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	Lack of Documents Leads to Denied Claims for Residential School Survivors Global Regina September 22, 2011 http://www.globalregina.com/lack+of+documents+leads+to+denied+claims+for+residential+school+survivors/6442487637/story.html [with video] It's been a lofty task for The Truth and Reconciliation Commission – trying to uncover the truth behind Canada's residential schools. Justice Murray Sinclair said they expected one hundred thousand claims to be filed by residential school survivors and now face the frustrating reality that many records and documents have been destroyed. "Many claims for example, by students who went to residential schools are denied. Not because they don't present a credible case that they went to the school, but because the government says, 'we look at our records and can't find any record that you were there'." Justice Sinclair told reporters Thursday. He added the Commission is now looking for government and church documents that will help back those claims. Survivors of residential schools are entitled to payments that recognize the impacts of living in the schools. The deadline to file for compensation was Monday. Survivors who had their claims denied may still bring forward other proof that they went to the schools. Justice Sinclair also said claims may have been denied because people may have attended residential schools that are not on the approved list. Just this month, two more residential schools were added, bringing the total number to 140. For nearly 130 years, Aboriginal, Métis and Inuit children were taken from their homes and cultures. They were placed in church and government-run schools. Violence and abuse were widespread. Justice Sinclair said the aim of having survivors share their stories is to establish respectful relationships between the victims and violators to ensure that kind of oppression doesn't happen again. "Without the statements from survivors from today who are still alive to give them; people of future generations might have a hard time to believe this actually occurred." He also said, "It's the future generations of children, Aboriginal children on one hand and non-Aboriginal children on the other, who are going to be asked to bring this all together." The Truth and Reconciliation Commission will issue a report on the history of residential schools in Canada at the end of the year.
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