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Exploring Theme: "Residential School Denialism"
Updates on this page: 28
October 31, 2024
Survivors call on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism
NDP member of Parliament Leah Gazan, second from right, is joined by Special Interlocutor Kimberly Murray, right, and Indian Residential School survivors during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2024. They are calling on the Government of Canada to recognize residential school denialism as inciting hate in the Criminal...
October 29, 2024
‘I was taken aback’: Day school survivor says Winnipeg signs should come down
Photos of signs are under review by Winnipeg police hate unit. APTN News: Photos of handmade signs in the yard of a suburban Winnipeg home are now in the hands of the Winnipeg police’s hate crimes unit. The signs dismiss the harms caused by residential schools, reconciliation, denounces the “gay agenda,” and the orange shirt...
October 28, 2024
Manitoba historian concerned residential school denialism will rise after Biden’s apology in U.S.
University of Manitoba professor Sean Carleton says goal of denialism is to protect the colonial status quo Alessia Passafiume · The Canadian Press · Posted: Oct 27, 2024 12:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 27 CBC News: The Canadian Press – As a young child, Dennis Saddleman’s mother always ensured he knew how much she loved him, gave...
October 17, 2024
How a resolution at the B.C. Law Society became a debate about residential school denialism
Proposed wording change attempted to ‘turn down the volume on [the] truth,’ one lawyer said CBC Indigenous: A recent request to change the wording in a mandatory Indigenous intercultural course for lawyers in British Columbia led to a debate over whether the changes amounted to residential school denialism. Victoria-based criminal defence lawyer Jim Heller submitted a resolution to...
October 3, 2024
Mark Milke: Criminalizing residential school ‘denialism’ would silence Indigenous voices, too
Many First Nations people have provided important nuance to the debate. Their views should not be made illegal NationTalk: Special to the The National Post – The effort by MP Leah Gazan to criminalize residential school views she labels “denialist” is a mistake. Gazan’s Bill C-413, if passed, would criminalize any statement that might be interpreted...
September 26, 2024
NDP MP Leah Gazan introduces bill to criminalize residential school denialism
Leah Gazan in the House of Commons on Thursday. APTN News: NDP MP Leah Gazan has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop the harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities. If the bill is passed, people could be charged under the Criminal Code for promoting hatred against Indigenous...
September 21, 2024
What Lies Beneath Canada’s Former Indigenous School Sites Fuels a Debate
Despite possible evidence of hundreds of graves at former schools for Indigenous children, challenges in making a clear conclusion have given rise to skeptics. The Kamloopa Powwow in Tk’emlups te Secwepemc, British Columbia. An announcement in 2021 that the possible remains of 215 students in unmarked graves had been found at the former Kamloops residential...
September 9, 2024
BCFNJC Statement: Racist Resolution Proposed by Law Society of British Columbia Members Supports Residential School and Genocide Denialism – Trust and Reconciliation Will Be Broken
NationTalk: Okanagan syilx Territory, Westbank BC: The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) denounces and strongly opposes a resolution that has been put forward by two Law Society of British Columbia (Law Society) members for consideration at the upcoming 2024 Law Society Annual General Meeting. The resolution contains alarming Residential School denialism, calling for the...
August 26, 2024
Regardless of numbers, Indigenous residential schools were a decades-long tragedy
Reconciliation, the quest to repair the relationship with Indigenous peoples, isn’t a “woke” fantasy. By Paul Racher NationTalk: The Hamilton Spectator – Recent articles in some corners of the Canadian media landscape have made much of the fact that the number of suspected graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School has been revised downward. Indeed,...
July 29, 2024
Residential school survivor suing Catholic priest for defamation
Haida elder and residential school survivor is suing the Catholic church. Photo: Tallulah Photography APTN News: A Haida Elder and residential school survivor is suing an Edmonton priest for what she says are “false and deeply hurtful” comments. Sphenia Jones from British Columbia alleges Fr. Marcin Mironiuk defamed survivors of Canada’s residential school system during...
July 22, 2024
A BC Town Confronts Residential School Denialism
In Powell River, a debate over a name change is prompting darker claims. The Tyee: In a packed room at the Powell River Public Library, Frances Widdowson is warning about “wokeism.” She accuses two city councillors of destroying democracy in the town, proclaims that trans people don’t actually exist and complains that no one except...
July 4, 2024
Residential schools had complete control over Indigenous children’s lives: report
‘These are important truths that Canada and the churches must accept,’ says Kimberly Murray. APTN News: Warning: This story contains distressing details about residential schools A new report shows the residential school system used Indigenous children as grave-diggers, guinea pigs in an experimental community, and even brides and grooms. Sites of Truth, Site of Conscience is...
July 4, 2024
Growing Residential School Denialism Is an Attack on Truth
How to identify it, and how to push back against dangerous false claims. The Tyee: The Conversation – In 2021, three short years ago, #CancelCanadaDay was trending on social media following announcements about thousands of unmarked graves at the former sites of Indian Residential Schools across Canada. Today, research is expanding on the history of child institutionalization...
July 3, 2024
History of residential school cemeteries is evidence of genocide, interlocutor says
Kimberly Murray issues historical report, an ‘antidote to denialism,’ as she works toward final report WARNING: This article contains images of residential school pupils in cemeteries. CBC News: The history of residential school burial sites is evidence of crimes against humanity that could in theory be prosecuted, the special interlocutor for missing children and unmarked burials...
May 27, 2024
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc says ‘215’ search for truth continues
Chief, experts say anniversary an important time to counter residential school denialism WARNING: This story contains distressing details. CBC Indigenous: The Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc say the search for truth and inter-generational healing continues for missing children and survivors at the Kamloops Indian Residential School (KIRS), three years after the announcement of preliminary evidence suggesting around 200 sets...
May 1, 2024
Haida Elder’s Lawsuit Against the Catholic Church Clears a Hurdle
A proposed class action case targets an Edmonton priest’s residential school denialism. Aaron Hemens YesterdayIndigiNews Aaron Hemens is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter and an award-winning photographer, journalist and a visitor in unceded syilx Okanagan territory. This piece was originally published by IndigiNews. – [Editor’s note: Place names in this piece are in quotation marks to honour the...
April 26, 2024
Manitoba promises review after school trustee’s comments on Indigenous people
The Globe and Mail: The Canadian Press – Winnipeg: A school trustee’s comments on Indigenous people and residential schools have led to condemnation from many quarters and a review by the Manitoba government. Paul Coffey, a trustee in the Mountain View School Division in western Manitoba, told a school board meeting Monday that residential schools...
April 22, 2024
Haida residential school survivor alleges defamation from priest
Calgary court to decide whether proposed class action lawsuit by Elder Sphenia Jones will go ahead WARNING: This story contains distressing details. CBC Indigenous: A Haida elder and residential school survivor is leading a proposed class action lawsuit against the Catholic Church and one of its priests over what she alleges are “false and deeply hurtful” denialist...
April 5, 2024
Quesnel Mayor Resists Calls for Resignation over Residential School Denialism
Council members hope to heal the city’s relationship with First Nations after allegations Ron Paull promoted a book containing disinformation. https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/tyee/quesnel-mayor-resists-calls-for-resignation-over-residential-school-denialism [Editor’s note: This article contains discussion of residential schools and residential school denialism. It may be triggering to some readers.] THERE IS HELP If you need support, call the Indian Residential School Survivors Society...
March 21, 2024
Quesnel city council condemns controversial residential school book distributed by mayor’s wife
Lhtako Dene Nation leader calls Grave Error book ‘absolute bigotry and hatred’ CBC Indigenous: The Canadian Press – Quesnel’s city council voted unanimously to denounce a book the Lhtako Dene Nation says downplays the harms of residential schools, after the First Nation and councillors raised concerns the mayor’s wife was distributing it to residents in the city about 630...
January 24, 2024
PEI minister orders inquiry for councillor who posted anti-Indigenous sign
The Globe and Mail: The Canadian Press – A Prince Edward Island cabinet minister has asked a law firm to conduct an inquiry into a village councillor’s decision to display a sign denying the existence of residential school graves. Communities Minister Rob Lantz issued a statement Wednesday saying Murray Harbour Coun. John Robertson had failed...
November 30, 2023
P.E.I. councillor suspended, fined $500 for posting anti-Indigenous sign
The Confederation Bridge seen from a beach on P.E.I. Photo: Angel Moore/APTN. APTN News: The Canadian Press – A municipal councillor in eastern Prince Edward Island has been ordered to pay a $500 fine for displaying a sign on his property denying the existence of residential school graves. The council in Murray Harbour has also...
November 28, 2023
Educate or prosecute? Two Anishnaabe weigh in on how to deal with residential school deniers
Ottawa looking at different legal mechanisms it could deploy to address issue WARNING: This story contains details of experiences at residential schools. CBC Indigenous: “It wasn’t that bad, they got an education out of it.” Michael Eshkawkogan says he’s seen that exact comment and others like it when scrolling on social media. No one has...
September 1, 2023
Honouring the missing children and the survivors, families and communities left behind: Senators Audette and Francis
NationTalk: When death occurs, people gather to pay respect, honour the deceased and support their loved ones. But when it comes to the thousands of children who went missing while being forced to attend Indian Residential Schools, some seem to think that Indigenous people should simply move on. Why is that? Indigenous families and...
August 28, 2023
Special interlocutor hopeful new Justice Minister will act to address residential school denialism
The Globe and Mail: The Canadian Press – Kimberly Murray, the independent special interlocutor on missing children, unmarked graves and burial sites associated with residential schools, says she has met with Canada’s new Justice Minister and hopes he will move to address “denialism.” Ms. Murray, who was given a two-year mandate last year to work...
June 20, 2023
Residential School Denialism Is on the Rise. What to Know
And how to confront it. Because without the truth, there can be no reconciliation. The Tyee: May 27, 2023 marked the two-year anniversary of the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc’s announcement about the location of 215 potential unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in the Interior of British Columbia. In recognition of the anniversary,...
June 16, 2023
Canada must combat residential school denialism, special interlocutor’s report says
The Globe and Mail: The Canadian Press: Ottawa – The independent special interlocutor on unmarked graves says “urgent consideration” should be given to legal mechanisms as a way for Canada to combat residential school denialism. Kimberly Murray makes the call in an interim report released today, just over a year after she was appointed to...
June 16, 2023
Residential school denialists tried to dig up suspected unmarked graves in Kamloops, B.C., report finds
Denialism is the last step of genocide, says report from independent interlocutor CBC News: Residential school deniers tried to dig up suspected unmarked grave sites at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, not believing a May 2021 announcement from the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc that as many as 215 Indigenous children had been buried there, according to a new report....