Residential School Settlement: Questions and Answers

“If a beneficiary has questions or needs information or help with applications regarding Residential School (i.e. Advance Payment Applications or soon to be Common Experience Payments), they either call or come in and see me,” said Brenda Ittungna, IRC’s residential schools coordinator. Below, Brenda and Simon Routh, logistics person on the same file, shares answers on the questions they get asked frequently regarding the Indian Residential School Settlement:

Question: I heard I have to fill out another form, what is it and how do I get it?

Answer: If you have already received the court notice package, you will automatically receive the Common Experience Claim (CEP) form mid-late September 2007. If you haven’t received the court notice package, you can go online at www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca and request that a claim form be mailed to you. Or you can call 1-800879-4913 to request a claim form. OR you can call me collect at (867) 777-7016 and give me your contact information and I can forward it to Indian Residential School Resolution Canada (IRSRC).

Inset: Brenda Ittungna, IRC residential schools coordinator was on hand with Simon Routh (siiting behind desk) to answer any queries former students had during an information session in Inuvik. Visits have been made to all ISR communities for this purpose.

Question: When am I going to get my cheque?

Answer: IRSRC has said that after a claim has been received and verified, payments can be mailed 4-6 weeks later.

Question: Is my name on the list?

If a beneficiary is unsure whether or not they are going to receive a claim form, they can call me collect at (867) 7777016 to check if their name is in our database.

Question: Who do I talk to if I want to take make claim compensation for abuse I suffered at residential school?

If a former student is unsure about how to make a claim or who they can talk to, they can contact IRC and we can provide the names of some lawyers that they can contact for more information regarding this process.

Question: If my CEP application is rejected due to missing or incomplete records, what should I do?

Answer: IRC has been working jointly with other parties to the Settlement on the CEP verification protocol. One of the solutions includes the use of statements by the applicants themselves, Canada has committed to making sure all eligible former students be paid. IRC will assist beneficiaries whose claims are denied in part or in whole and who contact IRC for assistance, in validating missing years. Canada will provide statistics on the number of Inuvialuit CEP applicants and the status of their applications on a biweekly basis.

Question: What is the Independent Assessment Process?

Answer: The Independent Assessment Process allows former students to claim compensation for sexual abuse, serious physical abuse, or abuse that otherwise caused serious psychological harm. Compensation amounts are comparable to what would be awarded by a Canadian court.

Canada will start accepting applications to the IAP on September 20. As well, most outstanding claims under the old claims process—the Alternative Dispute Resolution—will roll over to the IAP. IRC has a representative (Rosemarie Kuptana) on the oversight body of the process.

Question: If I cannot leave my community, can somebody help me with my forms?

Service Canada will send representatives to all the Inuvialuit communities this fall, to help former students complete their applications. Brenda Ittungna will travel with Service Canada to each community, and coordinate their visits with the Community Corporations and community AHF workers. She will also ensure translation is provided where needed.

Question: What is happening with Truth, Reconcilation and Commemoration?

IRC has been lobbying the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to make sure Northern-specific policies and schools are reflected in the commission’s research plan on deceased children and burials at Residential schools. Commemoration initiatives include the creation of a lasting physical legacy. The most recent commemoration funding allocation model proposes that NWT would receive $500,000 for a territorial event or event(s), and another $500,000 would be available for community/regional initiatives within the territory. IRC is now in discussion with the Beaufort Delta Residential School Society about the kind of commemoration activities they would like to see. Healing programs are receiving new funding to extend the work of AHF program workers in each community by five years.

Question: What other programs are being implemented with the funding?

Expanded Health Support Program

Health Canada has launched an expanded initiative called the Resolution Health Support Program, where all former students participating in the settlement can request professional counselling. They will also pay for traditional cultural support by elders for former students who feel they will benefit from such healing. Family counselling can also be made available.

Compensation Impacts Funding

IRC received funding from Canada to hold workshops that focus on increasing the positive and decreasing the negative impacts of the settlement money that comes into a community. At least six workshops in the general areas of financial preparation, addictions prevention, and elder abuse prevention will be held in each community. The workshops will include parts directed to the public, and parts directed to community workers. The financial preparation workshops will also include a representative from CIBC who will able to set up former students with bank or other accounts if they choose. (The CEP can be directly deposited into a bank account).