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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe former justice minister, a federally-appointed \u201cspecial interlocutor,\u201d an NDP MP, and now a Senate committee are all desperately trying to stop Canadians from questioning the narrative that thousands of indigenous children are missing in \u201cunmarked graves\u201d at former residential schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In May 2021, the Tk\u2019eml\u00faps First Nation of Kamloops, BC sensationally announced<\/a> they discovered the remains of 215 children in unmarked graves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality, their ground-penetrating radar found 200 soil disturbances which were possibly caused by septic field drainage tiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No remains have been uncovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reliable evidence pointing to thousands of unmarked graves at residential schools is still lacking, yet the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples has recommended that \u201cthe Government of Canada take every action necessary to combat the rise of residential school denialism.\u201d https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0ulTk6WZ428?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1<\/p>\n\n\n\n The committee\u2019s July 2023 report<\/a>, \u201cHonouring the children who never came home: Truth, education and reconciliation,\u201d states, \u201cDenialism serves to distract people from the horrific consequences of residential schools, and the realities of missing children, burials and unmarked graves.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf real concern to the committee is the small group of vocal individuals who try to undermine Survivors\u2019 accounts of the hardships and abuse they experienced during residential schools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves Kimberly Murray was one of the committee\u2019s witnesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Murray has previously written<\/a> in her own report that \u201cUrgent consideration should be given to legal mechanisms to address denialism, including the implementation of both civil and criminal sanctions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her report, Murray also claimed that grave-diggers<\/a> were showing up to the Kamloops site in the night with shovels, hoping to dig up childrens\u2019 bodies. The local RCMP detachment told True North they had no reports of such incidents. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2clXaABq7xQ?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response to Murray, Liberal MP and former Justice Minister David Lametti said<\/a> he is open to \u201ca legal solution\u201d to \u201coutlaw\u201d questioning the residential school narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hymie Rubenstein of the Indian Residential Schools Research Group, this is an attempt to criminalize debate on important indigenous issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis might be legally unprecedented if enacted and probably easily challenged as an infringement of the Charter\u2019s free speech provision,\u201d said Rubenstein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt may also be redundant given existing hate law legislation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Senate committee did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n True North also reached out to newly-appointed Justice Minister Arif Virani to ask if he would continue David Lametti\u2019s project of outlawing \u201cresidential school denialism,\u201d but his office offered no response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Senate Committee recommends \u201cevery action necessary\u201d to combat \u201cresidential school denialism\u201d By Lindsay Shepherd – August 3, 2023 FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsAppLinkedin The former justice minister, a federally-appointed \u201cspecial interlocutor,\u201d an NDP MP, and now a Senate committee are all desperately trying to … Continue reading Author<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"