Manitoba Indigenous leaders, advocates hope federal compensation will help with healing
Global News
Indigenous advocates in Manitoba say they hope the federal government's $40-billion compensation deal will help bring healing to those hurt by the child welfare system.
Indigenous advocates in Manitoba say they hope the federal government’s $40-billion agreement in principle to compensate First Nations children taken from their homes on reserve will help bring some healing to those who have suffered pain and trauma.
“No amount of money will be the right amount, nor will it bring back a childhood lost,” Assembly of First Nations Manitoba regional chief Cindy Woodhouse said during a press conference Tuesday.
“But today is about acknowledgment, about being seen and heard.”
Cora Morgan, the First Nations family advocate for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, says while the compensation is an important piece, the acknowledgment of the suffering and trauma inflicted on so many First Nations children is the most significant step toward healing.
“I was encouraged by a lot of things but I also felt really sad because an enormous amount of suffering happened in order to get to this point,” Morgan told Global News.
“There’s been a lot of damage done in the lengthy process. Overall, over 150 years of stolen children in this land and there has to be that broader understanding of having this happen to our people and that it still continues today.”
Morgan said she had concerns over how the settlement will unfold, noting previous flaws in settlements for residential school and 60s Scoop survivors. She also says she still has some unanswered questions surrounding eligibility, particularly for First Nations children taken from their homes off-reserve. The federal government says more details on eligibility and the application process will be worked out in the coming months.
Morgan also noted that children who age out of care are disproportionately represented in the justice system, the homeless population and among those murdered and missing (MMIWG). She says she’s thinking of the many children who have not survived.
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