A Senate committee recommended federal action to stop residential school denialism, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“The committee heard about ongoing denialism about Residential Schools and that some individuals deny the negative effects on generations of indigenous peoples,” said the Senate Indigenous Peoples Committee in a report. .“Of real concern to the committee is the small group of vocal individuals who try to undermine survivors’ accounts of the hardships and abuse they experienced at Residential Schools.”.Senators did not define residential school denialism. Hate speech has been an offence in the Criminal Code of Canada since 1970. .The report said denialism “serves to distract people from the horrific consequences of Residential Schools and the realities of missing children, burials, and unmarked graves.”.It added the committee believes education and advocacy can combat it. .It recommended the Canadian government “take every action necessary to combat the rise of Residential School denialism.” .Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had the Peace Tower flag lowered for 161 days in 2021 after First Nations announced there were unmarked graves of 215 children at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, BC. .“I think Canadians have seen with horror those unmarked graves across the country and realize that what happened decades ago isn’t part of our history, it is an irrefutable part of our present,” said Trudeau. .No remains have been discovered in Kamloops to date..The Canadian government spent $7.9 million for a search of the Kamloops site and $3.1 million for the Residential Schools Student Death Register. .Another $238.8 million was budgeted for the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund, which expires in 2025. .In the report, the committee said it believes this funding provides important support for indigenous communities to investigate and protect burial sites and should be extended into the future. .Senators noted some indigenous burial grounds might be on private lands. .“The committee heard gaps in federal, provincial, territorial and municipal laws may impede the establishment of legal protections for burial sites,” said the report. .Former University of Calgary political science professor Tom Flanagan said in 2022 allegations of hundreds of graves at residential schools deserve more scrutiny and a physical dig. .READ MORE: Prof. Flanagan wants independent excavations at residential schools.Initial findings by ground-penetrating radar last year suggested 215 bodies at a residential school in Kamloops. Flanagan said 51 deaths of Kamloops students have been verified..“But up until the late '40s, early '50s, TB was rampant among Indian people, both children and adults,” he said.
A Senate committee recommended federal action to stop residential school denialism, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“The committee heard about ongoing denialism about Residential Schools and that some individuals deny the negative effects on generations of indigenous peoples,” said the Senate Indigenous Peoples Committee in a report. .“Of real concern to the committee is the small group of vocal individuals who try to undermine survivors’ accounts of the hardships and abuse they experienced at Residential Schools.”.Senators did not define residential school denialism. Hate speech has been an offence in the Criminal Code of Canada since 1970. .The report said denialism “serves to distract people from the horrific consequences of Residential Schools and the realities of missing children, burials, and unmarked graves.”.It added the committee believes education and advocacy can combat it. .It recommended the Canadian government “take every action necessary to combat the rise of Residential School denialism.” .Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had the Peace Tower flag lowered for 161 days in 2021 after First Nations announced there were unmarked graves of 215 children at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, BC. .“I think Canadians have seen with horror those unmarked graves across the country and realize that what happened decades ago isn’t part of our history, it is an irrefutable part of our present,” said Trudeau. .No remains have been discovered in Kamloops to date..The Canadian government spent $7.9 million for a search of the Kamloops site and $3.1 million for the Residential Schools Student Death Register. .Another $238.8 million was budgeted for the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund, which expires in 2025. .In the report, the committee said it believes this funding provides important support for indigenous communities to investigate and protect burial sites and should be extended into the future. .Senators noted some indigenous burial grounds might be on private lands. .“The committee heard gaps in federal, provincial, territorial and municipal laws may impede the establishment of legal protections for burial sites,” said the report. .Former University of Calgary political science professor Tom Flanagan said in 2022 allegations of hundreds of graves at residential schools deserve more scrutiny and a physical dig. .READ MORE: Prof. Flanagan wants independent excavations at residential schools.Initial findings by ground-penetrating radar last year suggested 215 bodies at a residential school in Kamloops. Flanagan said 51 deaths of Kamloops students have been verified..“But up until the late '40s, early '50s, TB was rampant among Indian people, both children and adults,” he said.
