Five years ago, the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation shared preliminary findings of an investigation that indicated over 200 unmarked burials at the Kamloops Residential School site, courageously confirming a truth that Indigenous communities have known to be true for decades - that the Indian Residential School System was a genocidal project.
Five years ago, the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation shared preliminary findings of an investigation that indicated over 200 unmarked burials at the Kamloops Residential School site, courageously confirming a truth that Indigenous communities have known to be true for decades - that the Indian Residential School System was a genocidal project.
The validation of the unmarked graves brought tremendous grief, heartache and pain to Indigenous people across the country, especially for survivors and the families who lost loved ones in residential schools. The devastating trauma, grief and hurt have been compounded by the surge in dangerous residential school denialism that has drastically spread in the last five years.
Residential school survivors, families and communities have sacrificed so much to bravely share their truth, truths that Canada needed to hear, their experiences of violence, loss and resilience. Without truth, there can be no reconciliation. Survivors provided us with a path toward reconciliation, and we must ensure that they are treated with the dignity, respect and safety that they are entitled to. This means protecting survivors, families and communities from the incitement of hate being perpetrated by denialists who aim to justify, condone, downplay and minimize the genocide that occurred in residential schools.
Along with survivors and families, I put forward Bill C-254 to add residential school denialism to the criminal code. The legislation will protect survivors, families and communities from the incitement of hate that is being catalyzed by a few vocal agents who are seeking to undermine the well-documented atrocities with racism and colonial violence.
“Today, I wish to honour all survivors and intergenerational survivors of residential schools. Your truth needs to be honoured. I stand by you, and uplift you, today and every day,” says Gazan.
Manitobans are no strangers to the consequences of the climate crisis.
On June 5, 2026, MP Leah Gazan, NDP Critic for Persons with Disabilities made the following statement:
On June 3, 2026, MP Leah Gazan made the following statement: