The Mohawk Institute Residential School was a Canadian Indian residential school in Brantford , Ontario , Canada. The school operated from 1831 to June 27, 1970. Enrollment at the school ranged from 90 to 200 students per year.
61-884: Operated by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England (commonly known as the New England Company) from its founding in 1828 as the "Mechanics' Institute" (a day school for boys on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve) until 1922, when the Canadian federal government took control. The Mohawk Institute was established on 350 acres of farmland, all of which was or had been part of
122-602: A President, a Treasurer, and fourteen people to assist them. This corporation had the power to collect money in England for missionary purposes in New England. This money was received by the Commissioners of the United Colonies of New England and dispersed for missionary purposes. The official name of the corporation was "The President and Society for the propagation of the Gospel in New England". Following
183-535: A leak in the roof of the residential school building caused significant damage to the historic site. As a result of this leak a community input process was established within Six Nations of the Grand River to determine what the local community wanted to do with the building, 98% of participants voted to save the historic building. In March 2014 the "Save the Evidence" campaign was started to raise money to preserve
244-735: A poll released on June 17, 2021, by the Innovative Research Group, 77% of Canadian respondents said they were "very familiar" or "somewhat familiar" with the reports of possible human remains of Kamloops Indian Residential School. On June 22, 2021, the Chinese government demanded an investigation into the human rights violations against the Indigenous people in Canada at the UN Human Rights Council , which
305-404: A process that could help lay victims properly to rest, while others want them left undisturbed." The RCMP "E" Division stated at the time that while it had opened an investigation "so that we can assist should our assistance be required", it was "respect[ing] that Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc remains as the lead official at this time", and was not looking into the site itself. As of March 2024 ,
366-634: A recreation area. After first principal Michel Hagan resigned in 1892, the government put the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in charge of the school. Father Alphonse-Marie Carion was named principal of the school in March 1893. In his 1896 annual report to the Department of Indian Affairs, Carion emphasized that the moral and religious training of students at the school was "the most important of all" and that school officials kept "constantly before their mind
427-561: A report outlining the conditions at the school concluded that the poor construction of buildings at the school led to "numerous infections, colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia" during the previous winter. During the 1957–1958 influenza pandemic , the Kamloops district health officer, D. M. Black, reported that half of the students at the school had been ill. At the time, health officials from the University of British Columbia acknowledged
488-512: A residence for students attending other area schools until it permanently closed. The school was featured in the 1962 Christmas-themed film Eyes of the Children . Produced by George Robertson, the film followed 400 students as they prepared for Christmas and aired on the CBC on Christmas Day. Gerald Mathieu Moran worked there while the documentary was filmed. A boy's supervisor, he was charged in
549-794: Is now the United States from 1649 to 1786, sending both missionaries and teachers to New England and later also to Virginia and New York . Due to the independence of the United States from Great Britain, after 1786 the Society continued to operate only in Canada and the British West Indies . The Society supported the early efforts of John Eliot in Massachusetts , culminating in the first printed translation of
610-557: Is sadly not a surprise and illustrates the damaging and lasting impacts that the residential school system continues to have on First Nations people, their families and communities." Premier of British Columbia John Horgan said that he was "horrified and heartbroken" at the discovery, and that he supported further efforts to bring to "light the full extent of this loss". Federal Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller also offered his support. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called
671-511: The 3D Toronto sign dimmed for 215 hours. In a statement released May 31, 2021, the Office of the Chief of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc acknowledged the gestures made by the government and federal parties, but insisted the government face accountability to all communities subjected to the enduring effects of the federally-mandated Indian Residential School system. Angela White, executive director for
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#1732780602604732-482: The Ontario Legislative Building , security initially ordered the shoes removed before acquiescing. The Anishinabek Nation tweeted in support of social media calls to put out teddy bears on porches on May 31, similar to what was done after the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash with hockey sticks. Another popular campaign called on people to wear orange on May 31. Within days of the report,
793-574: The United Conservative Party , argued in a June 3 op-ed on the front page of the National Post that "If we want to get into cancelling every figure in our history who took positions on issues at the time that we now judge harshly, and rightly, in historical retrospect, then I think the entire founding leadership of our country gets cancelled." On June 4, 2021, nine United Nations human rights experts called on Canada and
854-492: The University of British Columbia announced a review of an honorary degree it had granted in 1986 to Bishop James Fergus O'Grady, a former principal of Kamloops Indian Residential School. He had written a letter to parents in 1948 about the "privilege" of Christmas break, stating that any travel costs associated with students going home would have to be covered by their families and that any children who failed to return to school by January 3 would be prohibited from Christmas break
915-586: The restoration of the English monarchy , the Society was granted a Royal Charter by Charles II in 1662. That charter provided for the promotion and propagation of "the Gospel of Christ unto and amongst the heathen natives in or near New England and parts adjacent in America". The Society was engaged in protestantism and colonization in Restoration politics. The Society operated within the territory of what
976-476: The 1920s. The children who attended were not allowed to speak their native languages and were whipped for using them. In addition to Secwépemc children, students from communities across British Columbia attended the school, including Penticton , Hope , Mount Currie , and Lillooet , along with students from other provinces. At one point, this was the largest Canadian residential school . Canadian politician Leonard Marchand ( Okanagan Indian Band ) attended
1037-549: The 1990s with several dozen sex crimes committed at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. He pled guilty and spent three years in jail. A former student told a TRC hearing that another instructor would come into the girls' dorm at night with a flashlight and choose a girl to assault. In the 1988 book Resistance and renewal: surviving the Indian residential school, Celia Haig-Brown argued that
1098-437: The 215 suspected burial sites as "anomalies" rather than "children", which was used in its 2021 statement. In May 2022, Casimir said that a technical taskforce had been formed "of various professors as well as technical archeologists" and that work on an archeological dig and possible exhumations could soon begin. CBC reported that the proposed idea remained controversial among school survivors, "with some seeing exhumation as
1159-513: The Catholic Church to carry out thorough investigations, and "conduct full-fledged investigations into the circumstances and responsibilities surrounding these deaths, including forensic examinations of the remains found, and to proceed to the identification and registration of the missing children." On June 6, 2021, speaking to people gathered in St. Peter's Square , Pope Francis commented on
1220-598: The Christian Bible into a Native American language. The corresponding book, known as the " Eliot Indian Bible ", was published in 1663 in the Massachusett language . The Society also played a critical role in funding and supporting institutions that sought to educate Native Americans, including the Harvard Indian College and later Dartmouth College . The first president of the Society
1281-594: The Company for Propagating the Gospel in New England". Kamloops Indian Residential School The Kamloops Indian Residential School was part of the Canadian Indian residential school system . Located in Kamloops , British Columbia, it was once the largest residential school in Canada, with its enrolment peaking at 500 in the 1950s. The school was established in 1890 and operated until 1969, when it
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#17327806026041342-582: The Indian Residential School Survivors Society, also called on the Canadian federal government and Catholic Church to take action and responsibility towards reconciliation efforts, stating "Reconciliation does not mean anything if there is no action to those words ... [w]ell-wishes and prayers only go so far. If we are going to actually create positive strides forward there needs to be that ability to continue
1403-704: The Mohawk Institute and to raise awareness about the history of residential schools. Following the 2021 discovery of previously unknown burials at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia , Six Nations of the Grand River chief Mark Hill called on the Canadian federal government to support a search for missing children who could have been buried on the Mohawk Institute's grounds. The search began around November 2021. As of September 2022, about 1.5% of
1464-483: The Mohawk Institute during its operation: Following the closure of the Mohawk Institute in 1970, the Woodland Cultural Centre opened on the site in 1972, as an organization focused on research, history, and later the arts. Woodland's cultural and historical interpretation programming utilizes the historic Mohawk Institute building to teach about the history of residential schools in Canada. In 2013
1525-812: The Propagation of the Gospel in New England The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England (also known as the New England Company or Company for Propagation of the Gospel in New England and the parts adjacent in America ) is a British charitable organization created to promote Christian missionary activity among the Native American peoples of New England and other parts of North America under British control. The company's current website states that "the New England Company can lay claim to being
1586-546: The Regional Chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, said he believed that human remains were at the site. In May 2021 he said that plans were being made for forensic experts to exhume , identify and repatriate the potential remains of children from the school. In May 2024, on the third anniversary of Beaulieu's survey, Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc issued a statement that referred to
1647-467: The Six Nations reserve at some point. In 1831, the New England Company operated this residential school for boys, and starting in 1834, Indigenous girls attended this school as well. They were from Six Nations, along with some from the New Credit , and Moraviantown , Sarnia , Walpole Island , Muncey , Scugog , Stoney Point , Saugeen , Bay of Quinte and Kahnawake reserves. While the school
1708-480: The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc said that a decision to excavate the unmarked graves is "unresolved". Chief Rosanne Casimir called the finding "an unthinkable loss ... never documented by the school's administrators". Numerous political leaders expressed opinions about the potential findings. Richard Jock, CEO of First Nations Health Authority , expressed sadness in a released statement. "That this situation exists
1769-401: The bed. "They used to bring in a battery—a motor of some sort or some kind of gadget, and he’d put the girl’s hand on it and it would jerk us and it would go all the way through us from end to end—it would travel. And we would do that about three times." Another former student, Dawn, said sexual abuse took place in the boiler room in the basement: "You couldn’t hear their screams over the noise of
1830-476: The boiler." Sally General, a former student who attended the Mohawk Institute from age four to thirteen, recalled having all of her hair cut off, along with all of the other students. They were branded "Mush Hole Baldies". Sally also remembered being locked in a dark room with her friend and being told by staff that "the rats were gonna get us". They would cry for hours, not knowing why they were being punished. It wasn't until she learned English that she realized she
1891-625: The discovery "heartbreaking" the day of the announcement, and, on May 30, advised the Governor General to order flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-mast until further notice. Some institutions flew the Canadian flag at half-mast for 215 hours, to mark one hour for each suspected missing child. Other half-mastings included flags at the BC and Manitoba legislatures as well as individual municipalities such as Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Mississauga, Brampton, and Toronto, which also ordered
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1952-534: The discovery. On June 10, the city of Victoria, British Columbia announced the cancellation of its Canada Day festivities – already a virtual event due to COVID-19 restrictions. An alternative broadcast would be produced in collaboration with the local First Nations to "[explore] what it means to be Canadian, in light of recent events." Similar decisions to cancel municipality-led Canada Day festivities were made by Prince Edward County, Ontario , Air Ronge , La Ronge , and Lac La Ronge Indian Band . According to
2013-598: The discovery: "This sad discovery increases the awareness of the sorrows and sufferings of the past ... May the political and religious authorities continue to collaborate with determination to shed light on this sad affair and to commit to a path of healing." In response to the initial announcement, the Government of Ontario pledged $ 10 million to fund a search for unmarked graves at Ontario residential schools. Many Canada Day festivities were either cancelled or modified to promote reconciliation, out of respect for
2074-457: The following year. In the 2007 documentary The Fallen Feather , Ernie Philip shared his experience of corporal punishment as a student at the school, stating that he "got 50 lashes on my back" from O'Grady after Philip was caught running away from the school. On June 2, 2021, Archbishop of Vancouver J. Michael Miller said that the Catholic Church would help to identify the deceased children. Alberta premier Jason Kenney , leader of
2135-471: The infection rate was "slightly more than normal but not a serious worry." In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada determined that the residential schools were a system of " cultural genocide ". It concluded that at least 4,100 students died while attending the schools, many of them due to abuse, negligence, disease, and accidents. The report concluded that it would be impossible to estimate
2196-605: The object which the Government has in view in carrying on the industrial-schools, which is to civilize the Indians, to make them good, useful and lawabiding members of society." He remained principal of the school until 1916. In 1927, John Duplanil succeeded James Mcguire as principal of the school, following Maguire's (McGuire's) appointment as curate of St. Patrick's Church in Lethbridge , Alberta. James Fergus O'Grady
2257-530: The oldest missionary society still active in Britain." The records of the New England Company, now held at London Metropolitan Archives , tell the history of colonial America and its Indigenous peoples. It was founded by the Act for the promoting and propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ in New England , passed by Oliver Cromwell 's Parliament on 27 July 1649. That Act set up a Corporation in England, consisting of
2318-424: The presence of human remains. As of May 2022, decision-making was in progress on whether to investigate the site or to leave it undisturbed. The Tk’emlups te Secwepemc band announced on the third anniversary of their initial announcement of the suspected gravesite that their investigation was proceeding but would remain confidential to preserve its integrity. What would become the Kamloops Indian Residential School
2379-456: The program were prohibited from learning indigenous dances. Dancers from the program were featured at the 1960 Pacific National Exhibition . In July 1964, girls from the school went to Mexico and performed in a series of festivals. Canadian embassy officials called them the "finest ambassadors ever to come from Canada". The Knights of Columbus raised the funds for the trip. The same year, group leader Sister Mary Leonita transferred away from
2440-625: The public policy which led to the 80-year operation of the school had "done its job; English is now the predominant language within the Shuswap Nation and the survival of the Shuswap language is uncertain." In 1982, the building opened for use as the first location of the Secwepemc Museum . Hundreds of children attended the school, many forcibly removed from their homes following the introduction of mandatory attendance laws in
2501-538: The residential school, attested to by oral history and eyewitness' memories. Individuals who had once been forced to attend the Kamloops Indian Residential School as children have described recollections of hearing of children being forced to dig holes (which some referred to as graves) at the site of the Apple Orchard. Additionally, some former students have reported seeing what they believed appeared to be children's or infant's bodies in various locations within
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2562-550: The school and its grounds. These recollections lead to the Apple Orchard site being chosen as the location to undergo GPR analysis. Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir of the Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) said that work was underway to determine whether the Royal British Columbia Museum held relevant records. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation had officially documented 51 students who died at
2623-612: The school system had failed due to the resistance of the Shuswap ( Secwepemc ) people, since they still existed as a nation: "Although its effects have been devastating for individuals, the Kamloops Indian Residential School was not successful in its attempts to assimilate the Native people of the Central Interior of the province." In 1991, a special edition of Secwepemc News offered a different perspective, reporting that
2684-533: The school was closed. Six Nations assumed ownership of the building the following year. Many former students have described suffering physical, sexual and emotional abuse at the school. The poor quality of food served to students led to the school's nickname, The Mush Hole. In 1914 two former students from the Mohawk School charged the school's principal for cutting off their hair, imprisonment, and physical abuse. The case went to trial on March 31, 1914 where
2745-497: The school, and the dance program ended. In 2021, Dr. Sarah Beaulieu, an anthropologist with "about a decade of experience searching for historical grave sites", surveyed the area with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and observed "disruptions in the ground" which could be 200 unmarked graves , based on "their placement, size, depth, and other features" but we're not conclusively proven as human remains. The indigenous community had long suspected that unmarked graves were located at
2806-502: The school. So did George Manuel (Secwépemc Nation), who said his three strongest memories of the school were: "hunger; speaking English; and being called a heathen because of my grandfather." In 1910, the principal said that the government did not provide enough money to properly feed the students. On December 24, 1924, the girls' wing of the school was destroyed by a fire, forcing 40 students into −10 °C (14 °F) weather in only their night clothes. Three years later, in 1927,
2867-423: The school. Their dates of death range from 1919 until 1971. In July 2021, Beaulieu revised her estimate to 200 and noted that they should be considered "probable burials" or "targets of interest", and said that only with an excavation could they be confirmed as human remains. Beaulieu also noted that the apple orchard she surveyed constituted only two acres of the 160-acre residential school site. Terry Teegee,
2928-469: The school. In 1885, the school began to accept students from reserves beyond Six Nations. On April 19, 1903, the main school building was again destroyed by fire. In May, the barns of the Mohawk School were also destroyed by fire. On June 24, 1903 the playhouse which had been serving as the boys' dorm since the main fire in April was also burned down. All three of these fires have been attributed to students at
2989-409: The school. The school buildings were rebuilt the following year. The new school building contained separate boys and girls wings, principal's and teachers quarters, as well as administrative offices. This new school building was designed to hold 150 students and the new complex also included the development of barns, stables, and other agriculture related out buildings. In 1922, management of the school
3050-427: The students were awarded $ 400 for two of the claims and the principal was fined. Students frequently ran away from the Mohawk Institute, so the staff built a prison cell to hold captured runaways in the basement. It resembled a dark closet, and students were often left there for days at a time. One former student, Lorna, who attended the Mohawk Institute from 1940 to 1945, recalled being given shock treatment for wetting
3111-399: The total area of the grounds had been searched. Separately, the survivors group leading the investigation into deaths at the former residential school have identified 97 deaths with ties to the Mohawk Institute through review of documents. The history and student experience at the Mohawk Institute has contributed to the works of a number of authors and artists including: Society for
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#17327806026043172-455: The total number of deaths that occurred at the schools. Students at the school received harsh treatment, including being hit with a shillelagh or being shamed for minor mistakes. The school operated a girls' folk dancing program beginning in the 1940s that focused only on European dance styles. Sister Mary Leonita initially taught Irish dancing , and later, other European folk styles including Swiss and Ukrainian dancing . Children in
3233-488: The work, like the Indian Residential School Survivors Society does, in a meaningful way." The discovery inspired a community memorial at the Vancouver Art Gallery , at which 215 pairs of children's shoes were laid out in rows. Similar memorials were created across Canada, including in front of government buildings and buildings of churches that had been in charge of running the residential school system. At
3294-455: Was being punished for not knowing or speaking English. Sally was also sexually abused. After one assault, she began to bleed and went to the nurse. When she told the nurse what happened, the nurse gave her a beating, told her she was lying, and that she should never say anything like that again. Male children at the Mohawk Institute were forced to get a circumcision and have their tonsils removed. The following individuals served as principals of
3355-552: Was established in 1893, after initially opening on May 19, 1890, as the Kamloops Industrial School. The school was established as part of government policy of forced assimilation of Indigenous children. J.D. Ross of Kamloops was awarded the $ 10,000 contract to erect the initial set of industrial school buildings in April 1889. The first three two-story wooden structures had with separate living quarters for boys and girls and teachers, along with classrooms and
3416-457: Was formally taken over by the Canadian government, though the New England Company retained ownership, and the agreement required that the principal be Anglican. A chapel was added to the school in 1930. By 1955, enrollment reached 185 children. In 1963, farming was discontinued as the children were now given a full day of education without requiring manual labour. Enrollment decreased as schools were built on reserves throughout Ontario, and in 1970,
3477-632: Was named principal in 1939, following the departure of T. Kennedy. G. P. Dunlop took over as head of the school in 1958, relocating from a position at the Eugene Mission Indian School in Cranbrook, British Columbia . The school, located on the traditional territory of the Secwepemc (Secwépemcúl'ecw), continued to operate until 1978. The school was taken over by the federal government in 1969. During this time it operated as
3538-524: Was originally near the Mohawk village, in 1837 the colonial government of Upper Canada ordered Six Nation residents to resettle south of the Grand River , kilometres from the school. Between 1854–1859, the building was destroyed by fire and rebuilt a few hundred metres from its original location. Around the same time, the school acquired more land, and farming became a prominent part of life for children at
3599-577: Was supported by Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia, and Venezuela. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded that, "In Canada, we had a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Where's China's Truth and Reconciliation Commission? China is not recognizing there is even a problem. That is a pretty fundamental difference." Journalist Terry Glavin of the National Post and American political scientist Wilfred Reilly , writing in British internet-based magazine Spiked , have stated skepticism about
3660-698: Was taken over from the Catholic Church by the federal government to be used as a day school residence. It closed in 1978. The school building still stands today, and is located on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation . In 2021, Sarah Beaulieu, an anthropologist at the University of the Fraser Valley , surveyed the apple orchard on the grounds with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and concluded some 200 targets of interest, but noted that "only forensic investigation with excavation" could confirm
3721-668: Was the eminent Anglo-Irish scientist Robert Boyle (1627–1691). Boyle, who had no direct descendants, stated in his will that his legacy should be dedicated to "the Advance or Propagation of the Christian Religion amongst Infidells". After a prolonged dispute among his executors it was decided that the legacy would be used to purchase Brafferton Estate in Yorkshire , and that the proceeds of that estate would be used to pay "a rent-charge in perpetuity of £ 90 per annum unto
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