Alberta K-12 students to be taught painful legacy of Indian residential schools

EDMONTON – Alberta students are to be taught about the horrors and the painful legacy of Indian residential schools.

The province has announced that all kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum will include mandatory content on the significance of residential schools and First Nation treaties.

Aboriginal Relations Minister Frank Oberle (oh-buhr-lee) made the announcement to wild applause at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in Edmonton before hundreds of residential school survivors and their families.

He says the curriculum will include the diverse perspectives of First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples living in Alberta.

Oberle says Indian residential schools devastated aboriginal language and culture and the damaging effects are still be felt by survivors and their children and grandchildren.

There were 25 residential schools in Alberta.