Residential day school survivors who lost language and culture seek redress

Strappings, beatings with a pointed stick and ordersto stand in the classroom corner for speaking her own language wereamong "horrific" measures that erased Darlene Bulpit's ability topass along her First Nations heritage to her two children and threegrandchildren.

The 66-year-old from the Shishalh Indian band, on BritishColumbia's Sunshine Coast, was allowed to go home at night and grinswhen she recalls learning to hunt with her brothers and bringinghome "the prize."

Each morning she trudged back to school with dread.

• A Lost Heritage: Canada's Residential Schools
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As a day scholar for eight years, Bulpit said she sufferedsimilar harms as thousands of aboriginal peoplewho survived theresidential school system. Yet unlike her peers, she was excludedfrom the federal government's historic apology in July 2008 and wasnever awarded compensation.

Overlooked in reconciliation process

Bulpit is among hundreds of First Nations plaintiffs whoattended the notorious schools by day and now want to sue theCanadian government contending they were overlooked in thereconciliation process.

A Federal Court judge began hearing argumentson Mondayby twoB.C. First Nations aiming to certify a class-action lawsuit forcompensation. At least 300 survivors have been identified, but it'sexpected there are many more across the country.

"It's not over," Bulpit said outside court. "We allexperienced the same situation. I'm seeking justice from governmentand a real apology."

Day students ignored

Three separate streams will be considered by the court: for day school survivors, for their descendants and for bands impacted bymembers who attended residential schools as day students.

All students who were physically or sexually abused regardless ofstatus at the schools were entitled to compensation under a legalagreement when the government acknowledged its role and produced a$1.9 billion package.

But those children expunged of language and culture during theday were ignored, including those in theTk'emlups te SecwepemcandShishalh Indian bands in B.C., lawyer Peter Grant, who representsthe plaintiffs, told the judge.

He said the honour of the Crown is at stake when it comes tofulfilling its legal obligation within the reconciliation framework.

"The harm goes deeper than physical or sexual abuse," Granttold the court in his opening remarks.

These deeper harms affect all aboriginal children, not justthose who were in residence...- Peter Grant, lawyer

"As Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper said in the apology, thelegacy of the residential schools is one of the loss of entirecultures. Language is no longer spoken, people broken and unable tocelebrate their heritage.

"These deeper harms affect all aboriginal children, not justthose who were in residence, all of those who were in the schools."

Grant said he will present evidence during the week-long hearingthat illustrates culture was eradicated in the same way for dayscholars as those who lived at the schools.

Under the government's policy of assimilation and pursuit ofteaching only English, French and Christianity, it no longer had toforcibly remove children from their homes to have the same effect,he said.

Children were beaten and sometimes forced to put needles in theirmouths. The results were considered a success by the schools. Parents stopped speaking to their children in their own language,Grant said.

Prior to the hearing, the legal teams looked on as the courtroomwas blessed, a ceremonial song was performed and several regionalchiefs donning headdresses were introduced to the gallery by Assemblyof First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.