Canadian Human Rights Tribunal approves $23B First Nations child welfare settlement

OTTAWA- The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has approved a $23.4-billion settlement agreement for First Nations children, youth and families harmed by the federal government’s underfunding of child welfare services. “According to the parties, this is the largest compensation settlement in Canadian history and it now includes a commitment from the Minister of Indigenous Services to request an apology from the Prime Minister,” the decision, released Wednesday, reads. Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, has been negotiating the settlement alongside the Assembly of First Nations. While compensation is important, justice will only be achieved once discrimination stops and effective measures are put in place so it doesn’t happen again, Blackstock said in a release. “The tribunal called Canada’s discrimination ‘wilful and reckless’ and a…

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