THUNDER BAY — A $2.8 billion agreement to settle the Gottfriedson Band class litigation, a class action lawsuit between 325 First Nations and the government of Canada, was announced on Saturday.
In this settlement, Canada will provide $2.8 billion to be placed in a not-for-profit trust, independent of the government.
The government says that Canada is committed to addressing the collective harm caused by the residential school system and the loss of language, culture, and heritage, a sentiment echoed by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services
“I think, first of all, it's really important that whenever we can, that we cease litigation and that we look for ways that we can consensually agree on compensation and on righting some of the harms of the past colonial experience of this country,” Hajdu said.
“This money will specifically go to compensate bands and help start the healing process at the community level to restore lost language and culture and practices.”
The disbursement of the settlement will be guided by the Four Pillars developed by the Representative Plaintiffs which include the revival and protection of Indigenous languages, the revival and protection of Indigenous cultures, the protection and promotion of heritage, and wellness for Indigenous communities and their members.
“It's a really important settlement because obviously through the residential experience and other aspects of colonization, people lost their languages and they lost their cultural practices,” said Hajdu.
“And many times, I hear from First Nations leaders that in fact restoring language and culture is a huge component of healing and moving forward, so this is good news.”
The funding disbursement plan, developed by the plaintiffs, outlines an initial amount of $200,000 for each band class member to support the development of a funding proposal that reflects the objectives and purposes of the Four Pillars.
These proposals will be reviewed and used to support the disbursement of the Initial Kick-Start Funds, totalling $325 million.
Each Band class member will receive a share of the annual investment income that is available.
The agreement still has to be approved by a Federal Court before it can be disbursed to recipients and both parties are expected to appear before the Federal Court on Feb. 27, when the Court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and in the best interest of the class members.
“It's hard for people that are in disputes to determine whether or not compensation is fair, whether or not compensation is adequate, and whether or not it suits the needs of the of the litigants,” Hajdu said.
“But the good news is that we've arrived at this this arrangement without further litigation, and in fact, the willingness of the parties to go in front of the Court to finalize this settlement means that now the next healing step can be taken.”
The government says that further information on the terms of the settlement will be publicly available over the next month as part of the broader notice plan.
