The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Executive is calling on the Roman Catholic Church to follow through with a promise it says was made to First Nations Residential School survivors, to provide $25 million in compensation for the historical wrongs committed against them at the hands of their church, priests, and nuns.

The FSIN says the Church agreed to raise the money as part of the Indian Residential School Survivor Agreement to support survivors and their families. To date, the Catholic Church in Saskatoon has only been able to raise $34,650. Nationally, it’s roughly $4 million.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says, “”Thousands of First Nations children were victims of emotional, physical and sexual abuse at these church-run residential schools. They were starved, shamed, and beaten for speaking their languages and stripped of their culture, traditions, and identity. These wrongs were committed by the Catholic Church and our survivors deserve a proper apology and compensation for what was done to them; not broken promises””

Cameron says, “For Catholics to raise millions to build multiple multi-million-dollar cathedrals and raise only $34,650 or $0.30 per survivor is shameful.”