$2.8B settlement reached in class-action suit over residential schools

January 23, 2023 5:58 AM

Officials announced Saturday that the [Canadian] federal government and 325 First Nations have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit, seeking reparations for the loss of language and culture brought on by Indian residential schools, for $2.8 billion.
posted by Etrigan (11 comments total)

This is something. Not enough--nothing could be enough. But it's something. Now do the US.
posted by goatdog at 6:22 AM on January 23, 2023 [14 favorites]

It’s a start. Here’s s what I favour:

- a 1-3% property tax on any commercial property and any residential home sold where the value is greater than the national average, paid by the seller, to an indigenous fund, forever. Alternatively, a death tax for people passing on more than a threshold amount of wealth. Phased in. My spouse and I are likely adding something like this to our wills this year.

- a study of ways to increase indigenous leadership, possibly by doubling the number of seats at the provincial and federal levels and having the second seat in each riding be voted on by indigenous (includes Métis) voters only for a period of 20-30 years before going back to a more open vote. But there might be better ways.

There’s no reconciliation without truth and no truth without reconciliation.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:50 AM on January 23, 2023 [21 favorites]

Wow. Well, it is a start indeed, and to be honest I am a bit surprised that this happened at all. I hope much more is to come.
posted by lazaruslong at 7:02 AM on January 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

As a Canadian I am very pleased that we are recognising and trying to resolve this historic injustice. Let's keep going.
posted by Meatbomb at 7:26 AM on January 23, 2023 [7 favorites]

A start.
posted by whatevernot at 8:30 AM on January 23, 2023

This settlement is specifically for the Band Reparations class action, which as I understand it, addresses collective harm from the residential schools suffered by Bands due to loss of language and culture.

Prior related settlements include the 2021 Day Scholars settlement, the 2019 Federal Day Scholars settlement, and the 2006 Residential Schools Settlement.
posted by zamboni at 8:31 AM on January 23, 2023 [6 favorites]

Good on them. I'd love to see this happen in the US but I doubt it will. Certainly not in my lifetime.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 9:42 AM on January 23, 2023

I don't think (speaking generally at culture-wide level) Americans put as much value as Canadians do on saying sorry.
posted by Meatbomb at 10:34 AM on January 23, 2023 [3 favorites]

Americans are very bad at saying sorry when it involves paying reparations of any kind.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 11:05 AM on January 23, 2023 [2 favorites]

Canadians are quite bad at it as well considering how here it took a class action law suit for it to happen.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:18 AM on January 23, 2023 [6 favorites]

Canadians are at their best when they're not staring into their navels thinking about any number of tiresomely Canadian things, like
- are we nice enough
- can we feel superior to USAmericans
- do people like us
etc etc etc

It's January 2023 and this is not the worst news by a metric mile. A lot more has to happen but any start is better than nothing.
posted by elkevelvet at 11:22 AM on January 23, 2023 [3 favorites]