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The British North America Act Of 1867

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The British North America Act of 1867 and the subsequent Indian Act of 1876 gave the Canadian government, under prime minster John A. Macdonald, full control over the nation’s Aboriginal people. The government used this power to establish boarding schools for Aboriginal children. An estimated 144 residential schools operated at different times between the late 1800s and 1996 throughout Canada. These schools were established with the purpose to enhance assimilation of Aboriginal children into the Canadian culture of British and French heritage. However, despite these misguided government attempts lasting more than a century, the Aboriginal culture and civilization could not be eradicated, and the residential school system as originally conceived proved to be a failure.

Residential schools were religious custodial schools established after 1880 by the Canadian government in partnership with churches. Through next half-century, a system of residential schools stretching across country developed. The Roman Catholic church ran 3/5 of residential schools, the Anglican church ¼, and the United and Presbyterian churches controlled the rest. Under the BNA Act and Indian Acts, the government was responsible for providing Aboriginals with an education as well as integrating them into Canadian society. Aboriginal leaders also wanted Euro-Canadian schooling for their children so they could acquire the skills of the society in order to help them transition into a world led by

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