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INUVIK
The Government of Canada has accepted 57 residential school compensation claims from Inuvik residents to date, accounting for nearly one out of every 10 claims in the territory – and survivors who haven't yet applied have just over a year left to submit their paperwork.

"Everyone who might have a claim is encouraged to apply," said Akivah Starkman, the executive director of the Indian Residential Schools Adjudication Secretariat. "Our mission in the secretariat is to try to ensure that every residential school survivor who might have a legitimate claim is given the opportunity to file an application and have that claim heard by an independent adjudicator."

Survivors who attended one of more than 130 residential schools across the country and suffered sexual or physical abuse are eligible to apply by September 2012.

Grollier Hall and Stringer Hall in Inuvik are both included on the list of residential schools.

Anyone thinking about applying is encouraged to find a lawyer, as the process is long, tedious and requires a significant amount of documentation.

Of the 21,000 applications recieved nationwide since 2007, 91 per cent of claimants have had legal counsel.

According to the secretariat, 80 per cent of claims take an average of 17 months to complete while 20 per cent take an average of almost 29 months.

In response to criticism that the complex process scares away many former students, Starkman said they are doing everything they can to cater to those who apply.

"I think you have to bear in mind that it's a long process, but it is a shorter process than it would take in court, which is the alternative. That's not to say that we're happy with the 17 months. We're trying everything we can to streamline the process," he said.

In cases where the claimant is elderly or their health is at risk, the process is hastened, he said.

While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's purpose was to record survivor's stories for the history books, Starkman said the independent assessment process is more focused on the individual.

"What we strive to do is also to make the IAP (Independant Asessment Process) process more than just about getting money. We try to make it part of a survivor's healing process," he said. "It's financial compensation for what happened. It doesn't make it go away and it doesn't provide closure."

To date, over $1 billion in compensation has been awarded to residential school survivors.

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