Residential school denialism must be criminalized, First Nations leaders say
The Assembly of First Nations passed an emergency resolution calling on Canada to classify residential school denialism as hate speech in the Criminal Code.
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The Assembly of First Nations has passed an emergency resolution calling on Canada to classify residential school denialism as hate speech in the Criminal Code.
According to the AFN, the federal government is allowing residential school denialism to exist by refusing to make it a criminal offence. "When people deny or minimize this history, they do more than deny the past — they reopen the wounds of survivors, they dishonour the children, and they fuel anti-First Nations racism."
The federal government estimates that roughly 150,000 Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis children attended residential schools — a church-run, state-funded assimilation system that operated nationwide for over a century. Over 4,000 deaths have been documented, and 38,000 survivors have detailed severe cases of abuse.
The resolution represents growing pressure on federal authorities to address denialism as a form of racism and violence against Indigenous peoples.
By the numbers
How many Indigenous children attended residential schools in Canada?
The federal government estimates roughly 150,000 Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis children attended residential schools across Canada.
How many deaths have been documented at residential schools?
Over 4,000 deaths have been documented at residential schools in Canada.
How many residential school survivors have reported severe abuse?
38,000 survivors have detailed severe cases of abuse at Canadian residential schools.
