The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs have acknowledged the Canadian government's C$2.8 billion settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought forward by Shíshálh and Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Nations on behalf of Indian Day School band-class plaintiffs, and expressed solidarity with the plaintiffs.
One Saturday it was announced the Canadian government will pay the compensation to indigenous communities for decades of abuse suffered by First Nations, Métis and Inuit children in residential schools.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Union president, said "no amount of money is sufficient to heal the harms inflicted by Indian Day Schools, but we are encouraged by the historic nature of the settlement which proposes administration of funds by an independent trust and for bands to be specifically compensated".
"In acknowledging the harms of Indian Day Schools, not only upon our people, but upon our culture and our Nations, this decision must act as a minimum standard going forward to uphold First Nations' jurisdiction, title, and rights to governance so that we are the ones to decide how we need to heal – and are afforded the tools to do so," he said.
Union secretary-treasurer Kukpi7 Judy Wilson said survivors and their families have "waited a long time to see financial compensation and recognition of the harms and loss of culture caused by Indian Day Schools used as an assimilationist apparatus to destroy our Nations".
"The UBCIC stands with survivors and we sincerely hope that this settlement for bands will tangibly support communities to rebuild their language, heritage, cultural programming and to restore some of what was systematically destroyed. When we are rooted in our language, our culture, our land and our laws, we are rich as a people," she said.
Ms Wilson hailed the strength and ardent leadership of First Nations in British Columbia in holding Canada to account.
"I raise my hands to former Shíshálh Chief Garry Feschuk and former Tk'emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Chief Shane Gottfriedson and their Nations who launched this suit more than a decade ago seeking justice for day scholars who were excluded in previous settlements," she said.
Union vice-president Chief Don Tom thanked the First Nations in British Columbia, in all leadership roles from community to council, who have "paddled fiercely together to support our Residential and Indian Day School survivors".
Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada investigated the period 1883 to 1996 and eight years of research determined that more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were sent to residential "schools" after being removed from their families.
Isolated from their families and prohibited from observing their culture and using their language, many of the children were physically and sexually abused, and vast numbers died of disease, malnutrition or neglect.
More than 1,300 mass graves have been discovered on the grounds of abandoned residential schools in recent years, leading to apologies from Pope Francis and shining a spotlight on one of the darkest elements of Canada's past.
