Government Commitments

Government Commitments to Truth and Reconciliation

Apology being planned to Nunatsiavut residential school survivors in Hopedale

October 13, 2023

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Nunatsiavut government says no specific dates have been set for Hopedale or other Inuit communities

A man with a suit and tie smiles.
Premier Andrew Furey is set to travel to Hopedale to apologize to residential school survivors, according to a social media post by the Nunatsiavut government’s Department of Health and Social Development. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada)

CBC News: Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey is set to deliver an apology to Nunatsiavut residential school survivors in November in Hopedale, according to a social media post by the Nunatsiavut government’s Department of Health and Social Development. 

But in response to questions from CBC News, the Nunatsiavut government says nothing has been confirmed, including the dates of the apology or details of any potential apologies in other Inuit communities. 

In the post, the department said Furey was considering the first few days of November for the apology. The post was later deleted, replaced by a version that made no mention of potential dates.

The department said a community meeting will be held Thursday night to discuss details on who would accept the apology in Hopedale. 

A black graphic with white writing reads "Attention Hopedale residential school survivors. You are invited to a meeting this evening (Thursday) at the Department of Health and Social Development multi-purpose room, beginning at 7 p.m. The purpose of this gathering is to discuss and determind who would accept an upcoming apology from Premier Andrew Furey on behalf of the government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Please note that no specific dates have been set for the Premier's apology in Hopedale, or other Labrador Inuit communities, as details are still being worked out. Your presence and input are vital in this process.
The Nunatsiavut government’s Department of Health and Social Development updated a Facebook post to remove the suggestion of the first few days of November being considered for the apology. (Nunatsiavut government/Facebook )

The apology to Nunatsiavut survivors in Hopedale would be the second this fall. On Sept. 29, Furey apologized to NunatuKavut survivors in Cartwright, on Labrador’s south coast. 

Both Nunatsiavut and the Innu Nation took exception to the apology being delivered in Cartwright, as they dispute NunatuKavut’s Indigeneity. 

Nunatsiavut and the Innu Nation have called for the resignation of Lisa Dempster, minister of Labrador and Indigenous affairs and a member of NunatuKavut. 

LISTEN | Lisa Dempster responds to calls for her resignation: 

Labrador Morning – 8:26

Labrador and Indigenous Affairs Minister Lisa Dempster responds to criticism

Click on the following link to listen to “Labrador Morning”:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/apology-nunatsiavut-survivors-1.6994244

NunatuKavut President Todd Russell has said the backlash was uncalled for and he’s angry that it came over something as sensitive as a residential schools apology.