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The Path to Healing

The following is a short list of events which describes how the legacy of Indian Residential Schools is being addressed.

• In its 1996 Report, the  Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) brought the trauma experienced by some students in Indian Residential Schools to national attention.
• On January 7, 1998 the Government of Canada announced Gathering Strength - Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan which called for a renewed partnership with Aboriginal people based on recognition of past injustices. As part of its plan, the federal government presented the Statement of Reconciliation, which acknowledged its role in the development and administration of Indian Residential Schools.
• In June 2001, the Government of Canada created a new department, Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada to focus federal efforts to manage and resolve abuse claims and address the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.
• On November 6, 2003, the Honourable Ralph Goodale officially launched the National Resolution Framework including the Alternative Dispute Resolution process for abuse claims at Indian Residential Schools and the IRS Mental Health Support Program.
• Advocacy from many sources, including a Report by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, brought into focus the need to recognize more broadly the adverse impacts of the Indian Residential School experience in addition to individual claims of physical or sexual abuse.
• On May 30, 2005, the Government appointed the Honourable Frank Iacobucci to work with legal counsel for former students, legal counsel for Church entities, and other representatives of former students, including the Assembly of First Nations and other Aboriginal organizations, to develop an agreement for a fair and lasting resolution of the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.
• On May 10, 2006, the Government announced the approval by all parties of an Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The Government's representative, the Honourable Frank Iacobucci, negotiated the Settlement Agreement with legal representatives of former students of Indian Residential Schools, legal representatives of the Churches involved in running those schools, the Assembly of First Nations, and other Aboriginal organizations. The Settlement Agreement is the final legal version of the Agreement in Principle announced on November 23, 2005.
• In November 2006, Health Canada's IRS Resolution Health Support Program, previously known as the IRS Mental Health Support Program, was renewed for a period of 6 years ending in March 2013, as a component of the proposed IRS Settlement Agreement.
• The Settlement Agreement was given court approval in nine Canadian jurisdictions on March 21, 2007 and came into effect on September 19, 2007.

For more information, see the  Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement - Official Court Website or  contact Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.