Residential schools were run primarily by the Canadian government in partnership with various Christian churches. The government funded the system and made attendance compulsory, while the churches provided teachers, administrators, and religious instruction. The main denominations involved in running these schools were:

• The Roman Catholic Church
• The Anglican Church of Canada
• The United Church of Canada
• Presbyterian Church

The schools aimed to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture by separating them from their families and erasing their cultural identities. Around 150,000 Indigenous children attended these schools from the 19th century well into the late 20th century, with the last federally funded school closing in 1997. The residential school system caused immense harm, including cultural genocide, physical and sexual abuse, and long-lasting trauma in Indigenous communities.