picture from film 'Waiting for Justice'

The community of Île-à-la-Crosse had a special screening Monday of a short film about the survivors of the Île-à-la-Crosse boarding school who are trying to be officially recognized by both the federal and provincial governments and compensated for what happened, just like at Indian Residential Schools.

Metis Nation-Saskatchewan Vice-President Michelle LeClair explains that Île-à-la-Crosse, with its Metis students, was left out of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. She says that back in the 1840s it was a Catholic school funded provincially as well as federally, but the harms and the abuse were the same as at the Indian Residential Schools.  The students were called a number instead of by their names, they were not able to speak their language, and survivors suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

LeClair says when the residential schools were being recognized and compensated there just wasn’t the proper recognition at the time for the Île-à-la-Crosse boarding school.  However, she thinks the federal government has realized over the last few years it should have been included. There is a class action lawsuit in the works and LeClair expects there will be a certification hearing next year.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Canada in 2019 and there has been some discussion with the government about Île-à-la-Crosse.  You can click here to watch the short film, Waiting for Justice.