(Toronto, Ont.–Dec. 20, 2024) The Chiefs of Ontario are deeply concerned that the Survivors’ Secretariat is facing insolvency because the government has broken its funding agreements with the organization. The news was revealed in media reports this week.
The federal government must immediately honour its commitments and ensure that there is adequate and sustainable funding for the Survivors’ Secretariat and all organizations doing this sacred work.
The Survivors’ Secretariat’s mandate—documenting the horrors of the Mohawk Institute residential school and supporting Survivors and their families—is critically important. It is unconscionable that staff at the organization may lose their jobs simply because the federal government has ignored the organization’s repeated inquiries about payments that had been promised.
The Mohawk Institute operated in Brantford for over 140 years and many thousands of children were forced to attend. Many did not make it home.
“Whether intentionally or through incompetence, the government is maintaining its genocidal and colonial legacy by threatening the very organization that is working towards unearthing the truth and bringing closure and healing to Survivors and their families,” said Association of Iroquois & Allied Indians Grand Chief Joel Abram.
“If the government is ignoring the Survivors’ Secretariat it’s likely that its ignoring other Survivors and other organizations as they work towards true and meaningful reconciliation. It is yet another broken promise that the Crown must rectify.”
It is even more disturbing that the Survivors’ Secretariat may not be able to pay its staff, or have let them go, during the holiday season. Their jobs are immensely stressful and emotionally exhausting—they should not be faced with economic uncertainty at a time when many are spending time with family and friends. They deserve rest and rejuvenation, not added stress.
Chiefs of Ontario vigorously demands that the promised funds are released immediately and that there is a public apology for this grievous error.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available to provide support for survivors and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour service at 1-866-925-4419.
Mental health counselling and crisis support are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat.
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The Chiefs of Ontario support all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @ChiefsOfOntario.
Media Contact:
Isak Vaillancourt
Communications Manager
Chiefs of Ontario
Mobile: 416-819-8184
Email: isak.vaillancourt@coo.org
Declan Keogh
Communications Officer
Chiefs of Ontario
Mobile: 416-522-4518
Email: declan.keogh@coo.org
