An update was released for the Federal Indian Day School Settlement, requesting claimants to submit any required information missing from their claim form before June 27, 2025, so that it can be processed and they can receive compensation.
"Over 17,000 claim forms remain unprocessed because they were either unsigned, missing school details or other required information," said Cam Cameron, Class Counsel Lead for the Federal Indian Day School Settlement in the release. "If you've submitted a claim for compensation and have not heard back from the Administrator, you should contact them as soon as possible to check the status of your claim."
Claims with missing, incomplete, or out-of-date information cannot be processed, and compensation cannot be issued.
Examples of missing information are school name or date/years of attendance, missing the claimant’s signature or valid identification.
If the missing information is not provided before the deadline of June 27, 2025, those claims may be denied, said Cameron in the release.
No new claims will be processed, clarified the release. Claims were accepted for a two-and-a-half-year window, from January 13, 2020, to July 13, 2022. A six-month extension allowed those unable to submit an earlier claim to do so before Jan. 13, 2023.
In 2019, plaintiffs from the McLean case announced the settlement of a nationwide class action lawsuit against Canada to compensate individuals for the harm they suffered while attending federally operated Indian Day Schools.
The federal court approved the settlement on Aug. 19, 2019, following two years of engagement with thousands of individuals who attended Indian Day Schools and community members and Indigenous leaders across Canada, said the release.
The release states the Indian Day Scholar Settlement includes all individuals who attended federally run Indian Day Schools, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. A full list of Federal Indian Day Schools is available online.
Eligible claimants will receive a payment reflecting the severe harm suffered while attending Federal Indian Day Schools or Federal Day Schools, irrespective of the number of schools attended or how long the claimant attended with compensation ranging from $10,000 to $200,000, said the release.
The settlement also includes a $200 million Legacy Fund to support commemoration projects, health and wellness programs, and language and culture initiatives for Indigenous communities. The release clarifies family of Class Members will not receive personal compensation under the settlement.
This settlement comes from a class action settlement called the McLean Federal Indian Day Schools settlement, which differs from the Gottfriedson class action where shíshálh Nation was a plaintiff.
Resources
Claimants who have not heard from the administrator are encouraged to check their claim status by calling 1-888-221-2898 or emailing [email protected].
The Hope for Wellness Helpline is available 24/7, providing mental health counselling and crisis support and can be reached at 1-855-242-3310.
Free legal support is also available to claimants through class Class Counsel by calling 1-844-539-3815 or emailing [email protected].
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
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