Not a Genocide

An outstanding and must-read piece of carefully researched, crafted, and nuanced writing from Ian Gentles, professor emeritus of History, York University, and Distinguished Professor of History and Global Studies at Tyndale University, that drives a stake through the heart of both canards of physical genocide and cultural genocide in Canada’s Indian Residential Schools may be found on the other side of the paywall.

One informed commentator who lived in northern Canada for decades had this to say about two of the issues examined, in the process implying that Gentles was too cautious in his attempt to provide a balanced picture of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools.

I hesitate to comment on such an important and scholarly work but here goes.

I submit that this passage needs clarification — the link provided doesn’t seem to help:

“Even at peak attendance, in the 1930s, Residential Schools accounted for only about one-third of First-Nations children who were attending any school. By 1968, it was down to 13%.” 

 So how many were not attending any school in the 1930s?

 From memory, I recall that fewer than 9,000 were attending IRS in the 1930s. 

Peak enrolment by numbers in IRS occurred in 1958 at just under 12,000. In 1962 the total number of school-age Indians was 146,596. Of these, 8,391 Indian students boarded in IRS schools (5.7 percent), 1,490 of whom received their education in neighbouring provincial or territorial schools. (Hawthorn) So Ian’s percentage for 1968 can’t be right.

By 1968 enrolment in one school or another, if not necessarily attendance, would have been effectively 100 percent from age 6. With attendance not enforced, I know of one young man in Iqaluit, afflicted with FAS, who’s said to have attended school no more that 100 days in 12 years.

Thank you so much for this great piece,

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What Gentles’ terrific piece and the above comments to it clearly show is much more needs to be learned about the IRS system: the TRC six-volume report and other studies should in no way be considered anything close to the last word on the boarding schools.

This piece posted in its entirely below with the kind permission of the author needs to be distributed as widely as possible. Please do your part to help make this happen.