On May 31 I wrote a post about a special mural in Stringer Hall, Inuvik.
Steve Steve from Shadows and Light asked a question that opened a can of worms. Steve wanted to know what happened to the mural. Many things happened before the residence was destroyed.
Here's the brief history.
Around 1950 the government decided that they would build a school system to educate northern kids. Their plan was to build one huge school and bring all the kids to one place. The kids would leave their local settlements and parents and live in a huge residence called Stringer Hall. It didn't take long before the people realized that this was a terrible system. The kids lived away from family so there was no family life. The kids lost their relationship with their own community and family
The people also realized that their kids needed and education. .
Grade three children whose classroom was an annex
There were many sad stories from this system. Children were literally taken from their parents to the big school and hostels in Inuvik. Some parents did not know where their children were.
A campaign grew to have kids educated in their local community. Sometime in the early 70's the big school which held a thousand kids and student residences were not being used and closed. Stringer Hall which held 300 kids remained closed for a few years and when they couldn't find a use for it, it was torn down.
Today no matter how small a community is, there is a school. Kids are able to complete their high school with only two or three kids in the high school. You see grad photos with only two or three kids.
I'm not sure what happened to the mural but I hope that somehow it was saved.
We had "Mission Schools" in this area, same thing, Native children stayed in dormatories away from their families. Not a good situation.
ReplyDeleteThey wanted to take the Indian out of the Indian so that land claims would be forgotten.
DeleteAt least they eventually saw sense. I wish they would here
ReplyDeleteWell we stopped the hostel situation but there are still many problems with aboriginal education.
DeleteLike you Red I am a retired teacher. How much better it is to encourage children to learn in their own community.
ReplyDelete...and in their own language.
DeleteSounds like a sad place for those children!
ReplyDeleteTake care, have a wonderful weekend.
One of the schools where my husband and I taught in rural Newfoundland had three graduates this year!
ReplyDeleteWith online learning these things can be done. Socialization is another issue.
DeleteI wondered if the terrible system that abused those children reached you, and now I know that it did. So sad.
ReplyDeleteThe saddest part is that at that time I didn't know any better. we were given inservice as to what they wanted us to do.
DeleteSad times
ReplyDeleteThere is a sad history, even though intentions may have been good. With remote learning, it must be easier now for the more isolated children. But maybe not really easy.
ReplyDeleteSocialization is another issue. But if you're going to stay in an isolated area it should not be a big challenge.
DeleteSome of the same issues happened in Alaska too back in the 50s and 60s.
ReplyDeleteYes, similar situations were set up in Alaska.
DeleteThanks for the history. Yes, local education that allows kids to stay home with their families certainly sounds like a much better system!
ReplyDeleteToo many family traditions are lost.
DeleteThanks for the history, Red. What is it they say? "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
ReplyDeleteYes, the powers that were in at that time certainly thought that they were doing the right thing.
DeleteAt least, Red, your country acknowledges that this was wrong. Our country merely tries to suppress it. Do you realize in the United States, it was still legal for our government to remove Indian babies and give them to white families even into the 1970s?
ReplyDeleteMuch the same thing happened here. It was tragic.
DeleteThanks for sharing that history Mr. Red. How very sad for those children separated from their families. Since there were 1,000 in my '72 OKC high school class to, just have 2-3 in a class is hard to imagine except by watching Little House on the Prairie. Glas some things have improved. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteFor me 1000 kids in a graduating class is unbelievable. In my graduating class there were eight of us. I do not call it graduation but finishing high school.
DeleteOh gosh... This is so very sad. I'm glad they stopped this practice. I'm feel so sad for those kids and parents.
ReplyDeleteIt's a mistake that can never be corrected.
DeleteRed, your life experience has been very interesting. Hope you will continue to share more of it. Needless to say, history is full of sad stories like what happened to these kids in Inuvik. John
ReplyDeleteI lived through this and didn't know what was going on. These things came to me after I left the north. With experience and age I understood more.
DeleteWhat I find interesting about this is that well off families still send their children away to be educated. It's almost as if the better off people are, the more they abandon their instincts.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe i generalise too much?
Don't get me on this one. there are many examples of poor schools and socialization is warped. Look at the Royals. Some of them are very mixed up people.
ReplyDeleteIt was a terrible time in history.
ReplyDelete