Jillian Dickens
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sep 26/05) - Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and two Inuit launched a lawsuit against the Government of Canada last week, demanding compensation for former residential school students include all those who suffered - not just First Nations people.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. is taking legal action against the government to be included in the residential school compensation effort. NTI president Paul Kaludjak says the only way to lift the burden from Inuit who attended such schools is by a formal apology from those responsible. - Jillian Dickens/NNSL photo

Last May, the Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian government agreed to resolve the residential school legacy (through cash settlements and healing initiatives) out-of-court. The agreement did not include Inuit.

"Thousands of Inuit were forced into residential schools and were done harm," said NTI president Paul Kaludjak. "Inuit suffered greatly and deserve compensation along with First Nations people."

In this case, NTI represents all Inuit from Nunavut who attended residential schools, except those pursuing individual claims.

Inuit from the Kivalliq and some parts of the Baffin region were sent to Sir Joseph Bernier in Chesterfield Inlet.

Plaintiff Blandina Tulugarjuk was removed from her home in Iglulik when she was eight and taken to Sir Joseph Bernier federal day school in Chesterfield Inlet in 1962.

Plaintiff Michelline Ammaq is also from Iglulik and was taken to the same school in 1964, when she was six.

"The final outcome of this should be any students harmed would finally come to terms with what happened and start living normal lives...and be made human again," said Kaludjak.

Several thousand Inuit attended federal day schools in what was then the Northwest Territories. These schools were similar to residential schools except students lived in hostels attached or nearby the day schools.

Students from these schools, like those who attended residential schools, are haunted by the now infamous accounts of beatings, sexual abuse, scoldings for speaking Inuktitut, and neglect in the way of food, health care and education provided.

Kaludjak, along with his two sisters and one brother, attended the Chesterfield school when he was five or six years old for one year.

Although he wasn't physically or sexually abused, he does remember being scolded for speaking Inuktitut.

"On many occasions students had to stand in the corner for using their own language, or they got the ruler."

Kaludjak estimates cash settlement for Inuit federal day school students could be approximately $300 million.

"That is the figure we have thrown out, but it will depend on the number of clients and the amount of money each client expresses is appropriate."

NTI is now compiling a list of federal day students.

National Chief Phil Fontaine has said he expects a $10,000 lump sum for each First Nation residential students, plus $3,000 for every year they attended such a school.

"That's not enough," said Kaludjak. "You can never replace the harm that was done to these people that encountered abuse."

But, says Kaludjak, compensation and formal apologies from the guilty help.

"This is less about the money and more about the human side," he said. "The only way to lift the burden off people's back is to formally apologize to individuals and this has not been done in a proper way."