Survivors Unintentionally Opting Out Of Settlement

Survivors Unintentionally Opting Out Of Settlement

Monday, June 11, 2007 at 14:56

A Lac La Ronge Indian Band councillor is warning residential school survivors to take a second-look at forms being mailed to them from Ottawa.

Hilary Cook says some survivors think the package is tied in to their compensation claim.

As a result, they are inadvertently writing their names on to forms that say they want to opt out of the residential school agreement.

Cook explains they are essentially taking their names off the list of students who will get money when the common experience payments start flowing a few months from now.

He says survivors shouldn’t feel obligated to fill out the forms, just because they come from Ottawa.

Cook adds survivors shouldn’t mail anything unless they’re sure of what they’re sending.