053 Not So Different, Not So Distant: Day Schools, Residential Schools, and the Myth of the ‘Lesser Harm’

Indian Day Schools are often described as a lesser harm. A softer version of a system we already know was devastating.

In this episode of Canadian Creepies, we challenge that narrative.

Not So Different, Not So Distant examines the similarities and differences between Indian Day Schools and Residential Schools, asking what really changed—and what didn’t. While children in day schools returned home at night, they were still subjected to the same federal policies, the same assimilationist ideology, and often the same abuses carried out by church-run institutions.

We explore how harm operated differently—but no less profoundly—inside day schools, why survivor experiences were minimized for decades, and how the myth of “less harm” allowed abuse to remain hidden in plain sight.

This episode also brings the conversation into the present, examining the role of administrators and authority figures within these systems, including the fact that Robert Carney served as a principal of an Indian Day School—a reminder that this history is not as distant as many Canadians would like to believe.

This is not an episode about individual villainy.
 It is about systems, power, proximity, and accountability.

Understanding the truth of Indian Day Schools isn’t about rewriting history.
 It’s about finally telling it honestly.

Content Advisory: This episode discusses colonial violence, abuse, and systemic harm inflicted on Indigenous children and communities.

✨ This episode also highlights the work of Niagara Reproductive Justice (NRJ)— Learn more or support their work by visiting their social media or emailing niagarareproductivejustice@gmail.com. 

Your next creepy obsession starts here. 

Follow Down the Crooked Path—your cohost for this haunting crossover—for eerie explorations that linger long after the episode ends:
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▶️ YouTube: Down the Crooked Path

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Edited by Kyle McDonnell