MMF announces $2M investment into fund for Sixties Scoop survivors | APT...

Ottawa commits $47.8B to reform First Nations child welfare system

 Port Hawkesbury, NS, Canada / 101.5 The Hawk

Brad Perry

Jul 11, 2024 | 2:56 PM

 

https://www.1015thehawk.com/2024/07/11/ottawa-commits-47-8b-to-reform-first-nations-child-welfare-system/#

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak of the Assembly of First Nations speaks to reporters on July 11, 2024. Image: CPAC video capture

It is being described as a historic and groundbreaking milestone for First Nations children and their families.

Ottawa has agreed to commit $47.8 billion over 10 years to reform First Nations child and family services.

The settlement agreement was announced during the Assembly of First Nations’ annual general meeting on Wednesday.

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said this deal will lead to improved support for First Nations children and their families.

“It is hard to think of this as a celebration because everything that has happened so far is so, so sad,” said Woodhouse Nepinak.

“Since the beginning of the Sixties Scoop, First Nations children have faced discrimination in Canada’s child welfare system due to longstanding discriminatory policies and attitudes toward First Nations people. We are moving toward prevention, rather than apprehension.

“In 20 years from now, I hope that many of our families are back together again, sooner than that, but at the same time we fix this system so it quits hurting our First Nations families.”

The agreement is on top of a landmark $23-billion settlement approved by the Federal Court in October for 300,000 First Nations children and their families.

The settlement is the largest in Canadian history and was based on a human rights tribunal ruling which found the federal government discriminated against First Nation children and their families.

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu said Thursday’s agreement will put an end to “discriminatory” and “systemically oppressive policies.”

“This was a tool that was used to destroy the strength of First Nations peoples so that people could not fight for their own rights to exist in a way that they had since time immemorial,” said Hajdu.

“Today’s agreement is about a change to all of that. It’s about restoring power and control to communities and families so that no child ever again will grow up without being surrounded by love and culture and language, knowing who they are.

“It’s also a day that Canada moves from compensating for harm to investing in prevention. It means that we can see an end to the days where families are ripped apart because they don’t have a safe place to sleep, because they can’t afford the food to feed their children, because they don’t have the supports they need.”

Indigenous chocolate shop to open in downtown Sudbury #60sScoop

 An Indigenous chef who creates edible art is expanding her business in Sudbury.

Tammy Maki started Raven Rising Chocolate shop e-Commerce in October 020 and is now opening a storefront. Maki used some of the money she received from the '60s scoop settlement to start up the business.

"It kinda' didn't feel like very good money, so I actually wanted to take that money and apply it to something positive," she said.

"So I did take a portion of it strayed Raven Rising and quite frankly it was the best decision I have made."

Maki's chocolate shop will be located in the old Capitol Theatre on Cedar Street downtown.

"I fell in love when I walked in here and I remember it because I am 57 so I remember when it was the Capitol Theatre," she said.

"And when I allowed in and saw the ceilings, what I do is create art … edible art and this place makes me want to create it."

Maki said Raven Rising will be an Indigenous forward shop.

edible art

"There will be a lot of chocolates that are Indigenous ingredient-based and I do a lot of sourcing from Indigenous businesses, but, of course, I also proudly use local ingredients, lots of local farm ingredients and sourced in Canada as well," she said.

Along with opening the retail space, Maki is helping Indigenous students pursue the art. She's offering a 1,500 Raven Rising Pastry Art Scholarship at George Brown College. 

RELATED STORIES

• 'Many pieces missing for survivors': Growing calls for a national inquiry into '60s Scoop
• Permanent '60s Scoop foundation set to launch Thursday
• $25,000 settlement for Sixties Scoop survivors a 'slap in the face'

 

Federal Court approves Indian day schools class-action settlement

Compensation of up to $200K for abuse is 'fair and reasonable,' judge rules

Several federal Indian Day Schools operated in Kahnawake, Que., between 1868 and 1988. A class action settlement offers former students a range of compensation between $10,000 and $200,000, based on abuse suffered while attending the schools.

The Federal Court of Canada has approved the settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the government to compensate thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit children who attended federally operated Indian day schools.


There is 24-hour mental health counselling and crisis support available to former day school students at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca. Counselling is available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.

INDIAN DAY SCHOOL SETTLEMENT

https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indian-day-school-settlement-court-approves-1.5252211?cmp=rss

#SixtiesScoop Settlement

There is Now A Settlement

The two Courts have approved the settlement.

Please contact the class proceeding administrator, Collectiva at 1-(844) 287-4270 for more information regarding the claims’ application process.

The settlement provides free legal assistance to all inquiring survivors or claimants.
If you are a member of the Brown v Canada class, please call the law firm  Wilson Christen LLP at 1-866-360-5952. 
If you are not part of the Brown v Canada class, you may call any one or more of these three law firms for free legal assistance:

Klein Lawyers LLP at (778) 654-7171

Koskie Minsky at 1-(855) 595-2626

Merchant Law at 1- (888) 567-7777

If your inquiry is about the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation, please wait for a separate announcement from the Foundation about the work it will be doing.
All of us, at this website, who have walked this journey for many years, apologize to all survivors for the confusion and alienation so many have experienced in consequence of the workings of the class action legal process.
Ontario Brown v Canada Sixties Scoop Claim Litigation Committee

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Open Letter on the Ontario Sixties Scoop Class Action Settlement

Dear Community Members,
The fight for justice has been a long one. We launched the class action lawsuit for Ontario Sixties Scoop survivors in 2009, but we have been fighting for justice for much longer than that.
We know there is misinformation and false speculation about the proposed national Sixties Scoop settlement. We are addressing this issue to ensure that everyone has the correct information.
What this settlement gives us, in addition to money, is a healing foundation.
This foundation will be run by an Indigenous Board and Indigenous Executive Director. Its goal is to help families become whole again and to prevent any child, in the future, from going through what we went through. True wealth is the freedom from oppression. This is for our children and our grandchildren, and they need it and deserve it.
People also want to know who was consulted about this agreement. As the lead claimant in the only certified Sixties Scoop case in the country, I have listened to thousands of survivors. This is a journey we have taken together. We have learned from each other and supported each other. All of these stories I carried with me into the negotiations with Canada. The other representative plaintiffs carried with them their stories and their communities’ stories as well. We all stood behind Minister Bennett together when the settlement was announced.
With your stories in our hearts – we fought. Because of our stories in our hearts, we won. We could not have done it with out you.
I know this journey has been hard. We have the opportunity to move forward with this settlement, which includes a healing foundation. It is our foundation.
We want to ensure that all your questions are answered with facts. Please visit www.sixtiesscoopclaim.com to find correct information.
Thank you, Tcimigwitc,
Marcia Brown Martel
Lead Claimant, Ontario Sixties Scoop Lawsuit

Email: thesixtiesscoopclaim@gmail.com
Phone: 1-866-360-5952 ext. 217