Taking care: We recognize this news release may contain information that is difficult for many and that our efforts to honour Survivors and families may act as an unwelcome reminder for those who have suffered hardships through generations of government policies that were harmful to Indigenous Peoples.
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line offers emotional support and crisis referral services for residential school Survivors and their families. Call the toll-free crisis line at 1-866-925-4419. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Hope for Wellness Help Line also offers support to all Indigenous Peoples. Counsellors are available by phone or online chat. This service is available in English and French, and, upon request, in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
January 3, 2023 - Ottawa, ON - Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, along with Reginald Percival and Kenneth Weistche, court-appointed representative plaintiffs, announced that an Agreement-in-Principle has been reached in the Federal Indian Boarding Homes (Percival) class action.
Over the past four years, the Government of Canada and counsel for the plaintiffs have been engaged in discussions to resolve this litigation in a fair, compassionate and respectful manner.
The signing of the Agreement-in-Principle marks a significant milestone for thousands of Indigenous people who suffered cultural loss and abuse while residing in a boarding home placement overseen by the federal government for the purpose of attending school from September 1, 1951, to June 30, 1992.
The Agreement-in-Principle combines individual compensation for having been placed in a boarding home and compensation for incidents of physical and sexual or other abuse with forward-looking investments to support commemoration, healing, language and culture.
