Students and Staff at St. Paul’s Indian Industrial School, Manitoba (1901)

Students and Staff at St. Paul’s Indian Industrial School, Manitoba (1901)

St. Pauls Indian Industrial School
British Columbia
Middle Church
Manitoba
Assimilation
Institutional Racism
First Nations
Cultural Genocide
Residential School
Industrial School

Black and White Photograph showing students stood against the brick school wall with their teachers. Formal clothes are worn, the boys photographed have their hair cut very short and all the girls wear hats. The staged photograph offers a reflection of the self-image of the institution.

This archival photograph captures the assimilation policy aimed towards Aboriginal children within Canada, who were forcibly separated from their families and entered into institutional schools funded by the Canadian government and run by Christian Churches. Institutional schools were created following the passage of the Indian Act in 1876 and remained open until the mid-twentieth century. The purpose was to suppress and remove the influence of aboriginal culture and integrate First Nation children into Canadian culture.

The photograph reflects institutional racism, aggressive assimilation and cultural genocide of aboriginal culture and relates to the mistreatment of indigenous peoples which remains a contentious issue.

Unknown

Collections Canada, David Ewen’s Collection, Indian Industrial Schools Album

https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canadian-west/052920/05292005_e.html

1901

Salma Latifi

Canada Library and Archives Canada, PA-182251, 3354514

N/A

Visual - photograph

20th century British Columbia