THE kids taken from their families and placed in Indian residential schools had a hard childhood. When it was over, though, they got to go home. Since Wednesday, they could apply for compensation.
But what about the aboriginal children who were taken away and grew up in foster care, the only aboriginals in city schools and neighbourhoods, with no homes to return to?
Alan Isfeld lived in 18 foster homes as a child before taking a room at the YMCA at the age of 14.
"We had no childhood, no culture, no family memories," said Alan Isfeld, who estimates there are more than 50,000 aboriginal people like him who were taken into foster care in non-aboriginal homes during the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
"We were left out of reconciliation."
Now 61 and financially well off, the carpenter -- who is also a consultant who has worked with aboriginal bands -- says he doesn't want any settlement money. He wants an apology from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to all the aboriginal people who suffered because of "forced assimilation."
After being removed from his home at Waywayseecappo at the age of five, he and his younger brother were split up and sent to two homes in Charleswood. Isfeld attended Beaumont School and visited his fairer-skinned brother's foster home nearby until he was told he looked too Indian and to stay away because he was an embarrassment.
In nine years, he lived in 18 foster homes -- some of which were abusive. The Children's Aid Society thought he'd be better off on his own.
"At 14, I was living in a room at the Y on Vaughan Street and attending River Heights Junior High. Every day I had a fight."
When he turned 15, he says, he was "kicked to the curb" by his caseworker. Isfeld hitchhiked east with 35 cents in his pocket. He worked on farms before ending up on the docks in Toronto. In the winter, he headed to work on the docks in warmer Vancouver when he stopped in Winnipeg. One of the few friends he made convinced him to go to a New Year's Eve party. There he met his wife, Nancy, and found the unconditional love he'd missed out on his whole life.
She stood by him while he fought to get into carpentry and faced the demons of his lost childhood.
Isfeld wasn't impressed when National Chief Phil Fontaine and Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl met to celebrate compensation for survivors of residential schools.
"People need to understand that taking 30 pieces of silver from the government will never compensate them. It may help to ease a little pain."
But rather than undoing the damage, taking money from the government keeps aboriginal people dependent, he said.
Too many people have been conditioned to wait for compensation instead of looking for opportunities, he said. At one First Nation, he was invited to speak and didn't temper his words:
"If you're sitting here on your brown bums waiting on a white knight to ride in and save your brown ass it's not going to happen," he recalled saying. His message wasn't well-received.
"They chased me off the reserve."
The only way aboriginal people will truly heal is by getting educated and economically independent, he said.
"You're not going to get it from some white guy in Ottawa handing out treaty numbers."
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