Stories From Canada's Indigenous Residential School Survivors (On Point)

At first, John Jones’ childhood wasn’t very different from other kids.

"The only important thing to a child is to play and be loved," Jones says. "That’s what my life was like before residential school.”

But when he was just 7, Jones was sent to the Alberni Residential School in Canada.

"The physical abuse was every day," he says. "And being assaulted verbally — if I didn’t do things the way that they wanted me to do, I was called a dirty, stupid Indian that would be good for nothing."

Set up in the 19th century, Canada's residential schools were used to force assimilation of First Nations children. Thousands died there. Hundreds buried in recently discovered unmarked graves.

Today, On Point: Survivors of Canada's residential schools. 

Interview:   
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2021/07/28/stories-from-survivors-of-canadas-indigenous-residential-schools