The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement’s Common Experience Payment and Healing: A Qualitative Study Exploring Impacts on Recipients The Aboriginal Healing Foundation Research Series © 2010 Aboriginal Healing Foundation Published by: Aboriginal Healing Foundation 75 Albert Street, Suite 801, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E7 Phone: (613) 237-4441 Toll-free: (888) 725-8886 Fax: (613) 237-4442 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ahf.ca Design & Production: Aboriginal Healing Foundation Printed by: Dollco Printing Print version: ISBN 978-1-897285-88-6 Electronic version: ISBN 978-1-897285-89-3 Unauthorized use of the name “Aboriginal Healing Foundation” and of the Foundation’s logo is prohibited. Non-commercial reproduction of this document is, however, encouraged. This project was funded by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation but the views expressed in this report are the personal views of the author(s). Ce document est aussi disponible en français. TheIndian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement’s Common Experience Payment and Healing: A Qualitative Study Exploring Impacts on Recipients Prepared for: Aboriginal Healing Foundation By: Principal Investigator: Gwen Reimer (Praxis Research Associates) Co-Investigators: Amy Bombay Lena Ellsworth Sara Fryer Tricia Logan 2010 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ vii Definitions ..........................................................................................................................................ix Executive Summary ..........................................................................................................................xiii 1. Introduction to the CEP Study ................................................................................................................1 Background ...................................................................................................................................................1 Indian Residential Schools Compensation Processes ..............................................................................5 Anticipation by AHF of the Impacts of Lump Sum Compensation Payments ...................................6 2. CEP Study Objectives and Methodology ......................................................................................9 Data Collection: Key Informant Interviews and Environmental Scan ..................................................9 Recruitment: The AHF Network and Community Contacts ............................................................. 10 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................................................. 12 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Literature Review ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Limitations of the Study .......................................................................................................................... 15 3. Participant Profiles ......................................................................................................................17 Survivor Profiles ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Common Experiences .......................................................................................................................... 18 Service Provider Profiles .......................................................................................................................... 22 4. The Common Experience Payment Process ................................................................................25 Applying for CEP ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Reconsideration Applications .............................................................................................................. 31 The CEP Process as a Trigger ................................................................................................................. 36 CEP Experiences as Factors in Survivors’ Willingness to Participate in IAP or TRC ..................... 39 5. Impacts of Common Experience Payments .................................................................................43 Mixed Responses: CEP was both Positive and Negative ..................................................................... 46 Positive Impacts ........................................................................................................................................ 48 Negative Impacts ....................................................................................................................................... 51 Perspectives on Intergenerational Effects and Compensation ............................................................. 55 6. Survivors’ Assessments of CEP-related Supports .......................................................................59 Government Support Services: An Overview ....................................................................................... 60 Participants’ Assessment of Government Supports ............................................................................. 63 Support for Survivors by AHF-funded Projects ................................................................................... 66 Family and Community Supports .......................................................................................................... 68 Barriers to Services and Supports ........................................................................................................... 70 iii Table of Contents 7. Healing, Well-being, and the CEP ..............................................................................................77 What is “Healing”? .................................................................................................................................... 78 CEP - A Step along the Healing Journey? ............................................................................................. 85 No Connection between CEP and Healing ......................................................................................... 87 CEP Promoted Healing ....................................................................................................................... 88 CEP Hindered Healing ....................................................................................................................... 90 8. Conclusions..................................................................................................................................93 The Common Experience Payment and Healing .................................................................................. 93 Impacts of CEP Compensation .............................................................................................................. 93 Support for Survivors during the CEP Process..................................................................................... 94 References ........................................................................................................................................................ 97 Tables Table 1) Number of Residential Schools Attended ............................................................................... 19 Table 2) Number of Day Schools Attended ............................................................................................ 20 Table 3) Service Provider Demographics (AHF-funded projects) ....................................................... 23 Table 4) Experiences Applying for CEP .................................................................................................. 28 Table 5) CEP Triggered Negative Reactions ........................................................................................... 36 Table 6) Personal Experiences Receiving CEP ....................................................................................... 43 Table 7) Definitions of Healing ................................................................................................................ 79 Figures Figure 1) A Survivor’s Journey.......................................................................................................................4 Figure 2) Participants by Aboriginal Identity ........................................................................................... 17 Figure 3) Distribution of Participants by Remoteness ............................................................................ 17 Figure 4) Participant Age Distribution ..................................................................................................... 18 Figure 5) Years at Residential School ........................................................................................................ 21 Figure 6) Common Experience Payment Process .................................................................................... 26 Figure 7) Confirmed Status of CEP Payments ........................................................................................ 28 Figure 8) Attitudes toward the