May 31, 2021
Líl̓wat Nation Chiefs and Council Endorse Signing onto two Class Action Lawsuits
Lawsuits related to safe drinking water and IRS impacts on language and culture
Líl̓wat Nation Chiefs and Council have endorsed joining the First Nations Drinking Water Class Action. The lawsuit, undertaken by the Neskangaga First Nations, Curve Lake First Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation, addresses Canada’s failure to ensure that First Nation communities have adequate access to safe drinking water. A settlement of $8.1 billion, which includes $6 billion to support construction, upgrading, operation, and maintenance of water infrastructure on First Nations land, was reached on December 21, 2021.
First Nations and eligible individuals that were subjected to a drinking water advisory that lasted at least one year between November 20, 1995, and June 20, 2021, can make a claim. The deadline for claim submissions is March 7, 2023. The Líl̓wat Nation is eligible for $500,000 as base compensation related to the drinking advisory at Kwetsa7.
To learn more, or to make a claim, please visit: www.firstnationsdrinkingwater.ca.
Líl̓wat Nation Chiefs and Council have also endorsed joining the more than 100 First Nations who have signed onto the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Indian Band and shishalh Band’s Band Reparations Class Action lawsuit.
The two Nations are suing the Government of Canada, claiming that it is responsible for damages to the Bands arising from Indian Residential Schools, specifically, the collective harm suffered by Bands due to loss of language and culture. This lawsuit is due to go to trial in September 2022. *
To learn more about the Band Reparations Class Action, please visit:
www.justicefordayscholars.com/band-class/.
*This lawsuit originally included claims brought on behalf of individual Day Scholars and their children. These claims have been settled. The deadline to apply for compensation is October 4, 2023. Claim forms are available at www.justicefordayscholars.com.
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