NTI-ITK lawsuit could harm former residential students

As a survivor of residential school, mainly the Joseph Bernier School and Turquetil Hall in Chesterfield Inlet, I am somewhat in a bit of a quandary in regards to who is representing me, and us, in this residential school legal issue.

If my memory serves me correctly, I recalled at the start of our fumigation of the inhumane, sick and loveless revelations of residential schools, our legal counsel was Steven L. Cooper and Leann B. Vigar at AWOC Barristers and Solicitors. As far as I am concerned, they are still our legal counsel with regards to the residential school issue.

Recently, and much to my surprise, I read in the Sept. 23 issue of Nunatsiaq News that Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. seemed to be launching a class-action suit against the federal government on behalf of the former residential school students.

If in fact they are really representing the former residential school students, how come the former students were not informed of the change of legal counsel?

That is, if they are serious about representing us. They must realize also that they are basically throwing an undesired wrench into the works of our current legal counsel, Steven Cooper and Leeanne C. Vigar of AWOC, who basically have been with us from Day One.

Has NTI even considered that they may very well be setting up another obstacle for us to overcome? And thus prolonging the process further? Most of us are of the view that we have waited long enough and I fear that NTI is prolonging the process by more or less interfering with our legal counsel.

And most importantly, where was NTI when we really needed them at the start of our class action suit?

I do wholeheartedly appreciate NTI’s concern. But don’t they think that this would work better if they worked with our current legal counsel and, most importantly, at least kept us informed of their intentions?

Personally, and as far as my colleagues are concerned, Steven Cooper and Leeanne Vigar of AWOC have been and will be our legal counsel — unless of course we are told otherwise.

Nicolas P. Arnatsiaq
Igloolik