NDP MP introduces bill to criminalize residential school denialism
By Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press on September 26, 2024.
NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre Leah Gazan speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 in Ottawa. Gazan has tabled a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – An NDP MP has introduced a bill that would criminalize residential school denialism, saying it would help stop harm caused toward survivors, their families and communities.
If the bill is passed, people could be charged under the Criminal Code for promoting hatred against Indigenous Peoples by condoning, justifying or downplaying the historical and lasting impact of residential schools.
NDP MP Leah Gazan says the purpose of the schools was to extinguish Indigenous cultures and languages and if the government is serious about reconciliation, it needs to protect survivors and their families from hate.
More than 150,000 children were forced to attend residential schools, with many survivors detailing to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission the abuse they suffered at the hands of those meant to protect them.
An estimated 6,000 children died in the schools, though experts say the actual number could be much higher.
Gazan says families deserve to heal from this “intergenerational tragedy,” and that parliamentarians must stand firm against people who try to discredit the stories of survivors.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2024.
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“ charged under the Criminal Code for promoting hatred against Indigenous Peoples by condoning, justifying or downplaying the historical and lasting impact of residential schools. “
I agree there were many serious mistakes made by our leaders 150 years ago as well as years that followed, but when is this going to end? We are all getting tired of being beat up, shamed and accused of being a colonialist who must repent and admit wrong doing. I didn’t do this to these people and some of my friends in life were Indigenous, one was my best friend. We have been beat up for decades and paid tens of billions out for these mistakes, yet it never ends. Do we continue to bring up how the early settlers were slaughtered in this area, women, children including and the other atrocities?
I guess once this is put into law I will be charged just for stating this!
Free speech is being lost at a rapid rate, while terrorist funded protesters scream genocide for the Jews, and we are Hamas, and burn our flag. No common sense left in this world!