Federal Court approves class-action on behalf of off-reserve Indigenous children

The Federal Court has approved a class-action lawsuit on behalf of off-reserve Indigenous children taken from their families and placed in non-Indigenous care over nearly 30 years between 1992 and 2019.

The suit alleges many of the children were not told of their Indigenous heritage and suffered systemic negligence and violations of their charter rights.

Officials speaking on behalf of the lawsuit's representative plaintiffs, who are all from BC, say the federal government agreed last year to pay 40 billion dollars to on-reserve youngsters and their families affected by discrimination related to the child-welfare system.

Supporters urge Canada to halt the legal battle against off-reserve children and their relatives and instead make changes to fix what they call a ``deeply broken system.''