Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Documents of a Colonial System: Day Schools Records at Library and Archives Canada

On this page

The Day Schools Project

The Day Schools Project (DSP) is an initiative of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to digitize, describe, and increase the discoverability of up to six million pages of archival documents related to the Federal Indian Day Schools system and its legacy. 

The DSP ran from 2022 to 2026. During this time, the DSP team identified, digitized, and created file-level descriptions for a range of records related to various aspects of the Federal Day Schools system, making it easier for Survivors, family members, and researchers to find information in LAC’s public database.

The enhanced file-level descriptions of records related to day schools now include details, when available, on the types of documents contained within each file, the Indigenous communities and school locations mentioned, the names of schools and related institutions, and whether the file includes student or staff names.

Most of the records are restricted by law (Code 32) because they contain personal information. You can request access to restricted files through an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request available on LAC’s website.

Records that are open to the public (Code 90) are identified as such in the online database. If a digital copy of a file exists and has been linked to the file-level description, you can view it online. If no digital copy exists, you can order and consult the file in person, order copies online, or hire a researcher to help. See LAC’s website for more information.

For more information on how to access the records, see the Day Schools Project Research Guide on LAC’s website.

The Day Schools System: an overview

Colonial systems such as Indian Residential Schools and Federal Indian Day Schools (from here on, Day Schools) were used to forcibly assimilate First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation children into mainstream society. Between the mid-1800s and 2000s, with many peaking in the 1950s to the 1970s, an estimated 200,000 Indigenous children attended Day Schools in every province and territory, except Newfoundland and Labrador.

These schools were funded and operated by the federal government, often in partnership with church organizations. Like Residential Schools, Day Schools were designed to enforce cultural assimilation into Euro-Canadian society by attempting to erase Indigenous languages, cultures, and identities. Unlike Residential Schools, children did not live at Day Schools; however, they were still subjected to the same forms of abuse and neglect. Many children experienced trauma associated with cultural harms and, in some cases, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as systemic racism from staff.

Spanning from the 19th century into the 2000s, the records held at LAC were created by the former Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and its predecessors, the Indian and Inuit Affairs Program and the Northern Affairs Program. Originally intended for administrative purposes, the records contain both textual and non-textual documents, including photographs, architectural and technical maps and plans, and artwork.

About this booklet

This booklet is intended to help Survivors, their families, and the public better understand and interpret some of the archival documents found at LAC, including those in the files digitized and described by the DSP. It can be used as a companion to both the DSP Overview and the DSP Research Guide on LAC’s website.

This booklet provides a general overview of the different types of records created by the former Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in relation to the Federal Day Schools system. Due to administrative overlap, some records may also relate to the Indian Residential Schools (IRS) system.

The terminology used throughout this booklet reflects the wording used in the documents themselves. We have kept this terminology so that researchers know which keywords to use when searching and to better understand the file-level descriptions. For example, “noon-day lunches,” “nominal roll” and “day school blocks” are the administrative terms used by the department.

For ease of use, the information is organized into the following themes:

The documents in these files support a wide range of research purposes including, but not limited to, the following:

Understanding the documents you may come across in these files will help you narrow down your research and allow you to find records of interest.

Things to keep in mind

Government records related to Day Schools were created and collected over many decades. Thus, they reflect the administrative priorities and recordkeeping practices of their time rather than the lived experiences of students, families, or communities.

When reviewing these documents, be aware that they may contain gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and culturally inappropriate or harmful terminology. The following notes are intended to help interpret the records:

Understanding the themes

The files digitized and described by the DSP are mainly textual records. As per the scope of the project, the focus of this booklet is on records containing student and school information.

Additional information on the files listed below can be found in Appendix 1. Some of the documents listed below are described in section A closer look at select documents.

Students

If you are looking for documents that mention students or contain student names, such as school records or class lists, you may find the following file types useful: 

Some of the documents that contain student names include: 

Schools

If you are looking for documents that discuss the schools themselves, including school administration, operation, enrolment, and buildings, you may find the following file types useful:

Some of the documents that pertain to the schools themselves include:

Staff

If you are looking for documents that pertain to teaching staff, you may find the following file types useful:

Community involvement

If you are looking for documents that pertain to Indigenous community involvement in education, including curriculum development, you may find the following file types useful:

Funding

If you are looking for documents that discuss funding or financial matters related to education, you may find the following file types useful:

History and policy

If you are looking for documents that discuss broader policy or historical matters relating to Day Schools, you may find the following file types useful:

Other document types you may find useful in your research include:

A closer look at select documents

The following examples provide a more detailed description of some of the documents listed in section Understanding the themes. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Applications for educational assistance

An application for educational assistance is a standardized form submitted to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development for financial assistance to offset the cost of education. The application may pertain to elementary, secondary, post-secondary, vocational, and other post-school students. It lists schools previously attended, which often include Day Schools. An application for educational assistance is a two-page document.

This form contains:

Band Council Resolutions (BCRs)

This is a formal document drafted and approved by a First Nation to authorize a specific action. BCRs are submitted to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. The BCR is a single page standardized form, with additional pages added, typically one to three, when required. In relation to Day Schools, a BCR may pertain to actions including, but not limited to, teaching staff, school operations, school buildings, school supplies, curriculum, noon-day lunches, and student transportation.

BCRs contain:

Circulars

The circular letter is a written statement of government policy. Departmental circulars provide information, instructions, guidelines, and directives with regard to departmental policies and programs, including education. Circulars may be broader and higher-level in scope or more specific and may pertain to Day Schools. Circular letters employ a standardized departmental form but vary in length and may include attachments.

Circular letters contain:

Daily Registers

Daily Registers are departmental forms that record who attended a school, when they attended, and provide basic information about each student. Daily Registers typically cover a three-month period and can vary in length.

This form contains:

Each form also contains a summary prepared by the teacher:

Federal schools facts and figures

This is a departmental form that includes basic information on a school for a given school year. This form is typically half a page in length.

This form contains:

Initial Child Placement Application and Authority form

This is a standard departmental application form for children in care. While this form does not pertain specifically to Day Schools, many children named on these applications are school-aged and schools may be identified. These forms indicate whether the application pertains to childcare or juvenile delinquency. This application form is typically one page long with a second page containing financial information for departmental accounts only:

Child or children:

Parents:

Child caring agency or courts:

Departmental placement:

Inspector’s report on the school plant and equipment

This is one of several types of school inspection reports, many of which contain similar information including, but not limited to, condition of school facilities, health and sanitation, appearance of children, learning environment, and recommendations for improvements. The inspector’s report on the school plant and equipment is completed by a regional or provincial school inspector and is typically one page in length.

This form contains:

Nominal rolls

Nominal rolls contain lists of students by band and school for a given financial year.

This document contains:

Principal’s monthly reports

The principal’s monthly report was completed by school principals each month to report on the daily functioning of federally run schools. While there are several versions of the principal’s monthly report, most are one to two pages in length and typically contain the following information:

Provincial (joint) school census file cards

This is a departmental form that includes information on a provincial and/or joint school for October of a given year. This form pertains to pupils enrolled on a full-time basis in elementary or secondary schools or vocational students enrolled in a secondary school. It excludes adult students enrolled in special courses. This form is typically half a page in length.

This form contains:

School establishment and organization returns

This is a departmental form that includes basic information on a residential or day school for one school year and, when applicable, recommends changes in relation to the school. Changes include, but are not limited to, number of teaching positions, number of classrooms, a school name change, and school opening or closure. This form typically appears as a single page document or a double-sided card.

This form contains:

Specifications (engineering and construction)

This is a multi-page technical document for engineering or construction projects at residential or day school properties. It may include project descriptions, agreements, lists of materials, labour conditions, and insurance information. This document may also be accompanied by architectural drawings or site plans.

Student Action form

Student Action forms were used to keep track of key changes in a student’s schooling or living situation. They often accompany applications for educational assistance. This is a single page document divided into several sections.

Each form provides the reason for its submission and identifies one of the following:

The form also contains:

Photographs, maps, architectural and technical drawings, and art and materials

Also referred to as specialized media, files containing Day Schools information include non-textual documents such as photographs, architectural and technical drawings, maps and other non-textual media, including photocopies of photographs.

Photographs can be black and white or colour. Most depict school buildings and sites, or other buildings, such as housing. They document site conditions, construction, and show before-and-after repair work on the buildings.

Sometimes notes written on or around the photograph identify the location; otherwise, location is assumed from file contents.

Occasionally there are photographs of students and staff, but these were not often seen in this project.

Light grey page with blue lines, containing six black-and-white photographs with handwritten captions in black ink below each image.
Fort George Residential School, Chisasibi (formerly known as Fort George), Quebec, ca. 1954, e011819142
Black-and-white photograph stapled onto a light grey page with handwritten caption in blue ink below.
The Pas Day School, The Pas, Manitoba, 1947, e011078102_s3
Colour photograph of two prefabricated buildings being transported by trucks.
Standard prefabricated Day School being delivered to location, Forest, Ontario, ca. 1967, e011794878

Maps include published maps with written notes, usually identifying locations of communities, schools, existing and proposed transportation routes, as well as hand-drawn maps. There are also aerial maps, either in single sheet form (single image taken from the airplane), or mosaics, which are multiple images connected to make larger maps. 

Hand-drawn map on light grey paper indicating First Nations communities, location of the school, roads and two lakes.
Hand-drawn map noting Day School locations and proposed bridge near Fairford and Little Saskatchewan Reserve, Manitoba, ca. 1958–1968, e011828333
Plan of a town and surrounding area in green with four concentric green rings starting with the smallest ring in the downtown section.
Plan of the town of Kenora, with handwritten notes about the town’s septic systems and connection to St. Mary’s Indian Residential School, Ontario, ca. 1960s, e011826465

Architectural and technical drawings include building plans that document both existing structures and proposed designs for school buildings and staff residences. These drawings may specify details of electrical and plumbing systems, indicate alterations or renovations, and identify construction materials or methods used.

Two rectangular drawings in blue ink on greyish paper with yellow staining along the folds. The top drawing shows the exterior elevation of a school, and the lower one shows the basement plans of the same school.
Two rectangular drawings in blue ink on greyish paper with yellow staining along the folds. The top drawing shows the exterior elevation of a school, and the lower one shows the basement plans of the same school.
Exterior elevation drawing and basement plan of St. Anne’s Residential School, Fort Albany, Ontario, ca. 1954, e011814468

Site plans form another category of architectural documentation. They provide a broader survey of the land involved in construction projects or property development proposals. Site plans typically identify the location of school buildings and may also indicate related features such as residences, churches, cemeteries, roads, septic systems, and water supplies.

Plans in white lines on a dark blue background for a sewage disposal system at a school.
Site plan for a proposed sewage disposal system at the Roman Catholic Indian School, Kenora, Ontario, ca. 1967, e011794868

In addition, technical drawings of individual building elements, including heating, electrical, water, and septic systems, record precise dimensions, installation details, and material specifications.

Technical drawing in black ink on grey paper showing a water storage tank for a school.
Technical drawing of a water storage tank for Long Lac Indian Day School, Long Lac Indian Reserve No. 58, Ontario, ca. 1967, e011794872

Art and materials primarily consist of drawings created by students using various media, including pencil, pen, and marker. Also included are reproductions of published materials, such as postcards, as well as physical samples of craft supplies, such as beads and fabric, that were either requested or supplied. Additionally, they contain samples related to school construction projects, such as paint chips, color selections, and material boards.

Page from a brochure with typed text and two drawings of school facilities on the left side and examples of 16 paint colours on the right.
Paint brochure with selected colours for school building identified, Easterville, Manitoba, ca. 1965, e011815466

Appendices

Understanding archival file numbers and classification systems

Throughout its history, the former Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (and its predecessor departments) used classification systems to organize its records. Each file was assigned a series of numbers to indicate the subject it related to and its place within the department’s bureaucratic filing structure as shown in the examples listed below.

These classification systems reflect the administrative reach of the federal government into nearly every aspect of the lives of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children, their families, and communities. The systems were created through a colonial lens, and their structure mirrors the priorities and worldview of the colonial administration rather than the people and communities represented in the records.

These records are shaped by government categories, terminology, and perspectives that often obscure or depersonalize the lived experiences behind them.

The intention of this booklet—and of the Day Schools Project more broadly—is to help bridge the gap between government-created records and the real human experiences they document. While we do not explain the department’s filing systems in detail, this section points to types of files drawn from those systems that speak to the story and legacy of Day Schools, helping Survivors, family members, communities and researchers find and connect with the records of interest.

Appendix 1: Sampling of files relating to the Day Schools system and its legacy

Students

Schools

Staff

Community involvement

Funding

History and policy

Appendix 2: Types of schools and related institutions

Although the Day Schools Project focused primarily on records relating to Day Schools, with some overlap into Residential Schools, the records also contain information on a variety of related educational institutions attended by First Nations, Inuit and Métis children. These include the following:

Page details

2026-03-04