When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) issued its Calls to Action in 2015, it challenged all Canadians to better understand the histories of Residential Schools as an integral part of Canada’s narrative. 

In 2019, YWCA Canada issued an open call for researchers to examine institutional records regarding historical involvement in Residential Schools and ‘Indian’ Hospitals. This initiative reflects the YWCA movement’s commitment to confronting our past and supporting the healing and empowerment of Indigenous communities. 

Looking ahead, YWCA Canada and YWCA Metro Vancouver are deeply committed to integrating truth-telling into all aspects of our work. This means listening to the stories of Survivors and their families and learning from past actions. 

Our journey towards reconciliation will be guided by the principles outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice and the United Nation’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Our local archival research will be guided by the First Nations Principles of OCAP (ownership, control, access, possession).  

YWCA Canada and its member associations played significant roles within Canada’s Indian Residential School and ‘Indian’ Hospital systems, particularly through the provision of social and recreational activities, as well as settlement and job counselling services. 

YWCA Metro Vancouver has historically participated in and benefited from colonial practices and institutions, contributing to the ongoing effects of systemic racism and trauma faced by Indigenous communities. 

The settler colonial project in Canada combined the resources of both church and state to commit genocide against Indigenous peoples and their cultures through forced assimilation tactics. Initiated by Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, these practices were enacted through legislation that imposed non-Indigenous educational systems and policies on Indigenous peoples, aiming to extinguish their rights, culture and infrastructure. Indian residential schools and hospitals exemplified these efforts, impacting approximately 150,000 children and countless others who sought treatment. The lack of comprehensive records for patients in Indian Hospitals underscores the widespread and often invisible legacy of trauma and mistrust these institutions created, which still reverberates today. 

The YWCA's history is inextricably linked to the church, with its founding rooted in Christian faith. Our organizations provided programs and services that not only encouraged assimilation but also perpetuated the marginalization of Indigenous peoples. While we cannot change the past for which we are deeply sorry, we recognize the necessity of using this truth as a foundation to move forward in service to Indigenous peoples, guided by their voices and wisdom. 

YWCA Canada engaged Drs. Kristin Burnett and Shannon Stettner of Social Science Action Research Group, who delivered a report on May 30, 2022. The research primarily covers the 1960s and early 1970s due to resource constraints and limited archival availability. 

The scope of the project spans more than a century, encompasses nearly the entire country, and includes YWCA Canada and its member associations, which have historically kept their own organizational records. As a result, the research report does not represent a complete assessment of YWCA Canada and YWCA Vancouver’s settler-colonialist activities over the past century. While undertaking a comprehensive Canada-wide review is nearly impossible given the size and scope of the project, YWCA Metro Vancouver houses its archives locally and is initiating research to further understand our involvement in Residential Schools and Indian Hospitals. Our hope is to complete our own analysis within two years.  

Most importantly, YWCA Canada acknowledges that the research was conducted by non-Indigenous scholars and was not guided by Indigenous values or ways of knowing. As a result, the approach relied on institutional records rather than the lived experiences of Indigenous individuals, families and communities directly impacted by YWCA’s involvement. This means that the personal stories, perspectives and cultural contexts that are critical to understanding the full impact of YWCA’s activities, were not captured. 

Despite these gaps, YWCA organizations played a role in supporting colonial ideologies and promoting assimilation policies, and we must confront this difficult aspect of our history. Moving forward, any further research will need to center Indigenous voices and knowledge systems to provide a more comprehensive and respectful understanding of our past.