About Day Scholars Revitalization Society
Honouring the Past, Healing the Present, Empowering the Future
An organisation dedicated to Day Scholar Survivors.
The Day Scholars Revitalization Society (DSRS) was established in 2021 by and for Day Scholar Survivors — those who attended Indian Residential Schools in the years between 1920 and 1997 during the day and returned home at night.
The weight of disruption & loss
For generations, Day Scholar Survivors & their families have carried the weight of disruption and loss. At DSRS, we are deeply committed to our sacred responsibility of administering the $50 million Day Scholars Revitalization Fund, created to provide Day Scholar Survivors & their first-generation descendants with funds to nurture their journeys toward revitalizing their languages, cultures, knowledge, & heritage, & in honouring their stories through commemoration
Our work is not just a responsibility — it is a calling
As DSRS Executive Director Bonnie Healy shares, this is “heart work” — a commitment to ensuring Survivors and their families have the support they need to heal in ways that honour their individual journeys. This is about walking beside one another, not prescribing paths or creating barriers, but fostering kindness, transparency, and collective healing.
Empowering Day Scholar Survivors and their families
Through DSRS, we provide safe and supportive access to resources that empower Day Scholar Survivors and their families toward healing and cultural revitalization. Together, we walk this path — ensuring no one is left behind, and that the voices of Day Scholars continue to guide us forward.
Our team
A survivor advocate with over two decades of community leadership experience
Ovide Mercredi is a distinguished Cree leader from the Misipawistik Cree Nation in Manitoba. With a deep-rooted commitment to the rights and well-being of Indigenous communities, he has been a prominent advocate for many years. Ovide’s leadership journey includes his notable tenure as the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations from 1991 to 1997, during which he played a crucial role in advancing Indigenous self-government and participating in significant constitutional discussions.
Richard Kistabish is an Anishinaabe (Algonquin) leader from the Abitibiwinni First Nation in Quebec. He has served as Chief of the Abitibiwinni First Nation and as Grand Chief of the Algonquin Council of Western Quebec for two terms. Richard is fluent in French, English, and Anicinabemowin, his traditional language.
Aimée Craft is a descendant of Indigenous (Anishinaabe-Métis) and settler ancestry. She is a lawyer from Treaty One territory in Manitoba and a distinguished academic, award-winning author, lawyer, and advocate for Indigenous rights. As an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, she holds the University Research Chair of Nibi miinawaa aki inaakonigewin: Indigenous governance in relationship with land and water.
Leah George-Wilson (Sisi-ya-ama) is a respected Indigenous leader and lawyer from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in North Vancouver. She has served as Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation for four terms, becoming the first woman to hold this position. Leah is currently the elected co-chair of the First Nations Summit and a director on the Land Advisory Board.
Matthew Coon Come is a distinguished Indigenous leader and advocate for Cree rights. Born near Mistissini, Quebec, he has served as Grand Chief/Chairman of the Grand Council of the Crees (EI) and of the Cree Nation Government for six terms and was National Chief of AFN from 2000 - 2003.
Terry Goodtrack is a distinguished leader and advocate for Indigenous finance, management, and governance. With over 30 years of experience, Terry has held influential senior finance and management positions within high-profile Indigenous organizations. He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of AFOA Canada, a role he has excelled in for over a decade.
Mike DeGagne is a distinguished leader and advocate for Indigenous education and Reconciliation. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Indspire, an Indigenous national charity that supports and invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People.
Sherry Copenance, also known as Grandmother Sherry, is a respected Anishinaabe elder and advocate for Indigenous water governance and cultural preservation. Born and raised on the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation in Northwestern Ontario, Sherry is deeply rooted in her community and traditions.
Aapoyaaki Bonnie Healy, the Executive Director of the Day Scholars Revitalization Society (DSRS), is known for her commitment to using data to drive healing, well-being, Reconciliation, and closing the gaps faced by Indigenous Peoples. A First Nations Blackfoot woman from the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe) in Southern Alberta, Bonnie's strategic vision and transformative ability to turn data into actionable insights have been key pillars of her leadership style.
Start Your Funding Application
Explore our list of eligible schools to discover whether you, or a loved one, might be eligible for funding through the Day Scholars Revitalization Society.