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Unfinished business Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison Northern News Services Published Monday, February 27, 2012
Justice Murray Sinclair, the commission's chairman, along with commissioners Chief Wilton Littlechild and Marie Wilson, made 20 recommendations in their interim report.
Among them were that the federal government establish a Northern mental health and healing centre in the Northwest Territories or Nunavut because it is "critically needed" for residential school survivors, their families and their communities.
Also recommended is that a copy of the apology the federal government made in June 2008 to all former students of residential schools should be sent to all survivors as well as all secondary schools in the country. The report notes the actual wording of the apology received limited exposure.
The GNWT is currently developing a more comprehensive residential school curriculum with the Government of Nunavut, and they hope to pilot it in six NWT schools this spring, according to Jackson Lafferty, minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
The goal is to introduce it in all 49 schools, hopefully by September.
In addition to educating students on the history of residential schools, Lafferty said it would also help teachers be aware of why some students are struggling.
A mental health facility for survivors was emphasized in the interim report, and therefore should be a priority of the GNWT and federal government, he added.
"We need to sit down and deal with it," he said.
Jeff Amos, a mental health support worker for residential school survivors, said he agrees residential school history should be taught to students.
"I'm totally in favour of it. I've seen schools already do workshops, and some of the classes actually doing research and reports on residential school," he said. "I think it's useful. Absolutely."
As for the report's suggestion a mental health facility should be built in one of the territories, Amos said that isn't going far enough.
Instead, facilities should be built in each region, including the Beaufort Delta, Sahtu and North Slave.
"I don't think there's ever enough services (for survivors)," he said. "I know infrastructure is important and the dollars are few, but in order to meet the needs and be more effective I think all the regions should have one."
For Lawrence Norbert, a residential school survivor, the report was a near replica of recommendations the Grollier Hall Victim and Witness Support Service made in 1998. In it, they asked for a public inquiry, educational and awareness workshops, an updated school curriculum and a mental health treatment program.
"We dealt with it in '98 and nobody wanted to listen to us, but it's good to see there's finally some recognition for the work of former students who started this process way back in the mid- to late-80s across Canada and certainly up here in the territories with the Grollier Hall group," he said.
The commission was created in 2008 as part of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement of its kind in Canada. Its goal is to educate Canadians on the history and impact of residential schools and promote reconciliation between aboriginal families, churches, governments and communities.
- with files from Jeanne Gagnon
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