What did the IRSSA entail?
Signed on March 8, 2006 the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement is the largest class action settlement in Canadian legal history to date. It established a multi-billion dollar fund to help former students recover from the damage inflicted by residential schools.
The IRSSA has 5 components:
THE COMMON EXPERIENCE PAYMENT (CEP)
This was the amount of money to be paid to all eligible former students who went to a recognized Indian Residential School (IRS). The deadline for CEP applications was September 19, 2011.
How much could a former student receive?
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$10,000 for their first year at a school
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$3,000 for each following year at the school
Who was eligible?
Former students who:
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were alive on or after May 2005
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did not opt-out of the IRSSA
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lived at a recognized IRS
INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT PROCESS (IAP)
This was an out of court process to resolve claims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse experienced by students at an Indian Residential School. The deadline for IAP was September 19, 2012.
How much could a former student receive?
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up to $275,000 for harm experienced
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up to $250,000 for income lost as a result of harm experienced
Who was eligible?
Former students who:
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experienced serious abuse by a IRS employee or other IRS student
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lived at a recognized IRS
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did not live at a IRS, but was a student on the premises
THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
The TRC was established to educate Canadians about what a happened in residential schools, and in doing so contribute to truth, healing and reconciliation. The TRC documented truth of Survivors and anyone affected by IRS. The TRC completed its work in 2015, releasing a 7 volume final report of Survivor’s experiences, and 94 Calls to Action to address the legacy of the IRS.