The Presbyterian Church in Canada and Native Residential Schools, 1925-1969

Abstract

In 1990 the subject of the church-run Residential Schools for Native Canadians reached the front pages of our national newspapers. In Manitoba, students of the Residential School system were heard clearly for the first time as individuals like Phil Fontaine, Chief of the Manitoba Assembly of Chiefs, spoke forcefully on the issue. Even the CBC played a role by broadcasting the movie, “Where the Spirit Lives.” This discussion in the public media led the churches to examine their role in the running of these schools. The Roman Catholic Church in Manitoba has committed itself to providing financial support to those hurt by the Residential system, while other denominations are still struggling with how to respond to this emotional issue. At last year’s General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, there was an extremely emotional debate about how the Presbyterian Church should respond to the fact that the Women’s Missionary Society (Western Division) (WMS-WD) operated two Native Residential Schools from 1925 to 1969. These schools were the Birtle Residential School in Birtle, Manitoba and Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School located near Kenora, Ontario. The proposed report and confession were defeated by the Assembly, primarily because the proposed document failed to recognize the context in which the schools were run, and substantially downplayed any good that might have come from the schools. As I witnessed this debate, I was struck by the fact that the debate was taking place in an historical vacuum. Very few of the commissioners at the Assembly