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9mo ago

Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Over Alleged Abuse in Canadian Indigenous Group Homes

The lawsuit claims systemic abuse and cultural eradication of Indigenous children placed in group homes from the 1950s to the 1990s.

An Every Child Matters sign in Maskwacis, Alta., Monday, June 27, 2022. A new federal class action lawsuit against the Canadian government says Indigenous people removed from their communities and placed in group homes beginning in the 1950s suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse that "was commonplace, condoned and, arguably, encouraged." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Overview

  • The lawsuit alleges that Indigenous children faced physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in group homes, which was allegedly condoned and encouraged.
  • The lawsuit seeks compensation for those affected by the government's assimilation policy, which forcibly removed children from their communities.
  • The group home program operated from the 1950s to the 1990s, distinct from residential schools and foster homes, yet similarly aimed at assimilating Indigenous peoples.
  • Four lead plaintiffs have come forward, detailing experiences of abuse and cultural disconnection during their time in these group homes.
  • The Canadian government is reviewing the lawsuit, which claims that previous legal settlements have not addressed the harms experienced by those in group homes.