Ottawa: It was announced by Canadian officials Saturday that the federal government has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for $2.8 billion subject to approval by a Federal Court.
The class-action lawsuit collective compensation in 2012 as part of a broader class action known as the Gottfriedson case sought reparations for the loss of language and culture brought on by Indian residential schools.
Once approved by a Federal Court Canada would reportedly pay $2.8 billion of settlement money into a new trust fund that will operate for 20 years. The officials added that the fund will be run independently of the federal government.
The agreement says that the fund organization will be governed by a board of nine Indigenous directors, of whom Canada will choose one.
The claimants agreed, in exchange to finally release the Crown from claims that could conceivably arise from the collective harms residential schools inflicted on First Nations.
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