State-Sponsored Abuse in Canada

This episode contains accounts of physical and sexual abuse.The residential school system was devised by the Canadian government under the auspices of education, but very little education took place. Instead, children were taken from their families in order to wipe out Indigenous languages and culture.In 1959, when Garry Gottfriedson was 5, he was sent to one such school: Kamloops Indian Residential School.On today’s episode, we hear his story and explore how Indigenous activists have agitated for accountability and redress from the federal government.Guest: Ian Austen, a correspondent covering Canada for The New York Times. Sign up here to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. Background reading: Two gruesome discoveries of what Indigenous groups say are the remains of hundreds of children have strengthened the groups’ resolve to hold Canada accountable for a long-hidden brutal history.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.