Intergenerational impacts of Indian Residential Schools: Results from the 2007/08 First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey

From 1863 to 1996, as part of an effort of forced assimilation on the part of the Canadian government and several religious factions, Aboriginal children from across Canada were forced to leave their families to attend Indian Residential Schools (IRS). Many children in these schools experienced abuse, neglect, and were taught to be ashamed of their families and culture. In addition to reports of diminished health among those who attended, increased levels of distress have also been observed among children of IRS Survivors relative to First Nations adults whose families were not intimately impacted by this policy. Considering the large proportion of the First Nations population that has been impacted by IRSs, it is important to identify mechanisms by which the cycle of trauma and stress repeats itself across generations in order to intervene and preclude the intergenerational cycle. Secondary analyses of data from the 2007/08 First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS), the only national level survey assessing health indicators among First Nations living on-reserve, provides a unique opportunity to further explore the intergenerational impacts of IRSs. The proposed analyses will evaluate processes that underlie the relations between having a parent who attended IRS and various health outcomes, and will also explore potential resilience or vulnerability factors that may influence well-being in this population. Further evidence of such intergenerational impacts will emphasize the need for services aimed at promoting mental health among First Nations peoples to target the descendents of those who were victims of IRSs and similar policies. Furthermore, the findings will inform the development of evidence-based health interventions that may diminish the otherwise ongoing intergenerational effects of trauma among First Nations people, and in turn, contribute to reducing the health disparities that exist between First Nations peoples and the general population.