Residential School Day Scholar Survivors Eligible for $10K Each in Settlement

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 Residential School Day Scholar Settlement Overview: 

• Who: Canada’s Federal Court has approved a class action settlement between the government and the country’s Residential Schools Day Scholars.
• What: Former day scholars argued that Residential Schools perpetuated a violent and abusive school system in an attempt to assimilate Indigenous people into mainstream Canadian culture in their lawsuit.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was settled by the Federal Court in Canada.

Canada’s Federal Court has approved a class action settlement between the government and the country’s Residential Schools Day Scholars, which will see survivors receive $10,000 each, along with the establishment of a $50 million fund that will support healing and reconciliation.

On September 24, the Federal Court approved the settlement for the Survivor and Descendant Classes in an ongoing class action lawsuit where former day scholars argued that Residential Schools perpetuated a violent and abusive school system in an attempt to assimilate Indigenous people into mainstream Canadian culture.  

The third Class, the Band Class, is still being negotiated. The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Carolyn Bennett, said that the Classes were separated to ensure that aging survivors received compensation in their lifetime.

“The mistreatment of Indigenous children is a tragic and shameful part of Canada’s history, the impacts of which are still being felt today. The Government of Canada is deeply committed to advancing reconciliation and healing for former Indian Residential School Day Scholars and their descendants,” Bennett said.

She added that Canada was pleased with the “important step forward on the journey of reconciliation and healing with Indigenous Peoples.”

“We are proud of the work we have accomplished together with Survivors and their counsel toward a lasting and meaningful resolution for the thousands of Day Scholars who suffered harm while attending an Indian Residential School.”

Residential School Day Scholar Settlement

The settlement agreement combines individual compensation of $10,000 for harms experienced in attending an Indian Residential School as a Day Scholar with forward-looking investments to support healing, wellness, education, language, culture, heritage and commemoration for Survivors and Descendants.

The Survivor Class includes all Aboriginal people who attended a Residential School, and the Descendant Class includes the first generation of people descended from Survivor Class Members or those who were legally or traditionally adopted by a Survivor Class Member or their spouse.

The lawsuit was first filed in 2012 by Tk’emlups te’ Secwepemc and Shíshálh Nation in BC. The Federal Government’s settlement proposal came in the wake of the discovery of a mass grave containing children’s remains at a former residential school located in Kamloops. 

Are you a day scholar who may take part in this class action settlement? What do you think of the proposal? Tell us in the comment section below.  

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Canada Proposes Settlement in Day Scholar Residential School Class Action Lawsuit
• Canada Federal Indian Day School Settlement
• Excluded Day School Survivors May Soon File New Class Action Against Canada
• Do You Qualify: Sexual Abuse and Assault Lawsuit