Residential Schools
in the Arctic

Canada's Indian Residential School system was operated by the federal government and the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches from the late 1800s to the 1990s. In that time more than 150,000 Indigenous children and youth attended schools across the country.

Why were Residential Schools built?

Residential Schools were designed to assimilate Indigenous children into the ways of white Canadian society. When the system was first established, government and church officials believed that Indigenous peoples – First Nations, Inuit, and Métis – would eventually give up their traditional values and practices and adopt those of western, English-speaking culture. The schools targeted children and youth, who were typically forced to speak English and forbidden from speaking their native language.

Schools were often far from home, which meant that children would be away from their families for many months and even years at a time. Often, it was never explained to kids or their parents where they were going, for how long, or why.

Was there a Residential School in Gjoa Haven?

No Residential Schools were ever built in Gjoa Haven. To attend school, children would be put on to airplanes and flow to Residential School locations. In the Arctic, schools were built at Chesterfield Inlet, Inuvik, Yellowknife, and Shingle Point in Yukon Territory.

The government later built day schools in Gjoa Haven for elementary students. The high school was built in the 1980s.

Did people from Gjoa Haven attend Residential Schools?

Yes, many Elders from the community attended Residential Schools, sometimes for many years. However, because many experienced hardship while there, it has not always been easy to speak about their time. Many people who attended schools kept their experiences to themselves for many years, and it is still a difficult topic to talk about.

It was not just children and youth who were impacted by schooling. Parents and grandparents were also affected, as it was their children and grandchildren who were taken away. Many parents moved permanently to Gjoa Haven after their kids had been taken away to school. In town, they hoped they would learn about where there kids had gone, and when they would be home.