Federal spending on Indigenous matters has exploded. In 2006, the then-federal government under Stephen Harper set aside $1.9 billion for “common experience” payments to former students who lived at residential schools. There was no requirement that these students produce evidence of harm caused them during their residence. However, those who suffered sexual or serious physical abuses that caused serious psychological effects were to receive between $5,000 and $275,000 each. In Mr. Harper’s last fiscal year, $11 billion was paid out by the government on Indigenous matters. In the current fiscal year, over $24.5 billion has been set aside for Indigenous matters.
Since Mr. Trudeau became Prime Minister in 2015, his government has faced nine class action lawsuits by Indigenous groups. Trudeau has repeatedly signalled that he would rather negotiate than litigate. This has led to an increase in class action cases. Apparently, handing out money without people having to demonstrate specific instances of harm, has removed any incentive to stop asking for money.
These class action lawsuits have also been encouraged by the fact that Trudeau has broadened the grounds for compensation. Students in Indigenous day schools, i.e. where the students are taught during the day and go home at night to be with their families, speak their own language and live within their own culture, are slated to receive $1.6 billion to cover payments for the 100,000 such claimants. According to Professor Tom Flanagan, emeritus professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary, “for all practical purposes, the government of Canada has now embraced the position that providing a Canadian education to native children was an injustice deserving of compensation”.
When Canada was established in 1867 under the BNA Act, the federal government was given responsibility for the Indigenous population. At that time, these communities supported themselves by way of hunting, trading and fishing. Over the ensuing years, Canada changed dramatically, first, by entering into the agricultural stage and then later, into an industrial era. It was only reasonable that the Indigenous communities should be assisted in adjusting to these changes by way of learning to read and write. However, RoseAnne Archibald, the new National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations claims that “reparations must be paid to all Indigenous people because of the harm caused by colonialism”. Colonialism is defined in the Oxford dictionary as the practice of “acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically”. Providing a Canadian education to Indigenous students does not appear to fall within this description.
Residential Schools
According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), it is estimated that only one in three Indigenous children attended residential schools. The rest were either educated in schools located on reserves with Indigenous administrators and teachers, in public schools, or did not received education at all. Much of the controversy in recent years has been over how the Indigenous children were treated in the residential schools. Although the approach taken by establishing the residential schools may be questionable, it was not unreasonable. These schools were established because there were not sufficient children in some of the smaller reserves to warrant establishing a day school. Therefore, a central school was established for children to attend, even though it required that the children leave their homes and families to attend.
The TRC estimated that, in total, over 150,000 Indian, Inuit, and Métis children attended residential schools from 1883 to 1997. There were 139 residential schools in total within the system, which were established, owned and funded by the federal Department of Indian Affairs, which determined the school policies.
1931 – There were 80 residential schools operating in Canada.
1948 – There were 72 residential schools with 9,368 students.
1979 – There were 12 residential schools with 1,899 students.
Religious organizations were requested to administer the schools under the direction of the federal department. This was a cost effective way for the government to operate the schools. That story has not ended well. Except that Indigenous elected legislators, senators, physicians, lawyers, teachers, nurses and businesspersons indicate that a Canadian education may not have been so harmful to many.