syilx Okanagan Survivor brings personal lawsuit to federal Government for time spent at Vernon school

This action arises from the psychological, spiritual, cultural, physical, and sexual harm arising out of her coerced attendance at St. James Parish School in Vernon, British Columbia, between 1963 and 1970 at the hands of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kamloops, Catholic Public Schools of Kamloops Diocese, Sisters of Saint Ann and Canadian Government.

While Ms. Wilson’s abuse by these entities is historical, the impacts have been life long and generational. This abuse continues the government and church policies on “killing the Indian in the child” and the dehumanization of Indigenous children in public funded, church run institutions. Civil lawsuits are a mechanism to measure this abuse, address accountability and meaningfully create change in Canadian society.

It is well known, through medical science, that chronic and severe child abuse causes serious, often catastrophic injury to the developing brand and neuroendocrine system. Specifically, it disrupts the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a critical mammalian stress response system that directly relates to the experience of anxiety and depression, as well as with behavioral and cognitive processes such as learning and memory deficits.

Ms. Wilson has filed a personal action - deliberately not a class action lawsuit. She does so to demonstrate how rare it is for an Indigenous person to get the full benefit of the Canadian legal system. A personal action gives an opportunity to seek full restitution for her injuries and all consequential losses. This rarity exists because “opt out” class actions in Canada have created a 2-tier justice system. Many survivors of institutional abuse are free to bring civil action whereas most Indigenous survivors are trapped into class actions and receive a fraction of compensatory damages - restitution that other Canadian citizens are automatically entitled to. Agency, empowerment and personalized access to justice are critical components for recovery from trauma of this kind and a personal action gives the survivor the opportunity and the dignity to control their own lawsuit, optimizing the potential for healing.

Despite the abuse and terror Laurie suffered as a child and the consequential adversities she experienced in childhood and youth, she persevered. She has 5 children, 11 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. She went on to graduate from UBC Law School in 2000 and has served her community and Nation as a tireless advocate and elected official as Councilor for the Penticton Indian Band for a couple of terms. Laurie continues to be a vocal advocate against injustice to Indigenous communities.

“What we hear from Canada and the Church is hollow grandiose public statements with their apologies for their egregious harms on Indigenous children with no action to proactively rectify them. It has been stated time and time again that true reconciliation begins with the truth. Our people are forced to take to the legal system to gain acknowledgement and reparations of harm and impacts on persons and their families. The resilience and courage to not only survive this abuse but speak truth to it is a testament to the tenacious spirit of Laurie.” Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, syilx – Okanagan Nation