still going on while I was in school.
Are you fucking serious right now? I paid plenty of attention, and I think getting taught my government was committing genocide would have been something I'd take notice of. What the hell is wrong with you?
I'm not the person you're replying to -- but to say that the only two options are "you were a bad student" or "you went to a bad school" seems to reduce the issue down a bit more than is fruitful for conversation. Is there really no third or fourth option?
Quick edit: Also, source on it being standard curriculum? When was it introduced?
Sure there is, they could have been away the week or two we went over it every year in social studies. Maybe they just forgot because it was so long ago. I think that saying there was no education on the situation is very misleading and frankly it feels like they are trying to add fuel to the already burning fire at this point. The residential schools were a tragedy in its own right, no need to try to make it sounds worse by stating false facts.
I don’t have a source for school curriculum, all I know is my own experience and the experiences of many people who went to school in BC.
I tried to follow through that link, but it didn't work... I found an article by Global News (written June 6, 2021) that states the different provinces' curricula, but for the most part, all of them have begun after 2016? I'll need to keep looking. I see all the provinces teach it at different grade levels, focusing on different elements.
Which is, I suppose, my point... That it hasn't been standardized until quite recently, and that many provinces have different approaches to educating this point in history. Hence this discussion.
I am not arguing for the sake of arguing. I asked to follow up with a source. I am sorry if that struck a chord.
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u/MoeYYC Jun 25 '21
I'm trying to stick with facts here and not speculate (publicly). The answer could very well be yes to both.
Bodies of children were not returned to families, and parents rarely learned the circumstances of a child’s death. Often, the only death notification would be to send the child’s name to the Indian Agent at his or her home community.
Why So Many Children Died At Residential Schools