Smokin' Ace

Indianz.Com. In Print.
URL: http://www.indianz.com/News/2005/007983.asp


Deal in works to pay residential school students
Thursday, May 5, 2005

The Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian government are working on a deal to pay all former students of residential schools, according to the Canadian Press.

One proposal includes offering every former student $10,000 (Canadian) plus another $3,000 for each year spent in a residential school, CP said. Victims could still pursue lawsuits for higher damages in the courts, the report said.

AFN has been advocating a lump-sum payout because an alternative dispute resolution process set up by the government has not been successful. Of the 12,000 people with claims, only about 1,300 have been resolved.

The Canadian Bar Association also supports lump-sump payments. News reports show that the government has spent $34 million to administer the current process but has paid less than $1 million to victims.

A deal could be announced by the end of the month.

Get the Story:
Residential school deal to offer survivors lump sum: report (CBC 5/4)
Payouts possible for residential students (CP 5/3)

Relevant Links:
Indian Residential Schools Resolution Department - http://www.irsr-rqpi.gc.ca/english

Related Stories:
Court allows damages for residential school abuse (5/2)
Few Natives receive money for residential school abuse (4/25)
Fire destroys former Native residential school (03/22)
Bar association seeks payment for all Native students (02/23)
Native leaders blast plan to hire investigators (02/11)
Exhibit opens on Native residential schools (01/17)
Canadian court approves class action for school abuse (12/08)
AFN calls for $10K payment for every abuse victim (11/18)
Canada slow to compensate Native abuse victims (11/05)
Canada wants abuse victim to return settlement (09/17)
Canada has spent more on lawyers than abuse victims (02/23)
Abuse case settlement process called inadequate (01/22)
Charges laid in Indian school abuse case (04/24)
Canada limits Native abuse suits (11/21)
Canada moves to settle Native claims (11/12)
Church dropped from Native abuse suit (10/25)
Abuses of Natives ignited reaction (04/29)
School church abuse lawsuit dismissed (5/16)
Candidate hit for 'scalp' remark (11/21)
Churches worry about suits (11/2)
Churches to apologize for abuse (09/05)
Official: Churches must pay (07/07)
Elder completes walk (06/20)
Sale of church urged (06/12)
Reconciliation commission urged (06/06)
Lawsuits threaten church (06/02)
Abuse charges filed (First Nations 06/02)
Churches losing lawsuits (05/22)
Elders walk across Canada (5/9)
Children used as guinea pigs (04/26)

Copyright © 2000-2005 Indianz.Com

__________________
Everything is gonna be alright!

Be blessed - got love???

This b me.....

www.myspace.com/akayo

Blackbear

************************************************** ******
This Message Is Reprinted Under The Fair Use
Doctrine of International Copyright Law:
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
************************************************** ******

FROM: THE MONTREAL GAZETTE NEWSPAPER WEBSITE

http://www.canada.com/montreal/montr...d=3399345b-513
2-441c-9e82-15b7cd31a37c

Residential School Settlement Closer, Sources Say

Could be announced end of month; Truth-and-reconciliation forum, new healing
funds among proposals

SUE BAILEY
CP


Wednesday, May 04, 2005



The federal government is considering lump-sum payments and new healing
programs as part of a multi-million dollar plan to compensate former students of

Indian residential schools.

Sources told the Canadian Press high-ranking officials have worked closely
with the Assembly of First Nations on a deal that could be announced by month's
end.

A new plan before the next election would help cap a wellspring of
embarrassing criticism.

The minority Liberals have been accused of spending millions of dollars on
lawyers and bureaucrats while offering little to compensate abuse victims.

Proposals include offering every former student $10,000 plus another $3,000
for each year spent in a residential school.

That approach would potentially clear hundreds of claims while still allowing
victims of sexual and physical abuse to sue for higher damages.

A national truth-and-reconciliation forum to hear from abuse survivors has
also been discussed, along with new healing funds.

"We are looking closely at those proposals and other options to deal with as
many claimants as fairly and as quickly as possible," said Alex Swann,
spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan.

Her duties include trying to solve a mounting backlog of lawsuits involving
more than 12,000 claimants.

"Final decisions have not been made," Swann said.

Another source close to the negotiations said a proposal is being finalized
for consideration by cabinet ministers as early as next week.

Talks have centred on an Assembly of First Nations report released in
November. It made several recommendations after the national native rights group

asked a panel of international experts to study Ottawa's approach to
out-of-court
settlements.

Only about 1,500 people have so far filled in complex application forms to
put their case before an adjudicator.

Critics have attacked the government's plan to fast-track settlements because
it only considers damages for physical and sexual abuse.

The Assembly of First Nations argues all former students should be
compensated for language and cultural losses in schools that were meant to
"Christianize" them. Rules that outlawed native customs were strictly upheld -
often with
brute force.

It's estimated Ottawa's sluggish out-of-court process could drag on for at
least 50 years and cost more than $2 billion, not including settlements.

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2005

__________________
Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.