Schoolhouse Colonialism: A Political Economic Analysis of School and Inuit in the Canadian Arctic

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Abstract

Schoolhouse colonialism is a descriptive moniker being coined to describe a particular form in which colonization of the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic used schools as a fixture of permanent settlement. The colonial relationship cemented itself during a particular era, the late 1950s and through the 1960s, when welfare state capitalism encouraged direct State intrusion as an important consideration in colonial affairs. This description of colonial policy is based on a review of primary source material gathered from the Social History of the Eastern Arctic Archives. The paper contributes to an existing literature which has examined the Canadian government’s policy towards settling the Arctic and expands upon the centrality of school in these decisions.

Author

• Taylor Ellis, University of Manitoba