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Recent press coverage for INAC Minister Prentice and the AFN (see below for both stories) is now indicating that the long await Residential School Settlement package is close to being completed and agreed upon by all parties.

AFN Press Release - April 23, 2006

Assembly of First Nations Approves Final Agreement on Residential Schools Resolution: Urges All Other Parties in Negotiations to Sign-off So Agreement Can Be Approved by Federal Cabinet

            OTTAWA, April 23 /CNW Telbec/ - Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine announced today that the AFN has approved the final agreement to resolve the legacy of Indian residential schools. The National Chief is urging all other parties in the negotiations - Churches, lawyers and other representatives of residential schools survivors - to endorse the agreement so that it can be put before the federal Cabinet for approval and implementation.

            "The final agreement is consistent with the approach the AFN has been advocating since day one," said National Chief Fontaine. "It is a holistic approach that allows for healing and reconciliation, and provides for a faster and more cost-effective approach to deal with individual claims of abuse. The approach is good for residential schools survivors and it is good for Canada. We urge all other parties in the negotiations to endorse this final agreement so it can be approved by the federal Cabinet and we can begin the long-overdue process of bringing about healing and reconciliation for all parties in this sad chapter of our shared history. This approval is a necessary step in this settlement process and we thank the survivors for their patience and understanding as we move to final resolution on residential schools."

            On November 23, 2005 an agreement in principle was struck between the AFN, federal negotiator the Honourable Frank Iacobucci, survivors, lawyers and churches involved in residential schools cases. The agreement was to set in place a comprehensive approach that would include: a lump sum payment for all survivors to compensate for loss of language and culture resulting from the schools; a more efficient and effective process to deal with serious claims of abuse; a national "truth-telling" commission to bring greater understanding and awareness of this issue; and expedited compensation payments for the elderly. Based on the agreement-in-principle, a final agreement has now been struck and awaits approval by all parties.

            The AFN is of the understanding that once Cabinet has approved the agreement, early payments to the elderly will be processed by Service Canada. On April 19, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated at a news conference that: "Our government is prepared to move forward with (the agreement in principle) towards a final agreement as quickly as possible. Cabinet has given its approval for that as has our caucus. The difficulty is that one of the parties on the other side is at the current time blocking the signing of a final agreement.

            The AFN Regional Chief for Saskatchewan, Alphonse Bird, stated: "The party being referred to is clearly not the AFN. I would hope that none of the First Nations representatives - including the lawyers who represent survivors - would hold-up a fair and just resolution for people who have waited far too long for healing. The survivors are aging and with each day another one passes on who has not seen justice or reconciliation for their time in the schools. This agreement is far too important to be blocked for petty or insignificant reasons."
       
            The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations citizens in Canada.

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For further information:
Contacts: Don Kelly, AFN Communications Director, (613) 241-6789 ext. 320 or cell (613) 292-2787; Ian McLeod, AFN Bilingual Communications Officer, (613) 241-6789 ext. 336 or cell (613) 859-4335/

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From http://www.cbc.ca/sask/story/residential-schools060421.html

Deal close on residential schools, Indian Affairs minister says 
Apr 21 2006 - CBC News

A final deal on a compensation package for residential school survivors is only days away, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Jim Prentice said Friday.

It was last year when Ottawa and First Nations organizations settled on a $1.9-billion compensation package for as many as 86,000 aboriginal people who attended church-run schools.

Prentice made his comments in Whitehorse on the last day of a week-long tour of the three northern territories.

Earlier this week, lobbyists and lawyers for the survivors said they had heard a final package may not be ready until next year.

There was great concern some people wouldn't live long enough to receive the compensation.

Prentice told reporters Friday the Conservative government isn't stalling on residential school payments. He says the final document is in place and court approval is being sought.

"I expect to have the final agreement in my hands within the next several days," he says. "I anticipate from my discussions with [special mediator Frank Iacobucci] that it will take another week or so to secure the agreement of all the parties."

The common experience payments would be for all residential schools students, which would release the government and churches from all further liability relating to the Indian residential school experience, except in cases of sexual abuse and serious incidents of physical abuse.

About 13,000 people who attended aboriginal residential schools in the 20th century have sued Ottawa and church organizations, alleging physical, sexual and emotional abuse and loss of culture and language. About 3,000 of the claims are from Saskatchewan.