Section 1: In The Beginning

Within the NAN territory First Nations people hunted, trapped, and grew their own food. They participated in their traditional spiritual/cultural practices and spoke their own Native language and so on. All of the skills were passed on as a form of education from one generation to the next generation.

When Europeans first arrived in northern North America they saw it as empty unclaimed land, but in reality it was a complex environment containing many cultures and communities. there was a new attitude of Europeans superiority over all other peoples and policies in what we now call Canada. These policies, combined with Missionary efforst to civilize and convert Aboriginal people, tore wide holes in Aboriginal cultures, autonomy and identity. One policy was making western education compulsary for all Aboriginal children.

When Europeans first arrived in northern North America they saw it as empty unclaimed land, but in reality it was a complex environment containing many cultures and communities. there was a new attitude of Europeans superiority over all other peoples and policies in what we now call Canada. These policies, combined with Missionary efforst to civilize and convert Aboriginal people, tore wide holes in Aboriginal cultures, autonomy and identity. One policy was making western education compulsary for all Aboriginal children.

The residential school system had devastating effects upon many First Nations children. NAN communities are still healing from the abuse many of their members suffered at the residential school.