Residential School Settlement announced in the House of Commons
See CBC News story after the AFN press release ...
AFN PRESS RELEASE
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Statement on Minister of Indian Affairs -
Announcement on the Residential Schools Final Agreement
OTTAWA, April 25 /CNW Telbec/ - Today in the House of Commons, federal Minister of
Indian Affairs and Northern Development Jim Prentice stated: "It's with pleasure
that I rise to inform the House that the Government's representative, the Honourable
Frank Iacobucci, together with the Assembly of First Nations legal representatives
of the former students of the Indian Residential Schools and representatives of
three of the churches running the schools have today reached substantive agreement
on a final Residential School settlement agreement. ... I've been informed that the
lead representatives for the Catholic Church groups involved with, has given their
assurance as well that all of those organizations will be confirming their support
for the settlement agreement. The Government will now immediately consider the
settlement agreement and the interim payments and the timing of those payments, and
I will keep the House informed, Mr. Speaker."The Assembly of First Nations National
Chief Phil Fontaine stated in response:
"When I went public with my own experience in 1990, I knew that any efforts to
resolve the legacy of the residential schools would have to involve not only
compensation, but healing and reconciliation as well. In 2004, the AFN issued a
major report that presented a better approach than what had been available up until
that time. It set-out an approach that provided for healing and reconciliation
between First Nations and Canada as well as fair and just compensation for all
residential schools survivors. Our approach was and is comprehensive. It is good for
First Nations because it provides for healing and redress and it is good for Canada
because it is faster and more cost-effective than lengthy court battles and class
actions. I stated earlier this week that the AFN endorsed the Final Agreement which
can now go to federal Cabinet because it is based on our approach. The AFN and
survivors have been leading this process and we endorsed the Final Agreement earlier
this week because it is based entirely on our approach. We welcome today's
announcement by Minister Prentice and his statement that the government will give
immediate consideration to the Final Agreement. He has our full support as he
secures approval from the federal Cabinet. This is a tremendous day for First
Nations, for survivors of residential schools and for Canada."
Phil Fontaine
National Chief
Assembly of First Nations
A Chronology of events leading to the Residential Schools Final Agreement is
attached. Media are invited also to review the AFN statement endorsing the
Residential Schools Final Agreement issued through Canada Newswire on April 23rd.
The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First
Nations citizens in Canada.
Residential Schools - A Chronology
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1890s - early 1900s
-------------------
Residential and Industrial Schools were established in locations across Canada,
predominantly in Western Canada for the purpose of "killing the Indian in the
child." Over 150,000 children attended these residential schools up to 1973.
1990
----
Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Manitoba Chiefs goes public as the first Indian
leader to tell the story of his own abuse in residential school and calls for
recognition of the abuse, compensation and an apology for the inherent racism in the
policy.
1991
----
Several individual law suits are launched.
Some residential school survivor groups are formed
1996
----
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommends that a public inquiry be held
to investigate and document the abuses in Indian Residential Schools
1997
----
July - Phil Fontaine elected as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
AFN initiates negotiations with federal government officials for an out-of-court
settlement for the residential school abuses.
1998
----
Consultative dialogues take place between AFN, survivors, federal government and
church officials to set out the Guiding Principles for resolution of residential
school claims.
January - AFN and National Chief Phil Fontaine negotiate the Statement of
Reconciliation with a Healing Fund of $350 million for survivors of residential
schools. Government admits wrongdoing for the first time and apologizes to
residential school survivors in the Statement of Reconciliation.
May - The Aboriginal Healing Foundation is established.
A class action is commenced for a single Indian Residential School in Ontario.
2000
----
Further class actions launched by law firms.
2001
----
Department of Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada is formed to deal with
the out of court settlement of residential school abuse claims.
2003
----
November - Canada launches an Alternative Dispute Resolution process.
2004
----
March - AFN and the University of Calgary Law School organize a national conference
to examine the ADR process and delegates find it to be seriously flawed.
November - AFN, through an expert committee, publishes the Report on Canada's
Dispute Resolution Plan to Compensate for Abuses in Indian Residential Schools,
which sets out the requirements for a holistic, just and fair settlement for all
residential school survivors, the key elements of which are:
- a lump sum payment for all survivors of $10,000 and $3,000 per year for every year
attended;
- and early payment for the elderly;
- a truth commission;
- a healing fund;
- a commemoration fund;
- a more comprehensive and fair and just process for the settlement individual abuse
claims.
2005
----
January - AFN begins discussions with officials to consider the elements of the AFN
Report.
May 30 - National Chief Phil Fontaine signs the Political Agreement with Canada. The
Agreement appoints the Hon. Frank Iacobucci to be the government representative in
final settlement negotiations. The Agreement states that the AFN will pay a "key and
central role" and that the AFN Report will form the basis of the Settlement.
July - Negotiations with all parties commence in various locations in Canada.
November 30 - All parties to the negotiations sign the Agreement in Principle,
incorporating all of the key AFN Report recommendations.
2006
----
All parties commence negotiations leading towards a final settlement agreement.
April 24 - All parties sign a final agreement, which awaits final Cabinet approval.
-30-
/For further information: Media 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; For general
(non-media) inquiries on residential schools please contact: Shannon Swan, AFN
Project Assistant, Residential Schools Unit, (613) 241-6789 ext. 332 or toll free
1-866-869-6789/+++++++++++
From http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/04/25/residential060425.html
Residential school deal almost final - Tue, 25 Apr 2006 - CBC News
A final deal to compensate thousands of people who attended native residential schools has passed another hurdle and the federal cabinet could approve it within days.
Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice announced all parties have approved compensation for victims of residential schools.
All parties in the negotiations have approved the agreement, Jim Prentice, minister of Indian affairs and northern development, announced Tuesday in the House of Commons.
The statement caused members of cabinet to stand up and applaud.
Although negotiators had indicated that the Conservatives would not give elders early payments, that now appears to have changed.
"The government will now immediately consider the settlement agreement, and the interim payments and the timing of those payments," said Prentice.
There are about 78,000 residential school survivors in Canada and about 8,000 are seniors.
'Painful part of our history'
All those over age 65 and living in poverty will be able to apply immediately for $8,000 in compensation even before the agreement is finalized in the courts.
Rosemarie Kuptana, who went to residential school for 10 years in Inuvik, says she has met a number of them in the Northwest Territories.
"It's time that the First Peoples in this country dealt with a very painful part of our history," she said.
Liberal Indian Affairs critic Anita Neville has seen a copy of the agreement that was approved by the parties involved in the negotiations.
She says it hasn't changed much under the Conservatives. It still includes a promise to spend $1.9 billion to compensate survivors.
"I am pleased to see that the government has finally agreed to endorse the agreement in principle signed in November 2005 by the previous Liberal government, the Assembly of First Nations and church leaders," said Neville in a news release.
Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says approval by all parties is significant, since it took many years of complicated negotiations to get to this point.
"It's very significant to have all of the diverse interests that have been involved in the very complicated process of negotiations accept the final agreement," said Fontaine.