Survivors’ Secretariat Faces Bankruptcy Without Urgent Funding Decision
The Survivors’ Secretariat warns of impending bankruptcy without funding from Canada, crucial for supporting residential school survivors.
Ottawa, Canada, Survivors’ Secretariat, Mohawk Institute, Residential Schools
Ottawa: The Survivors’ Secretariat is in a tough spot. They’re saying they could go bankrupt by the end of the month if Canada doesn’t step up with funding.
This group is all about documenting the history of the Mohawk Institute, a residential school in Brantford, Ontario. They also provide support to the survivors of that school.
Laura Arndt, who leads the secretariat, mentioned they’ve been waiting for months to find out if they’ll get funding from the community support fund for residential schools and missing children.
Back in 2021, after First Nations found what looked like human remains at former residential school sites, Ottawa promised some funding to help with searches and documentation.
But now, Arndt feels like they’re being ignored. She says the bureaucratic red tape in the Crown-Indigenous relations department is holding up their funding application.
A spokesperson for the minister, Gary Anandasangaree, said the deadlines for applying for that funding are still the same and that they’re currently reviewing the applications.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on December 18, 2024.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press