Ongoing Class Actions

Indian Boarding Homes

The Indian Boarding Homes Class Action was filed on behalf of Indigenous children who suffered harassment, abuse, loss of language and culture, and other harms because of the government’s Indian Boarding Homes program. Under this program children from First Nations, Métis and Inuit villages were placed in private homes for the purpose of attending school. The Indian Boarding Homes Class Action provides compensation to people placed in these homes during specific time periods. Applications for compensation can be made.

Sixties Scoop Métis and Non-Status Indian Class Action

This is a class action based on the government removing Métis children and Indian children not registered under the Indian Act from their families and placing them in foster homes with or having them adopted by non-Indigenous families. As a result, these children lost their Indigenous identity and suffered mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It is still making its way through the courts.

First Nations Housing Class Action

This is a class action based on the government not ensuring that First Nations communities have access to adequate housing. It is still making its way through the courts.

Federal Indian Hospitals Class Action

From 1936 to 1981, the federal government ran Federal Indian Hospitals. In this class action individuals who were admitted to Federal Indian Hospitals sought compensation from Canada for abuses, including psychological, verbal, physical and/or sexual abuse, they experienced while admitted. This class action has been settled but applications for compensation are not being accepted yet.

First Nations Child and Family Services and Jordan’s Principle Settlement

This case started as a Human Rights case based on the government underfunding child and family services on reserves for many years. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal agreed that this settlement provides the compensation they ordered. This agreement also settles two class action lawsuits.  In addition, the settlement covers children living on reserve who were removed for their homes. The settlement provides money for compensation and for long-term reform.

Compensation is for:

• First Nations children living on-reserve who were removed from their homes between April 1, 1991, and March 31, 2022, by child welfare authorities
• parents or guardians of these removed children
• children harmed by the government's narrow definition of Jordan's Principle between December 12, 2007, and November 2, 2017 
• parents and grandparents of the children harmed
• children who needed an essential service from the government and did not receive it or who were delayed in receiving it, between December 12, 2007, and November 2, 2017

First Nations Child And Family Caring Society

There are ongoing cases before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Federal Court of Canada based on the government continuing to not apply Jordan’s Principle, resulting in discrimination against First Nations children and families.

Indigenous Youth in Canada

This case is based on the government of Canada removing Indigenous children from their homes and placing them in culturally unsafe settings where they had limited or no access to their families, communities, cultures, or languages. This case covers all off-reserve Indigenous children who were removed from their homes or denied prompt access to an essential service, since 1992. It includes caregiving parents and grandparents of these children. This class action is making its way through the courts. 

Île-à-la-Crosse School Settlement

The class action covers harms at the Île-à-la-Crosse School and residence, which operated from around 1860 to1975/76. People who attended the Île-à-la-Crosse School, may be eligible for compensation. People who had a relative attend the school and who passed away on or after December 9, 2003, may also be eligible through the relative's estate or as their heir. Settlements have been proposed in this case but have not been approved by the court yet so applications for compensation cannot be made yet.