38. RG 2 Education
BACKGROUND.
The first schools for Aboriginal people in Ontario were
founded by missionaries (primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic
and Methodist), very often with Imperial government support.
Because Indian Reserves were not subject to school taxes,
such educational institutions were rarely part of the pre-Confederation
system of common schools. Since 1867, the federal government,
through the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development,
has had theoretical jurisdiction over schools on Indian
Reserves in Ontario. Thus, researchers interested in aboriginal
education should also consult the various Church archives
in Ontario, and the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development records (NA RG 10) at the National Archives
of Canada. Certain private papers at the Archives of Ontario
-- such as the Rev. John Strachan Papers (F 983, especially
in Boxes MU 2893-2917) -- also contain a great deal of information
on this topic.
CONTENT.
The various records of the Ministry of Education do contain
some materials of interest, though they are difficult to
access. The most important material dates from after the
Second World War. The various listings below offer some
general suggestions for research.
FINDING AID. The RG 2 Inventory provides
a general introduction to the different series and sub-series.
39. RG 2 Series C-1.
Department of Public Instruction: Outgoing General
Correspondence. - 1842-1860. - 5 linear feet (25 Volumes).
CONTENT.
This series includes the letterbooks of the Reverend Egerton
Ryerson, Chief Superintendent of Schools for Upper Canada
from 1844 to 1876. These deal occasionally with the education
of First Nation children, as the following random sample
discloses:
Series C-1 Letterbook C, 19 December 1845 to 18 June 1847Pgs.
23-24
Rev. Egerton Ryerson to the Hon. Dominick Daly,
26 January 1846. Deals with complaint by inhabitants of
the Township of Alnwick that the Indian School (at what
is now Alderville near Rice Lake) had improperly received
a portion of the Township School Fund. Ryerson provides
several suggestions as to the organization and financing
of such Indian schools.
FINDING AID.
See the RG 2 Inventory for date ranges of letterbooks.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE?None.
ACCESS. Open.
40. RG 2 Series C-6-C.
Dept. of Public Instruction. Incoming General
Correspondence. - 1841-1876. - 150 linear feet (300 Boxes).
CONTENT.
This series, the largest in RG 2, contains a sizeable body
of documents. Researchers should check the geographical
index (Series C-6-B) for areas with known Native populations
(such as Alnwick, Zone, Manitoulin Island). For example,
in Volume 18 for 1875, there are a number of references
under "Algoma District". One such entry is:
Series C-6-C 1875 Letter #10560 (Garden River)
Letter from a retired teacher from County of
Grey, then living at the Garden River Indian Reserve.
FINDING AID.
There is no subject index to this series. The geographical
index (Series C-6-B) is of some use, as noted above. However,
the blue wrappers which identify locality have been removed
for the years 1853-1862, which renders the index useless
for that period. The RG 2 Inventory has a box list for the
geographical index.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Open.
41. RG 2 Series D-3-C.
Dept. of Education. Minister's Office. Incoming
General Correspondence. - 1876-1884. - 160 linear feet (320
Boxes).
BACKGROUND.
This correspondence, also voluminous, is a continuation
of Series C-6-C.
CONTENT.
As with the preceding series, researchers should check the
geographical index (in this case, Series D-3-B) for areas
of known aboriginal settlement. However, a random sampling
of letters for the purposes of this project turned up no
materials on Indian schools. This is not surprising, given
the comments above.
FINDING AID. The geographical index (Series
D-3-B) provides the only entry into this series. The RG
2 Inventory has a box list for the geographical index.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Open.
42. RG 2 Series D-2.
Dept. of Education. Minister's Office. Outgoing
General Correspondence, Drafts. - 1876-1881. - 7.5 linear
feet (15 Boxes).
CONTENT.
This material parallels the incoming correspondence in Series
D-3-C.
FINDING AID.
There is no easy way to use this material. Researchers would
need to have a date range in mind in order to sample the
correspondence. If a relevant document is found, it will
usually provide the number of the incoming letter (Series
D-3-C) to which it is a reply.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Open.
43. RG 2 Series F-3-C.
Elementary Education. Algoma Inspectors' Records.
- 1867-1904. - 3.5 linear feet (7 Boxes).
BACKGROUND.
In some rural or isolated parts of Ontario, the federal
government did not exercise its responsibility for Native
education until after the First World War. In these circumstances,
Ontario authorities occasionally supervised the often rudimentary
school system provided by missionaries or by the First Nation
people themselves.
CONTENT.
A limited number of such documents have survived in the
departmental collection for Algoma District (eastern and
northern Lake Huron). See, for example:
Box 6. Reports on Indian Schools 1882, 1884-1885
These reports cover the Parry Sound District,
Manitoulin Island, and the north shore of Lake Huron.
FINDING AID. See the RG 2 Inventory.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Open.
44. RG 2 Series P-3.
Registrar's Branch. Central Registry Files. -
1906-1968. - 94 linear feet (188 Boxes).
BACKGROUND.
These files constitute the main body of departmental material
for the first half of the Twentieth Century.
CONTENT.
The file titles disclose some material of interest. See,
for example:
Superintendent of Elementary Education. Indian Agreement
Schools. File Code 4-873.
Order as RG 2 P-3 by Year and file code. Years
available are: 1913, 1916, 1918, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1945.
Federal Government Departments. Northern Affairs File Code
F-511.
Order the same way. Years available are: 1917,
1935.
FINDING AID.
See the RG 2 Inventory, Appendix L. The portfolio archivist
has a list of file titles.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS.
Most files are open, though some post-1945 material is subject
to the FOI/P Act. Researchers should consult reference staff
for restricted files.
45. RG 2 Series S-2 .
Community Programs Branch. Branch Office Files.
- 1946-1964. - 9.5 linear feet (19 Boxes).
BACKGROUND.
Through its Community Programmes Branch, the Ontario Department
of Education supported adult education and recreation programs
for residents of rural and northern communities -- including
Native people -- during the 1950s and 1960s.
CONTENT.
Records for Northwestern Ontario are potentially the most
useful. See, for instance:
Box 6 Fort William Office: Community Activities 1946-1948
Box 7 Fort William Office: Correspondence 1952-1957
FINDING AID.
See the RG 2 Inventory.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Open.
46. RG 2
Community Programmes Branch. General Correspondence
Files. - 1952-1968. - 2 linear feet. Accession 18097. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
These files continue the correspondence in Series S-2 above.
FINDING AID.
There is no file list or guide to this material. Researchers
should ask the portfolio archivist for assistance.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
47. RG 2
Records of the G.L. Nelson Committee on Racial
Bias towards Native Peoples in Text Books. - 1970. - 3 linear
feet. Accession 14307. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
The background papers and briefs presented to the committee
are a valuable source of information about societal attitudes
towards Aboriginal people in Ontario. They constitute a
book by book discussion -- by both aboriginal and non-aboriginal
analysts -- of prejudiced statements and pictures in all
textbooks then in use in Ontario schools at the date of
inquiry.
FINDING AID. None.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE?
None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
48. RG 2
Curriculum Branch: General Files. - 1961-1970.
- 3 linear feet. Accession 11428. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
These files are a potential source of preliminary correspondence
with regard to the Committee on Racial Bias towards Native
People in Textbooks. They are taken from the same record
series as Accession 21971 below.
FINDING AID.
None. Researchers should consult the portfolio archivist
for suggestions.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
49. RG 2
Curriculum Branch: Curriculum guideline development
and implementation files. - 1982. - 9 linear feet. Accession
21971. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
This series has a number of items of potential interest,
such as:
Box 2. File Title: Ontario Indian Educators' Council
Box 6. Files Title: Native Studies (4 sub-file headings)
FINDING AID.
There is a rough box list to this accession. Consult the
portfolio archivist for access.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
50. RG 2
Legislation Branch: Agreements and Legislation.
- 1966-1975. - 1 linear foot. Accession 20811. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
There are several files that may be of interest, including:
Canadian Association in Support of Native Peoples 1974
FINDING AID. The portfolio archivist has
a rough file list.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
51. RG 2
Legislation Branch: Legislation Files. - 1963-1975.
- 10 linear feet. Accession 19889. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
None of the file headings disclose subjects of immediate
interest. However, given the size of the accession, researchers
may want to search more thoroughly.
FINDING AID. The portfolio archivist has
a rough file list.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
52. RG 2
Liaison Services Section: Subject correspondence
files. - 1967-1978. - 3 linear feet. Accession 21353. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
There is at least one file of interest:
Box 1: Native Fitness Incentive Awards 1972
FINDING AID. The portfolio archivist has
a rough box and file list.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
53. RG 2
Teacher Education Branch: Administrative Records.
- 1957-1975. Accession 14686. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
There is at least one file of interest:
Box 2: Programs - Teachers of Native People 1972
FINDING AID.
The portfolio archivist has a rough box and file list.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS. Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
54. RG 2
Task Force on the Educational Needs of the Native
Peoples of Ontario. - 1975-1976. - 2 linear feet. Accession
18923. UNPROCESSED.
CONTENT.
The documents of the task force, which was appointed by
the Davis government, consist of files, notes and miscellaneous
briefing materials.
FINDING AID.
There is no detailed file list of contents.
MICROFILM VERSION AVAILABLE? None.
ACCESS.
Subject to FOI/P Act restrictions.
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