Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product haas^i>sa “Interesting News” Vol. 33 - No. 12 - June 15, 2006 Sales Agreement No. 40047776
No records for former Residential School Survivor - no compensation? By Denise August Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni – More than 70 years after he left the charred remains of the original Alberni Indian Residential School, Robert Thomas, 84, is amongst the eldest remaining residential school survivors. One would think he is more than entitled to Advance Compensation Payment for Elder Residential School Survivors; but there are no records to prove he ever went attended Residential School. The original AIRS building, built in 1900 burned down around 1936, its files and records also went up in smoke, leaving Thomas fearing that he may never see compensation. Born 1922, Bob, as his friends and family call him, doesn’t recall the year he left Alberni Indian Residential School. “All I remember is I reached grade five, I figure five or six years,” he said. Gazing out the window of the Ha-ShilthSa office he pointed to a spot in the parking lot, “There was a wood shed there, I used to split wood right there every morning,” he remembered. Thomas said they only went to school half days. Everyone worked in the morning; and his job was to split wood until it was time to go to classes in the afternoon. With the assistance of his daughters, Thomas has exhausted all known avenues in his search for school records. They have filled in all Access to Information forms the federal government has available but their searches through the
archives turned up nothing. “Your query concerns a problem for which this Department is currently attempting to address and has not yet reached a solution,” writes Senior ATIP (Access to Information & Privacy) Officer, Blair Isaac. Without records, Blair advises, Former Residential School Students will be denied the Advance Compensation Payment but the Elders may still apply to the Common Experience Payment once it is approved by the courts and once the application forms are available. The Common Experience Payment process is expected to take considerably longer which is why the Advance Payment to Elders was introduced; so that Elders who are getting on in years may benefit from the Compensation payments. “At this point the claimants will have a right to appeal. A committee will be reviewing the applications and making the decision, taking into consideration the fact that some records were destroyed in the fire. We are hoping to get some files from the churches that were running the school so we can confirm attendance,” writes Isaac. Isaac went on to say the “Department does not have quarterly returns for Alberni IRS prior to January 1943, and we have no application for admissions prior to 1945.” Shannon Swan of the AFN (Assembly of First Nations) Indian Residential Schools Unit was asked what happens when the government has no record of attendance at a Residential School. Her response: ‘In
The original AIRS burned down in 1936, taking with it, student records.
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Robert Thomas, 84, at the NTC Building, where Alberni Indian Residential School once stood and the place he lived for several years order to get a lump sum payment (Common Experience Payment) your attendance at an Indian Residential School will have to be verified. In the case of missing school records, other methods will be used to verify claims, such as sworn statements from others who would know of your attendance.” Thomas said he never went back to Residential School after the new AIRS was built because there was no room for him and he had to work to help support the family. He remembers the late Alan
Ross; born 1925 also didn’t go back after the first school burned. He wrote down names of those he attended school with hoping someone would be able to vouch for him; to prove that he really was there. Unfortunately many have passed away. Thomas recalls the names of at least eight former students of the original AIRS still living but it is not clear if they have encountered the same problem. The Thomas family continues their search for proof that their father attended Alberni Indian Residential School.
The second AIRS, torn down in the 1980’s to be replaced by the present-day Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Building. If undeliverable, please return to: Ha-Shilth-Sa P.O. Box 1383, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M2
ISSN 0715-4143