First nations/manitoba school

• Purpose of the residentials schools?

  For first nations to give up their cultures and their separate identity in the community. to train children to be christian
• living conditions?


  cramped, crowded, children had to follow strict rules, had to attend church. if they spoke their own language they were punished. they could only speak English. often starved. physically abused. a lot got sick and over 3000 died.
• first nations children in residentials schools were given new names
• some schools taught basic trade skills and also trained students to be domestic and unskilled labourers.
• government made over 2 million selling first nations reserve land.
• government wanted first nations to give up their cultures and separate identity.
• parents werent able to visit their children in the residential schools
• Frank Oliver was a minister of the interior?

  He changed the Indian act in 1906, so first nations people would get 50% instead of 10% of their sold land. In 1911 he changed the indian act again. this allowed the local government to take reserves land and use them to build railways and service roads.
• between 1896 and 199 almost 300 000 hectares of first nations land was sold for over 2 million
• if a town sprang up close to a first nations reserve they would move the reserve.
• tuberculosis and spanish flue swept through the schools taking a heavy toll on the students.
• How did first nations people fight back?

  Some refused to send their children to the schools, some continued to have their traditional potlatch and sun dance ceremonies. leaders in different provinces came together to from tribal councils. they wrote letters to officials and even petitioned the king of england to hear their case.
• the parents of the first nations kids didnt want to send their children to the schools but had no choice if they wanted their children to be prepared in the new society.
• they had daily lessons with heavy duty chores from 5am to 9pm
• residential schools tore families apart
• missionaries, church leaders, and canadian government thought that they were doing what was best for the first nations but they didn't respect their cultural rights or take into consideration what they wanted.
• in early 1900's laws concerning first nations rights were not beneficial
• manitoba had two publicly funded school systems. one was catholic and french. the other one was protestant and english. this system served the residents of manitoba well until an influx of english speaking immigrants from ontario changed the balance of the population.
• by 1890 vast majority of the population was english speaking. didnt want government to pay for french catholic schools.
• often political tension between the english and french as provincial and federal laws usually favored the english point of view. called manitobas school crisis.
• thomas greenway was manitobas premier. he passed the manitobas school act.
• mantiobas school act created a single non-denominational school system taught in english only. french catholic schools would now be private and their parents would have to pay for their children to attend.
• the manitobas school act went against both the mantioba and british north americas acts. which protected existing denominational schools. it strengthened the division between english and french speaking people throughout canada.
• English speaking people supported the passage of the schools act. the french were strongly against it.
• Tension between both sides increased, conservative federal government decided to step in proposed legislation to go back to old manitobas school system. wilfred laurier, leader of the liberal party fought against this, and made a compromise.
• denominational- founded, sponsored, or controlled by a particular religious group.
• Laurier Greenway compromise?

  When wilfrid worked out a compromise with the minister. There would still be only one public school system, but there would be options for French and religious instruction. This satisfied both sides
• Laurier ran for prime Minister in 1896. He served 15 years. From 1896 to 1911
• Laurier was the first prime Minister of Canada and spoke French as his first language
• Laurier was born in village of Saint Lin in East Canada in 1841
• He practiced law in Montreal and arthabaska
• Became a member of the quebec liberal party when he was elected to the quebe legislative assembly in 1871
• In 1874 he won a seat as a liberal in the house of commons.
• His charismatic personality and clever political skills helped him quickly make a name for himself in federal politics. Throughout Laurie's career, his skills as a statesman, strong sense of fairness and commitment to compromise made his a very effective leader.
• By 1877 prime Minister MacKenzie made him cabinet minister. He became the leader of the liberal party in 1887
• He believed that Canada depended upon growth and development of the west. He initiated an ambitious immigration program, supported construction of another transcontinental railway, and wrlcomed Yukon, Alberta and Saskatchewan into the confederation.
• Two of his most famous compromises were resolving the Manitoba school crisis and Canada's participation in boer war.
• Laurier introduction of a reciprocity treaty with US was the beginning of the end of his career as prime Minister. He felt it was critical for canada to have us as its key trading partner. But he had alot of opposition from the conservatives. They didn't trust US and felt that Britain should be Canada's main economic partner.
• This caused a big fight between the liberals and the conservatives. Laurier was not willing to compromise on this issue. When he called a speacial election to settle the matter in 1911. He was voted out of the office. He was 69 at that time but continued to be leader of the liberal party until he died in 1919.