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In the first episode of our six-part series, Valerie and Ali begin an unflinching exploration of Canada’s residential school system—its origins, intentions, and the roots of a policy designed to erase Indigenous identities and cultures.

Foundations of a System of Erasure traces the early colonial and missionary efforts that laid the groundwork for residential schools, from the 1600s through the 1800s. We examine how government and church authorities partnered to create a network of institutions aimed at forced assimilation, justified through racist ideologies and imperial ambitions.

This episode sets the stage for understanding how these schools became a central tool of cultural genocide in Canada, and why reckoning with their history is essential for truth and reconciliation today.

Join us as we uncover the policies, motivations, and beliefs that built a system meant not to educate, but to erase.

🌱 PayYourRent.ca is an Indigenous-led grassroots initiative calling on settlers to engage in ongoing, voluntary financial redistribution in support of Indigenous land defenders, sovereignty, and community well-being.

This foundation supports urgent needs like housing, food security, legal defense, and cultural revitalization—all grounded in the principle that land back also means resource back.

If you live, work, or benefit from life on stolen land, consider learning more or making a monthly contribution at PayYourRent.ca.

Justice isn’t a moment—it’s a commitment.

Edited by Kyle McDonnell