Shannen's Dream Timeline & Documents

The Government of Canada begins to phase out Residential Schools.

The Education of Indians in Ontario: A Report to the Provincial Committee on Aims and Objectives of Education in the Schools of Ontario is published. From the report: “Knowing how much lag can be expected between the formulation of new policies, including the staging of exciting new pilot projects and the general adoption of these principles into the whole system, a key question immediately comes to mind. Taking into account the Indian question in this province, can Ontario afford to wait for this type of glacial change? School board, outlook, supervision, teacher training, textbooks must all be modified. Let someone hazard a guess as to what year or what century significant changes toward real equality will be noted in the achievement of the children,” (Sim, 1967, p. 35).

First Nations people living on reserve are able to vote in federal elections.

Treaty No. 11 is signed, noting in the agreement that First Nations children signed under the Treaty will receive education paid for by the Government of Canada. Read Treaty No. 11.

Treaty No. 10 is signed. The preamble to the Treaty states, “As to education, the Indians were assured that there was no need for special stipulation over and above the general provision in the treaty, as it was the policy of the government to provide in every part of the country as far as circumstances would permit, for the education of the Indian children…” Read Treaty No. 10.

Treaty No. 9 – The James Bay Treaty is signed, guaranteeing educational provisions: “His Majesty agrees to pay such salaries of teachers to instruct the children of said Indians, and also to provide such school buildings and educational equipment as may seem advisable to His Majesty's government of Canada.” Read Treaty No. 9.

Treaty No. 8 is signed, noting in the agreement that First Nations children signed under the Treaty will receive education paid for by the Government of Canada. Read Treaty No. 8.

Treaty No. 7 is signed, noting in the agreement that First Nations children signed under the Treaty will receive education paid for by the Government of Canada. Read Treaty No. 7.

The Government of Canada enacts racist legislation, the Indian Act, 1876, aimed at controlling and assimilating the Indigenous population. One of the strategies of the Indian Act, 1876 was to “enfranchise” any First Nations person that obtained post-secondary education, forcing a choice between maintaining basic human rights, or Indigenous rights. While it has undergone many revisions, the Indian Act is still in place today and has not been updated since 1985. Read the Indian Act, 1876 and Indian Act, 1985. 

Treaty No. 6 is signed. It is stated in the Treaty that, “Her Majesty agrees to maintain schools for instruction in such reserves hereby made as to Her Government of the Dominion of Canada may seem advisable, whenever the Indians of the reserve shall desire it.” Read Treaty No. 6.