Atikamekw Indian day school students sue federal government over abuse

Twenty-two former Indian day school students in Quebec are suing Canada over sexual abuse suffered at the federally run school during the 1970s.

The plaintiffs from Manawan, an Atikamekw community270 kilometres north of Montreal, filed a civil suit in Quebec Superior Court last summer, arguing the former Department of Indian and Northern Affairs is responsible for the abuse by two former teachers. New details in the case recently became available.

One of the teachers,Roger Garceau,had his teaching license revoked in 1961 due to "immorality," according toprovincial correspondence obtained by CBC News. Yet Garceau was allowed to teachin Manawanbetween 1976 and 1978.

Hedied in 2005.

"The 20 victims of Roger Garceau are victims of a man who had already lost his teaching license for sexuallyabusing children before the federal government hired him," said David Schulze, a Montreal lawyer representing theManawan group.

"If they had done what they were supposed to do, he would have never stepped foot in that community."

The Manawan Indian Day School was a Roman Catholic-run school administered by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development from 1928 until 1990, when it was taken over by the Conseil Des Atikamekw De Manawan.

Garceau lived in a house next to the school that was owned by Indian Affairs. He lured students there with "games, comics and food" according to 20 plaintiffs. The remaining two plaintiffs say they were abused a decade earlier by former teacherRaymond Bdard, who also lived in a house owned by Indian Affairs. Bdard is also deceased.

40 years to open up

The names of plaintiffs have been redacted in court documentsto keep their identity confidential, but plaintiff Reginald Flamand came forward toRadio-Canada to saythe memory of Garceau still makes him feel sick.

He was abused by Garceau, for the first time, at just 10 years old.

"It was at home or at school, where he closed all the curtains," he said.

The 52-year-old didn't talk much about the abuse he experienced, and said he struggled with alcoholism as a result.

"After 40 years, I met the lawyers.I once spoke to my wife before she asked me the question 'are there other victims?' " said Flamand.

"Fortyyears to resist [talking about the abuse]. It was so heavy for me, I talked to the lawyers lately, in detail. It has been very hard since then."

Other plaintiffs say they continue to suffer emotional and psychological problems, and trouble with interpersonal relationships. Each plaintiff is seekingdamages between $85,000and $300,000.

Indian day schools

The Manawan Indian Day School was one of 65 day schools that operated in Quebec, according to theFederal Indian Day School Class Action Settlementcurrently waiting approval by the Federal Court.

The Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said Tuesday all students who attended theschool will be eligible toapply for compensation through the proposed day schoolclass action settlement.Itdeclined to comment on the separateManawan abusecase.

"The mistreatment of Indigenous children is a tragic and shameful part of Canada's history. The Government of Canada is deeply committed to advancing reconciliation and healing. Canada continues to promote cooperation with involved parties to resolve these and other Indigenous childhood claims outside of the courts," the department said in astatement to CBC News.

Schulze said his clients' case will proceed despite any class action settlement which he saysdoesn't give former students enough time to tell their stories, especially ones dealing with childhood sexual abuse.Once theproposed settlement agreement is approved, claimants would have only 30 months to apply for compensation.In contrast, former students had five years to apply under theIndian Residential SchoolSettlement Agreement.

"Our clients in Manawan show why that's so badly thought out," said Schulze. "The civil code of Quebec would give them 30 years, and not from when it happened but from when they realized the effect it had on them."

He said another victim, who has not yet filed to be a plaintiff, only recently joined the lawsuit even though the Schulze's firm held a community meeting in Manawan over a year ago.

"All the other Roger Garceau's across Canada, we will never know about them," he said.