Voting rights at various times in our history

Participation in a democratic system was not unknown to Indigenous peoples.  In fact, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Five Nations, as well as the Huron Confederacy, sent representatives to participate in larger councils, which would then pass decisions based on consensus, and where final decisions that impacted the whole territory could be made through a balance of opinion, a vote of sorts.  But once Indigenous peoples became part of French or English-controlled territories, the force of those early rights to self-determination waned.

You might be surprised at when the earliest peoples could vote, and how voting rights changed throughout our history.  View the video at right, watching for which groups were politically influential and when, and how voting as a solution for social and political change varied as different groups lost then regained the right to have a say in government.

The Reserve System

Indigenous reserves in Quebec and across Canada trace their origins to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which recognized Indigenous control over lands west of the Appalachians and required formal treaties before any land could be ceded. In practice, however, Quebec officials often ignored these requirements, creating reserves in ways that aligned with colonial settlement needs rather than Indigenous rights. 

Under the Indian Act, reserves became pieces of land set aside for Indigenous bands, but the land was still legally controlled by the Crown, giving the federal government major power over how it is used. More recently, agreements like the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement have given Cree and Inuit communities stronger legal protection, clearer land rights, and more control over their own governance.

Residential Schools: Purpose, Operation, and Impact

Residential schools in Canada were funded by the federal government and run largely by Catholic and Anglican churches.  They were designed to assimilate Indigenous children, which means to force them to give up their own cultures, languages, traditions, and identities so they would adopt the beliefs, values, and lifestyle of the dominant non‑Indigenous society

Residential schools (school where student live) separated children from their families, languages, and cultures. Beginning with early models like the Mohawk Institute in 1831 and expanding through the 19th and 20th centuries, these schools imposed harsh discipline, didn't allow them speak their  Indigenous languages, and exploited them as unpaid child labour. 

Survivors from those schools later described the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, cultural suppression, and long-term trauma they experienced there. The residential school system, which the Truth and Reconciliation Commission later called a form of cultural genocide, left deep scars that continue to affect Indigenous communities today.

Residential Schools in Quebec: Development and Lived Experiences

Quebec’s residential school system expanded mainly from the 1930s to the 1960s, with institutions such as St-Marc-de-Figuery, La Tuque, Pointe Bleue, and Fort George. These schools were often located far from Indigenous communities, forcing children into long, frightening journeys before being separated from siblings and stripped of their identities. Firsthand accounts from survivors describe punishment for speaking their languages, overcrowded and unsafe living conditions, and the emotional devastation of being taken from their families. Even after government takeover in 1969, underfunding and abuse persisted until the final closures in the 1970s and 1980s.

Social Conditions

Living conditions on many reserves resembled those of developing nations, with inadequate housing, limited infrastructure, and high rates of poverty. 

Emotional and Personal Effects

Residential schools caused severe and lasting harm to Indigenous children, families, and communities. 

Children as young as six were taken from their parents—often by force—and sent far from home, where they were punished for speaking their languages, denied affection, and subjected to harsh rules, abuse, and fear. Survivors like Diane Bossum, William Tagoona, and Marcel Petiquay describe being beaten, humiliated, separated from siblings, and made to feel ashamed of who they were. Many lived in constant terror, witnessing or experiencing physical and sexual abuse, strict punishments, and attempts to erase their identities and beliefs. 

These experiences created deep trauma that affected not only the children but also their families and future generations. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission helped reveal these stories, showing Canadians the painful legacy that still impacts Indigenous communities today.