For many years, between 1930 and 1980 in Quebec, Aboriginal families were separated. Governments and religious authorities took more than 150,000 children to boarding schools, sometimes far from their villages, to “civilize” them, meaning to make them adopt the European culture. There were also residential schools in Canada and around the world.
At the time it was believed that Aboriginal children should receive a Christian religious education, and that they should be made to forget the traditions of their peoples and their languages. Many children were abused and some even died.
When children returned to their families, sometimes after several years, they could no longer communicate with their parents or grandparents. They had also been taught to be ashamed of their culture. They were unhappy, could become violent or tried to forget their past by using alcohol and drugs.
Many people are still very affected by residential schools today. For example, it is difficult to be a good parent when you have never been able to live with your family. Fortunately, these people are now getting help to rediscover their culture and heal.