By Canadian Press

Canada must combat residential school denialism, special interlocutor’s report says

Jun 16, 2023 | 10:23 AM

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 an advisory role focused on how Ottawa can help Indigenous communities search for children who died and disappeared from residential schools. 

The former executive director of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada has spent much of the past year travelling the country and hearing from different communities, experts and survivors. 

Her interim report underlines the need for greater access to records, including the highly sensitive documents compiled to adjudicate compensation claims under the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, which are set to be destroyed by 2027. 

Murray also raises concerns about increasing attacks from “denialists” who challenge communities when they announce the discovery of possible unmarked graves.

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Her report says Canada has a role to play to combat this sentiment and that “urgent consideration” should be given to what legal tools exist to address the problem, including both civil and criminal sanctions. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2023. 

The Canadian Press