A federal NDP member wants denial of the residential school system to be identified as a hate crime.
The Private Member’s Bill from Winnipeg MP Leah Gazan was introduced in the House of Commons in late September.
If passed, it would make it an offence to deny, condone, justify or downplay the harm caused by the residential school system in Canada.
Gazan says denying the truth about residential schools only promotes hatred toward Indigenous people.
“Residential school denialism is inciting hate. Full stop,” says Gazan.
“Survivors deserve protection. They have a right to be safe from violence as all other people across Canada have a right to be safe from violence.”
The Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites Associated with Indian Residential Schools supports the bill.
Kimberly Murray says denying the truth about what happened at the schools impacts survivors, their families and communities.
“Denialists deny facts, attack the credibility of victims and portray victims as oppressive perpetrators while characterizing themselves as the victims,” says Murray.
“This re-victimizes those who have already suffered and incites hate against Indigenous peoples. The goal is to maintain settler impunity and to protect perpetrators and deny the genocide committed against Indigenous people.”
Neither the Prime Minister nor the federal Crown-Indigenous Affairs Minister have indicated if they support the proposal.
