Conference session

Drawing from By Strength, We Are Still Here: Indigenous Peoples and Indian Residential Schooling in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, this session explores the histories of Grollier Hall and Stringer Hall—two institutions that operated into the late twentieth century and shaped the lives of generations of northern Indigenous children and families. The presentation asks a central question: how should Canada understand genocide, truth-telling, and accountability in light of northern Indigenous experiences of residential schooling? Grounded in archival research, oral histories, and Indigenous theoretical frameworks, the session highlights how Indigenous families, Survivors, and communities resisted and endured systems designed to dismantle their cultures and governance. Rather than focusing solely on victimization, the talk centers Indigenous strength, relational governance, and land-based knowledge as intellectual and political frameworks that continue to shape northern futures. This session will benefit scholars, educators, policy-makers, and community leaders interested in Indigenous history, truth and reconciliation, and the ongoing impacts of residential schooling. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of northern residential school histories, new conceptual tools for thinking about genocide in the Canadian context, and insights into how Indigenous-led knowledge and advocacy are reshaping conversations about accountability and reconciliation today.