▁families ▁and ▁communities ▁has ▁been ▁w ides p read ▁and ▁extensive . ▁ ▁Res ident ial ▁schools ▁system atically ▁und erm ined ▁Ab original ▁culture ▁across ▁Canada ▁and ▁dis rupted ▁families ▁for ▁gener ations , ▁sever ing ▁the ▁t ies ▁through ▁which ▁Ab original ▁culture ▁is ▁taught ▁and ▁sust ained , ▁and ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁a ▁general ▁loss ▁of ▁language ▁and ▁culture . ▁Because ▁they ▁were ▁removed ▁from ▁their ▁families , ▁many ▁students ▁grew ▁up ▁without ▁experien cing ▁a ▁n urt uring ▁family ▁life ▁and ▁without ▁the ▁knowledge ▁and ▁skills ▁to ▁raise ▁their ▁own ▁families . ▁The ▁dev ast ating ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁resident ial ▁schools ▁are ▁far - re aching ▁and ▁continue ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁significant ▁impact ▁on ▁Ab original ▁communities . ▁Because ▁the ▁government ' s ▁and ▁the ▁churches ' ▁intent ▁was ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁Ab original ▁culture ▁in ▁these ▁young ▁people ▁and ▁interrupt ▁its ▁transmission ▁from ▁one ▁generation ▁to ▁the ▁next , ▁the ▁resident ial ▁school ▁system ▁is ▁commonly ▁considered ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁cultural ▁gen o cide . ▁ ▁The ▁Canadian ▁government ▁started ▁to ▁close ▁the ▁comp uls ory ▁resident ial ▁school ▁system ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁opinion ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁authorities ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁that ▁Ab original ▁children ▁would ▁benefit ▁from ▁a ▁better ▁education ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁school ▁system . ▁This ▁transition ▁to ▁provincial ▁services ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁[ Ind ian ▁Act ] ▁am