Canada’s national archives is working to identify, digitize and transfer six million pages of federal Indian day school records to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), the department head says.
“That kind of paper trail would fill multiple tractor trailers to the brim” said Leslie Weir, librarian and archivist of Canada, who hopes to finish the work in three years time.
The records document the history and legacy of the Indian day schools, which operated from the 1860s to the 1990s. Unlike residential schools, where Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their homes and communities, day school students attended classes during the day and returned home at night.
However, many day school students also faced abuse, neglect and assimilation policies at the hands of teachers and administrators. Some of the records include attendance lists, correspondence, photographs and reports that could help survivors and their families access compensation and healing services.
Weir said the archives has a team of about 20 people dedicated to the project, which involves sorting through thousands of boxes of records stored in various locations across the country. The team uses scanners and cameras to create digital copies of the records, which are then checked for quality and metadata.
The digitization process also requires consultation and collaboration with Indigenous communities and organizations, as well as the NCTR, which is based at the University of Manitoba. The NCTR is responsible for preserving and providing access to the records related to residential schools and other aspects of Indigenous history and culture.
Weir said the archives aims to transfer the digitized records to the NCTR by 2024, but some records may be available sooner. She said the archives is committed to ensuring that the records are handled with respect and sensitivity, and that survivors and their families have a say in how they are shared.
“We want to make sure that we are doing this in a way that honours the survivors and honours their stories,”
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