Work continues to reach homeless or incarcerated residential school victims

Former residential school students who are incarcerated or homeless are receiving extra attention as the deadline looms for compensation as set out by the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.

“We’re assuming the deadline is fixed. We have no influence on that,” said Dr. Akivah Starkman, executive director, Indian Residential School Adjudication.

Starkman’s team is in charge of ensuring that those eligible for compensation have the opportunity to apply for it under the Independent Assessment Process. Deadline for application for the IAP is Sept. 19, 2012.  Deadline for application for compensation under the Common Experience Payment is this year on Sept. 19.

As well, the statement gathering team for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is stepping up its efforts as the TRC’s five-year mandate is set to expire in 2014.
Reaching those incarcerated or homeless “is something we’re quite engaged in right now because they are obviously some of the most difficult populations to reach and we’re assuming there could be a number of people in those circumstances that might be eligible to put in a claim,” said Starkman.

IAP, CEP and the TRC’s statement gathering team are all working with community organizations to bridge the gap. The latest round of funding through Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s Advocacy and Public Information Program includes an additional $4 million in 2011/2012 and an emphasis on proposals that focus on expanding outreach to include those who are homeless, incarcerated or otherwise disadvantaged with respect to information about and participation in the residential schools settlement agreement.

Work is also underway with correctional institutions.
Starkman noted that his secretariat just completed a couple of sessions in a minimum security facility in Yellowknife.

The TRC’s statement gathering team is presently working with Corrections Canada, as well as corrections in Saskatchewan and Ontario. While interest has been expressed by those particular provinces, “planning hopefully is going to be a fairly comprehensive national strategy,” said Ry Moran, director of statement gathering for the TRC.

Logistical considerations, such as security and appropriate space to take statements are part of the national strategy.

Moran said the biggest concern is providing the necessary health support.

“How can we do this work in a good way that will not introduce or create harm to the people in jail?” said Moran. “We are mandated to do no harm in the statement gathering process.”

Efforts on the homeless front are also ramping up.
Starkman noted that the IAP secretariat is taking a two-fold approach: holding sessions in shelters and centres to reach former residential school survivors, as well as having sessions with shelter and centre staff.
“They are the ones who really know best how to reach these people and how to make sure they’re aware of it,” said Starkman.

As well, said Moran, shelter staff and outreach staff already have an established bond.

“Ideally we want to find organizations that are working with homeless people (and) who are willing to work with us,” said Moran. “That’s a real interest to us because statement gathering is built on trust.”

Moran is optimistic that processes used in Calgary at that city’s Homeless Connect event on Feb. 19 can be employed nation-wide to take statements from residential school survivors who are homeless.

The TRC partnered with Boyle Street Community Services, out of Edmonton, provided training, using Boyle Street’s resolution support workers and other personnel, to take statements at Calgary’s Homeless Connect.

Moran said Boyle Street was brought to his attention by the coordinator for the regional health board.

Using organizations like Boyle Street could be implemented nationally.

“We’re moving as fast as we can while making sure it’s all done in the best way possible for the statement provider,” said Moran.

Starkman also expressed that sense of urgency.
“We’re not allowing ourselves the luxury that people may have more time. We’re gearing up our outreach sessions,” he said. Since April 2010, 45 events have been held.

Starkman said his office monitors payments to ensure they are made, but it is INAC who disburses the dollars. Most recipients who are incarcerated would receive their payments through their lawyer, said Starkman. However, he was unclear as to how homeless recipients were paid.
CEP is given to former students who lived at one of the prescribed residential schools and is awarded at $10,000 for the first school year and $3,000 for every subsequent year. IAP is given to a student who suffered sexual, or serious physical abuses, or other abuses, and falls between $5,000 to $275,000 in compensation.