Official: Churches must pay

JULY 7, 2000

Shawn Tupper, the Director of the residential school division at the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs said churches must open their books and pay their share of abuse and sexual harassment lawsuits filed against them by former aboriginal students.

Like many aboriginals, Tupper said he doesn't believe that churches are near bankruptcy. He said churches can raise the money to pay for the suits, citing a fund-raising effort in which Catholic churches across the country raised money to bail out a church.

Get the Story:
Worshippers, not taxpayers, must pay: Ottawa (The National Post 6/7)

Indianz.Com Residential School Coverage:
Children used as guinea pigs (First Nations 04/26)
Elders walk across Canada (First Nations 5/9)
Churches losing lawsuits (First Nations 05/22)
Reconciliation commission urged (First Nations 06/06)
Abuse charges filed (First Nations 06/02)
Lawsuits threaten church (First Nations 06/02)
Sale of church urged (First Nations 06/12)
Elder completes walk (First Nations 06/20)

Relevant Links:
The Anglican Journal - Contains a special report about the experiments and the church's involvement.