OAS Symposium 2024 – Events

• 9:15 am – Valhalla to Agora Circle (LU)
• 12:00 pm – Valhalla to Agora Circle
• 4:30 pm – Agora Circle to Valhalla

Presentation: Scott will be discussing his recent work with the Canadian Archaeology Working Group, the Special Interlocutor and Indigenous communities in Canada.

Indian Residential Schools: Anthropology’s Pathway Towards Reconciliation

Prof. Scott Hamilton, Dept. of Anthropology, Lakehead University

The Canadian Indian Residential School system predates Confederation and persisted into the 1990s. The schools were financed by the Canadian government and operated by various Christian churches.

They were distributed across the country, at least 150,000 children attended, and at least 4,600 died as a result. While called schools, the overarching priority was assimilation: Indigenous children’s acceptance of Euro-Canadian values, language and religion at the expense of their own. Despite early documentation of high rates of illness and death, why did the federal government adopt and continue these policies despite the consequences?

Anthropology and other social sciences contributed to this process due to the mid 19^th Century emergence and widespread acceptance of Cultural Evolutionary theory, particularly with its false equivalence of ‘evolution’ with ‘progress’. Notions of ‘human progress’ offered a rationalization for European Colonialism and forced assimilation. While we might imagine these antiquated notions being comfortably in our past, they are an enduring legacy baked into our society and governance system. They also contribute to residential school ‘denialism’. This raises important challenges for anthropologists, archaeologists and other social scientists. What is our role in contributing to the TRC ‘Calls for Action’, and how can we offer service to Indigenous Nations who are leading the search for the disappeared and the deceased. This includes technical training and expertise in methods that include geophysics and remote sensing.

Valhalla Inn Buffet Menu

Fresh Baked Buns with Butter

A tray of fresh cut garden vegetables and dip: array of six
garden vegetables accompanied with our house made lemon-dill dip

A wide selection of salads:

• Mixed greens with two dressing options:
• Fennel coleslaw with homemade vinaigrette
• Broccoli rochelle salad
• Macaroni salad
• Corn and bean salad
• Marinated vegetable salad

• Baked lasagna – ground beef and sausage ragu, ricotta cheese
  layered between tender pasta
• Roast ham
• Loaded baked potato – with bacon, green onions and sour cream
• Buttery steamed carrots
• Desserts: assortment of cheesecakes and house selection of
  dessert squares
• Coffee, Decaf & Assortment of Tea