A fund has been established to support projects aimed at healing, language and cultural revitalization, and commemoration for survivors of Federal Indian Day Schools and their families. The initiative, known as the McLean Legacy Fund, is named after Garry McLean, a prominent advocate for Federal Indian Day School survivors from Manitoba. McLean, who passed away in 2019 before a final settlement was reached, played a key role as the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against the Government of Canada.
Similar to residential schools, Federal Indian Day Schools were institutions designed to assimilate Indigenous children while eradicating their languages and cultures. Garry McLean attended the Dog Creek Day School in Lake Manitoba First Nation, one of the 699 Federal Indian Day Schools across Canada that impacted approximately 200,000 Indigenous children.
As part of a $1.47 billion settlement, a $200 million legacy fund was established to support healing, wellness, language and culture preservation, commemoration, and truth-telling for survivors and their families. Speaking at a news conference in Ottawa, Claudette Commanda, the CEO of the settlement corporation, emphasized the importance of healing, truth-telling, language revitalization, cultural strengthening, and identity pride in the journey of survivors.
Elder Gloria Wells, a board member of the legacy fund, expressed her belief in the role of ceremony, language, and culture in the healing process. The fund has opened its first call for submissions for funding, offering two categories: survivor committee establishment with one-time funding of up to $25,000, and funding for community programs ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 per year for four years, depending on the program type.
Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of the Southern Chiefs Organization, a friend of Garry McLean, praised McLean as a powerful advocate for justice and a driving force behind positive changes for survivors of Indian Day Schools. Daniels emphasized that McLean’s legacy will continue to impact and uplift survivors and their families for generations to come through the legacy fund. The application deadline for the initial round of funding is set for the end of September.