All Indigenous adults who were robbed of their culture between the 1960s and 1980s, should be compensated fairly for the harm they suffered as children, Save the Children Canada has said.
The agreement in principle, announced on October 6 by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, includes a compensation package of $750 million for the estimated 20,000 survivors of the Sixties Scoop. The individual payouts will likely range between $25,000 and $50,000 for the harm the survivors suffered as infants and children by being placed in non-Indigenous homes.
The national settlement also sets aside an additional $50 million for the creation of an Indigenous Healing Foundation, which will provide access to education, healing and wellness and commemoration activities. Save the Children supports the creation of the foundation as an essential initiative to help survivors of the Sixties Scoop heal and successfully cope with their experiences.
The agreement in principle is a step toward reconciling this troubling period in Canadian history, but Save the Children believes the federal government should do more.
“When you calculate the settlement in terms of how long the survivors spent away from their families and communities, it roughly equals to a maximum of $7.60 per day.
“While no amount of money can compensate for the loss of childhood, identity and culture, the offer is shameful and just adds insult to injury,” says Conrad Prince, Director of Indigenous and Canadian Programs at Save the Children Canada and a survivor of the Sixties Scoop.
Equally concerning, is the exclusion of Metis and non-status Sixties Scoop survivors in the settlement. Canada is in its initial process of national reconciliation, and it is a pivotal time for all Canadians to renew their relationship with Indigenous people.
Save the Children calls on the Canadian government to develop new approaches and methods to address reparations for Indigenous peoples that are inclusive of all Indigenous communities and that address both the individual trauma and healing as well as the impact on communities.
The exclusion of Metis and non-status Sixties Scoop survivors undermines the spirit and intent of Truth and Reconciliation.
However, there is an even more disturbing trend when it comes to the treatment of Indigenous children in Canada. Children have been forcefully removed from their families and homes for almost 150 years. Their language and culture were stolen by harmful government policies.
“The government was fully aware of the impact of their policies, but rather than work directly with the survivors to find a fair resolution, the government forced the survivors to go court,” explains Prince. “This is a recurring pattern on the part of the government and one which is not in the spirit of reconciliation either for individuals or communities.”
Save the Children strongly encourages the Canadian government to respect the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal landmark ruling and four subsequent noncompliant orders. We implore that Jordan’s Principle be implemented to ensure equitable access to government services available to other children. The discrimination against the 163,000 First Nations children must end now.
ENDS
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