FSIN Urges Quick Action On Apology, Payments

FSIN Urges Quick Action On Apology, Payments

Thursday, November 01, 2007 at 13:22

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations is calling on the federal government to speed up the common experience payment process and its promised apology to residential school survivors.

FSIN Vice-Chief Lyle Whitefish says his group has been getting calls from frustrated survivors who are concerned with how long the payments are taking to get processed.

Whitefish says they had been told the cheques would arrive by the end of October, but notes: ” . . . there’s nothing. Survivors are getting anxious.”

He says survivors are also waiting for the apology promised to them in the throne speech.

Whitefish says former Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice once stated he was waiting for the truth and reconciliation commission to complete its work.

According to Whitefish, it could take five years for the commission to complete its work — and it wouldn’t be acceptable to wait that long for an apology.