Taking care: We recognize this news release may contain information that is difficult for many and that our efforts to honour Survivors and families may act as an unwelcome reminder for those who have suffered hardships through generations of government policies that were harmful to Indigenous Peoples.
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line offers emotional support and crisis referral services for residential school Survivors and their families. Call the toll-free crisis line at 1-866-925-4419. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Hope for Wellness Help Line also offers support to all Indigenous Peoples. Counsellors are available by phone or online chat. This service is available in English and French, and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
June 29, 2023 - Ottawa, ON - Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and court-appointed representative plaintiffs Reginald Percival and Kenneth Weistche announced that a proposed settlement agreement has been reached in the Federal Indian Boarding Homes (Percival) class action.
Beginning in the 1950s, approximately 40,000 Indigenous children were part of boarding home placements with private families for the purpose of attending school. A significant number of these placements were overseen by the federal government until control of program delivery was slowly devolved to Indigenous governing bodies. This proposed settlement agreement marks a significant advancement for thousands of Indigenous children and youth who suffered cultural loss and abuse while placed in a boarding home between approximately 1951 until at least 1992. The Indian Boarding Home Program was a program in which the Government of Canada placed children from First Nations communities and Inuit villages in other communities (usually non-Indigenous) to stay with private families for their education.
With this settlement agreement, Canada agrees to provide individual compensation for having been placed in a boarding home and compensation for incidents of physical and sexual or other abuse, with an investment of $50 million to support commemoration, healing, language and culture.
From now until August 25, 2023, class members will have an opportunity to review the proposed settlement agreement and provide their comments to the Federal Court.
The parties will seek approval of the proposed settlement from the Federal Court from September 12 to 14, 2023. The Court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of the class. Once approved by the Court, compensation and other benefits will be available to eligible class members.
The Government of Canada will continue to work with Survivors to address past harms, as it is at the heart of reconciliation, and essential to renewing and building relationships with Indigenous Peoples, governments, and all Canadians.
