Canada’s Catholic bishops name Indigenous directors to oversee reconciliation funds

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, which made a commitment last year to raise $30 million in up to five years, said the move will ensure transparency.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops says it wants to be transparent about fundraising to support reconciliation efforts and has named Indigenous directors to oversee the money.

The Canadian bishops made a commitment last year to raise $30 million in up to five years. The Catholic Church was under pressure to properly compensate survivors under the Indian Residential School Survivor Agreement after it was reported that less than $5 million had been raised out of a $25-million goal.

Bishop William McGrattan, vice-president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the bishops are committed to a path of healing and transparency. But, he added, they understand it must also demonstrate transparency and accountability. Having Indigenous oversight will help achieve that, McGrattan said.

“The Indigenous experience and voice is critical for us as Catholics and Canadians to understand the path we need to take,” he said in Calgary.

Chief Wilton Littlechild, a residential school survivor, is a lawyer who was a commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. He is to be one of the directors of the church’s Indigenous reconciliation fund.

Giselle Marion, a Tlicho lawyer in the Northwest Territories, and Rosella Kinoshameg, a nurse from Wikwemikong Unceded First Nation Territory who is part of the Catholic bishop’s Indigenous council, will also be directors.

McGrattan said some dioceses in the country have already begun their fundraising campaigns and more are expected to start in coming weeks. He added it is a way for Catholics to be truly honest and understanding of how the church’s history has affected Indigenous people.

“We have to go forward and we have to find a path to healing,” he said.