A final report into missing children and unmarked graves at residential schools is calling on the federal government to create an Indigenous-led national commission with a 20-year mandate to investigate missing and disappeared Indigenous children.
ItSA国际影视传媒檚 also calling on Canada to refer itself to the International Criminal Court for investigation.
Kimberly Murray, CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 special interlocutor on unmarked graves, released her final report Tuesday in Gatineau, Que., during a gathering with Indigenous residential school survivors and experts from across the country.
More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools, the last of which closed in 1996. An estimated 6,000 children died in the schools, though experts say the actual number could be much higher.
Many of their families were never informed of their deaths or told where they were buried. In recent years, communities have been searching the grounds of former residential schools in hopes of bringing their missing children home.
SA国际影视传媒淐anada has legal and moral obligations to ensure that a full investigation is conducted into the disappearances and deaths of these children,SA国际影视传媒� said Murray, who is a member of the Mohawk community Kanehsatake, near Montreal.
SA国际影视传媒淚t fulfils a highly personal, yet universal human need to know what happened to deceased loved ones and to mourn, bury and memorialize them according to the laws, spiritual beliefs and practices of oneSA国际影视传媒檚 own culture.SA国际影视传媒�
Murray discussed her work sitting on a stage behind an empty chair meant to honour and remember children who never made it home from residential schools. Behind her sat a collection of cradle boards dating back to 1860, which she says are SA国际影视传媒渢he heart of reconciliation, representing hope and life, and they serve to remind us why we are here today: for the children.SA国际影视传媒�
She said the national commission must reflect Indigenous PeoplesSA国际影视传媒� sovereignty, be governed by Indigenous laws and examine the systemic patterns of genocide and crimes against humanity. Its mandate should be no less than 20 years.
SA国际影视传媒楽o traumatizing for survivorsSA国际影视传媒�
In an interim report last year, Murray documented attacks from denialists on communities exploring possible discoveries of unmarked graves.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 so traumatizing for survivors to say that residential schools were good things, that no bad things happened there,SA国际影视传媒� Murray said in an interview.
SA国际影视传媒�(Survivors are) in the process now of telling their truth, of trying to find these children that were missing and disappeared, and they donSA国际影视传媒檛 need this extra victimization and traumatization directed at them.SA国际影视传媒�
Her final report comes after two years of engagement with survivors and Indigenous communities across Canada.
Her office says it lays out the need for Canada to address legislative and structural gaps that exist in identifying, protecting and commemorating missing and disappeared children and their burials.SA国际影视传媒�
The two-volume report lists 42 SA国际影视传媒渙bligationsSA国际影视传媒� for governments, churches and other institutions to achieve truth, accountability, justice and reconciliation.
Murray said sheSA国际影视传媒檚 calling them SA国际影视传媒渙bligationsSA国际影视传媒� rather than recommendations because the government often ignores the latter. By calling them obligations, Murray says the federal government will need to recognize its role in righting wrongs.
Among them are a call for Canada to refer the disappearance of children from residential schools as a crime against humanity to the International Criminal Court.
Other obligations include stable, long-term and flexible funding for searches, full reparations and compensation for families or descendants of missing children, and the return of land associated with former residential schools and cemeteries back to Indigenous Peoples.
Murray also said the federal government should criminalize residential school denialism, or the twisting, misrepresenting and distorting of basic facts about residential schools to shake public confidence in the stories of survivors, as defined by historian Sean Carleton.
Criminalization bill
NDP MP Leah Gazan introduced a private memberSA国际影视传媒檚 bill in the House of Commons ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation that seeks to criminalize residential school denialism.
Justice Minister Arif Virani said Tuesday heSA国际影视传媒檚 had discussions with Gazan about it, and that he looks forward to continue speaking with her after he has a chance to review MurraySA国际影视传媒檚 final reports.
SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 no desire to ignore any aspect of what she is suggesting,SA国际影视传媒� Virani said of MurraySA国际影视传媒檚 call to criminalize denialism.
He said hearing survivors and their descendants speak was moving, and that as a parent, their stories left a mark on him.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou canSA国际影视传媒檛 hear stories about children, about people being abused, young girls being impregnated and then (having) their babies being taken away and incinerated, and not have a response.SA国际影视传媒�
In a statement, a spokesperson for Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree said they thank Murray for her work, and that the SA国际影视传媒渁trocitiesSA国际影视传媒� committed in the schools against Indigenous children have had lasting effects.
SA国际影视传媒淭he voices and truths of survivors are sacred,SA国际影视传媒� said Gregory Frame.
SA国际影视传媒淲e will take the time to review the four volumes of the report.SA国际影视传媒�
Murray told those in attendance at the gathering that she remains hopeful about the future, and offered words of encouragement for those who will continue with this work.
SA国际影视传媒淒onSA国际影视传媒檛 lose your languages. DonSA国际影视传媒檛 let the ceremonies die,SA国际影视传媒� Murray said.
SA国际影视传媒淏e strong as you continue to tell your truth. Be strong as you continue to fight.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒擝y Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
