Rylan Fraser Lake , British Columbia

Fair address: Prince George Regional Heritage Fair

Project: Indian Residential Schools in Canada

My project gave an overview of the history of Indian Residential Schools in Canada from the 1800s to 1996. In my project, I interviewed Aboriginal educators and leaders and I showed how aboriginal people today are affected by Indian Residential Schools. In my video, I interviewed an Aboriginal elder who gives some suggestions to the government and society to help future Aboriginal generations deal with the consequences of this terrible time.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting but disturbing thing I learned was how the children were treated at the schools and understanding how they were violated of their human rights as aboriginal children.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

The most important lesson I learned from doing my project is that even though Canada recognized that Indian Residential schools was wrong and apologized, it has still greatly affected the aboriginal people today.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

As a Tsimshiam aboriginal, I feel that we as kids are protected as compared to the aboriginal children described in my project and we have every opportunity available to us unlike the children who attended the Residential Schools in Canada.