No payment since ruling, FSIN says

First Nations people in Saskatchewan who were ruled eligible for $40,000 payments because of negative experiences with Canada's child welfare system just want the compensation process “dealt with,” says Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice Chief David Pratt.

“We haven't seen a dime of any money and, for whatever reason, Canada continues to stall at this process and I think that does a great disservice and a great dishonour to the families that have been impacted by this and who need closure,” Pratt said.

In 2007, the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations filed a human rights case alleging that Canada racially discriminated against First Nations children, youth and families because of its inequitable funding of child welfare and its failure to implement

Jordan's Principle, which requires governments to cover the cost of services for First Nations children and work out disputes over jurisdiction afterwards.

In 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered Canada to cease its discriminatory conduct.

Three years later, the tribunal issued a ruling that found Canada had “wilfully and recklessly discriminated against First Nations children” and ordered the government to award $40,000 — the maximum damages — for each child taken away under a list of circumstances.

Ottawa appealed that decision. At the time of the ruling, the Assembly of First Nations estimated that 54,000 children and their parents could receive compensation, for a bill of at least $2 billion.

A new report from the parliamentary budget office suggests many more people are eligible for compensation and that figure could be up to $15 billion.