Children, often without consent, were taken from their families and required to live in residential schools. There they often suffered extreme physical and emotional abuse through draconian discipline and neglect, and forced labor. Children were not allowed to speak their first language or practice their traditions. Many children suffered traumatic experiences. Many died due to illness, malnutrition, or abuse.

Survivors have experienced numerable long-lasting consequences, including depression, a fractured sense of identity, and broken family structures. The residential school system has left Indigenous people with a deep wound that endures social, psychological, and cultural trauma. A detailed account of the abuses suffered was documented in Canada by a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and later a formal apology from the government issued in 2008.