Truth & Reconciliation: Test Your Knowledge

Approximately how many Indigenous children went to residential schools?

150,000

200,000

50,000

100,000

Approximately how many children died in residential schools?

3,200-6,000

4,000-5,000

500-2,500

1,800-2,000

Residential schools operated in all provinces and territories, except:

Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island

British Columbia and Nova Scotia

New Brunswick and Quebec

How old were the children who went to residential schools?

5-16 years old

6-17 years old

4-16 years old

8-12 years old

Which of the following nutrition-related issues took place at residential schools?

Children did not have enough food

Children were fed spoiled food

Children were forced to eat their own vomit when sick

All of the above

Which of the following illness-related issues took place at residential schools

Exposure to freezing temperatures with improper clothing

Withholding medical attention

Exposure to contagious illnesses, such as tuberculosis

All of the above

Which of the following disciplinary methods were used in residential schools?

Inflicting physical pain (i.e., beating, burning, etc.)

Binding with chains

Locking in closets, cages, and basements

All of the above

All of the following practices were regularly used at residential schools to strip Indigenous children of their culture, except:

Being forced to speak only English/French

Being forced to adopt a new religion

Skin-branding to mark children as property of the state

Vilification of cultural traditions

When did the first residential school open?

1910

1831

1874

1799

When did the last residential school close?

1970

1986

1991

1996

Residential schools were run by

The federal government

The provincial governments

The Catholic Church

The Canadian government and various Christian churches

Which of the following did NOT happen at residential schools?

Students not allowed to talk to siblings of the same gender

Nutritional experiments conducted on students without their consent

Sexual abuse

Having needles stuck in their tongues for speaking their own language

How many residential schools operated in Canada in total?

211

139

111

What is the highest number of residential schools that operated at one time (in 1930)?

Which of the following Indigenous groups went to residential schools?

First Nations

Inuit

Métis

All of the above

Two former residential schools have been designated as national historic sites. They are:

Shubenacadie in Nova Scotia, Portage La Prairie in Manitoba

Ahousaht in British Columbia, Blue Quills in Alberta

Battleford in Saskatchewan, St. Mary’s in Ontario

Fort George in Quebec, Coppermine in Nunavut

Orange Shirt Day commemorates:

Indigenous children who had their clothes taken from them

Indigenous children who were separated from their siblings

Indigenous children who had their culture taken from them

All of the above

Who has not yet issued a formal apology for its role in residential schools?

The Canadian Government

The Catholic Church

The British Crown

None – all of these have formally apologized

Health conditions in residential schools were recognized as “a national crime” by medical inspectors as early as:

1907

1922

1935

1946

It wasn’t just the federal government – provinces also ran residential schools.

True

False