Survivors of Canada's brutal residential school system are actively reclaiming the sites where they endured profound suffering, transforming them into powerful memorials and educational centres. The former Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario, which operated from 1828 to 1970, recently reopened as a museum, serving as a stark reminder of a dark chapter in Canadian history.
The Mohawk Institute was part of a nationwide network of institutions designed to forcibly assimilate First Nations children, systematically stripping them of their language, culture, and identity. Children at the institute faced severe punishments for speaking Indigenous languages, endured meagre meals, and were subjected to solitary confinement for attempted escapes. Widespread sexual abuse by staff was also rampant.
A poignant feature of the museum is a request for visitors to help identify unnamed survivors in photographs displayed throughout the exhibition. Many images depict children labouring in identical clothing or, in rarer instances, with their families, underscoring the profound loss of identity inflicted by the system. The decision to preserve the Mohawk Institute site was made by survivors in 2013, with the Woodland Cultural Centre, an Indigenous education centre, now owning and operating the facility.
Heather George, executive director of the Woodland Cultural Centre, views the museum and the centre's broader work – which includes promoting Indigenous art, languages, and social dancing – as a direct form of protest against the original goals of the residential school system. The centre regularly hosts local school children, educating them about the institute's history and the enduring impact of Canada's colonial policies.
Across Canada, which had nearly 140 residential school sites, survivors are grappling with the future of these physical spaces. While some, like the Mohawk Institute and the Shingwauk residential schools centre, have been converted into educational facilities, others, such as the Lower Post residential school, have been slated for demolition. This varied approach highlights the complex and deeply personal nature of healing and remembrance for the First Nations communities.
The transformation of these sites is particularly significant amidst concerns raised by academics and activists about a 'backsliding' in reconciliation efforts. There are reports of residential school deniers downplaying past abuses and new infrastructure legislation threatening First Nations' sovereignty without adequate consultation. Commemoration through museums and educational centres is seen as a crucial tool to combat denialism and foster public awareness, drawing parallels with global efforts to remember other genocides, such as at Auschwitz-Birkenau.