Ottawa will provide $ 20 billion to compensate children who have been victims of the underfunding of the First Nations child welfare system, as well as $ 20 billion to reform the children’s services program for these children. communities.
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Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller and Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu announced Tuesday afternoon.
Agreements in principle were recently reached after negotiations between Ottawa, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society as well as representatives of the class actions related to this file. .
The agreement reached provides for $ 20 billion in compensation for First Nations children who have been removed from their homes since 1991, as well as for their parents and caregivers.
The same amount will also be released over a five-year period to reform the First Nations child and family services program.
“No amount of compensation can compensate for the trauma people have gone through, but these tentative agreements recognize survivors and their families of the harm and pain caused by discrimination in funding and services,” said by press release Minister Hadju.
Several hundreds of thousands of Aboriginal children are thus affected by these agreements in principle, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyers.
“We recognize that it has been a long time to reach this milestone for the families who have been torn apart, and we know our job is not done,” added Minister Miller.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Federal Court, however, must approve this agreement in the coming months, before the amounts received by each person are determined.
“This agreement is historic and, we hope, a turning point in the work of this country on reconciliation,” said Robert Kugler, lawyer for the Moushoom claimants, in a statement.
Several class actions had been launched to force the federal government to pay money to each Aboriginal child in compensation for their placement in foster care due to the underfunding of government services.
“We are hopeful that this compensation, coupled with the urgent reform of the First Nations child welfare system, which is being negotiated separately, will provide some comfort while helping these children and young adults rebuild their lives,” said David Sterns, another lawyer for the Moushoom plaintiffs.