Debates of June 1st, 2021

Residential Schools

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, I am not sure how to approach this. Am I in a frame of mind to say or hear that, under the circumstances, we would be required to say that there is something now and that we need to do this? No, I am not there. I am still in shock and need to absorb it.

Any recommendation that is sanctioned in a healthy and legitimate way by first nations is worthy of consideration. However, should the government not take a step back, eat humble pie and recognize that there is a major new variable in the picture?

It has just been revealed that there will be thousands of children's bodies discovered after the 14 recommendations. We could end up with 125.

Should we not first humbly acknowledge that and recognize that we may not even have gone far enough in the analysis or recommendations that were made?

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, I thank the leader of the Bloc for his important and heartfelt speech.

We know that in Quebec, Bill 79 is currently being studied by the National Assembly. Indigenous chiefs are asking that all sites in Quebec be secured. It is important to know that Quebec's history is not necessarily noble either when it comes to first nations. Of course, history teaches us about all sorts of things that happened many years ago, including residential schools.

I would like to know if the leader of the Bloc supports the requests made by indigenous leaders to include in Bill 79 the securing of all sites so that these same searches can eventually be done.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, I choose to refrain from interfering in the Quebec National Assembly's work, including their choices, hypotheses or proposed legislation, since I think Parliament interferes far too much in Quebec's jurisdictions.

We are talking about a demand made by one nation to another nation that would require resources, which I referred to earlier, to create a kind of sordid inventory of the abuse inflicted on thousands of children. It is believed that this abuse also occurred in Quebec, as these religious communities arrogantly took over, often resorting to abuse instead of the compassion and responsibility they were meant to have shown.

Therefore, in principle, I think that these demands should be considered.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Chair, we have spoken a lot in the House lately about the impacts of systemic racism, particularly against indigenous peoples. Joyce Echaquan is an example of how systemic racism resulted in death, the same as the deaths that resulted from the genocide against indigenous children at residential schools.

I wonder if my hon. colleague acknowledges that what happened in residential schools, and what is currently being perpetrated against indigenous peoples is systemic racism.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, regardless of what some colleagues who were present in the House and on the screen may say, in June 2020, I acknowledged the existence of systemic racism. On multiple occasions thereafter, I denounced the extreme and often focused politicization of the term. If it is a concept describing how institutions, rather than individuals, throughout history have systematically, which could be extrapolated to “systemically”, discriminated against communities like the first nations, who were here long before us and from whose perspective we are the migrants, the invaders, the colonizers, if that is what it means, then I do not have a shadow of a doubt that it exists.

It was when the term “systemic racism” was transposed and turned into a political weapon against the Quebec nation, which may not share certain points of view on Canadian multiculturalism, that I took exception to the glorification of the term for political purposes. This term should instead convey a message and a duty of compassion.

I acknowledged it in 2020, and I still acknowledge it today.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with my hon. colleague for Winnipeg Centre.

The discovery last week of 215 children buried on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School is a sad reminder of Canada's genocidal actions against indigenous peoples. First nations, survivors, elders, leaders, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and others are calling for action to confront this history and help bring about closure. Families and communities are discussing this important issue, and now the House is doing so as well.

I have asked the Prime Minister repeatedly if he will stop fighting indigenous children and residential school survivors in court. He refuses to say he will. He refuses to say that he will stop making indigenous families and residential school survivors suffer. That is not reconciliation. True reconciliation means taking real action to end the injustice against indigenous peoples.

We reeled in horror at the discovery of 215 indigenous children found buried at that former residential school. Canadians across the country were horrified by what had happened to these children. As a nation, we saw people around the country hold memorials to reflect on what this horror means.

What it means very clearly is that these residential schools were not schools. They were institutions designed to eradicate and eliminate indigenous people. They were institutions designed to perpetrate a genocide.

I spoke with Chief Rosanne Casimir, an indigenous leader representing the community at the heart of this, and she told me about the pain her community feels right now. This is not a surprise. There are many examples of indigenous children being killed and dying at residential schools, but the uncovering of this site opened up wounds and requires healing.

Chief Rosanne Casimir reminded me of the importance of the community, the need for the community to heal and the importance of the federal government supporting that healing.

I want to point out very clearly that, while we are reeling from this loss and this horrible discovery, we have to also acknowledge that injustice continues to happen. The Prime Minister and the Liberal government are, at this very moment, fighting indigenous kids in court despite multiple Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decisions. Despite multiple orders from the Human Rights Tribunal, the government is fighting these kids in court. The Liberal government is fighting survivors of residential schools in court right now.

The Liberal government is failing so badly in putting in place the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry's calls for justice that indigenous women's groups are saying they are going to have to come up with their own plan to implement them.

Today in this take-note debate, I want us to move beyond the nice words and symbolic gestures the Liberal government makes again and again. We need concrete action.

What does that look like? It stops the legal battles. It stops fighting indigenous kids in court. It stops fighting Human Rights Tribunal decisions. It stops fighting survivors of residential schools in court.

We are calling on the federal government to work with indigenous nations to put in place funding for further investigations, and we are calling on an acceleration of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. We want real action. That is what justice demands.

It is not good enough to say that we are sharing condolences. We demand action to put right injustice and to fight for a future that is based on human rights, respect for treaty rights, respect for justice and respect for the inherent dignity of indigenous people.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Chair, survivors, families and communities were shaken once again by the discovery of 215 children in unmarked graves in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc at the Kamloops Indian Residential School: the largest school in the Indian Affairs residential school system.

I want to extend my sympathies to the community, survivors and families. I lift you up today and every day.

Unfortunately, this tragedy is not the first time we have discovered the remains of little children around these schools. Acts of genocide were more the norm and not the exception. According to the TRC, at least 40% to 60% of children who attended these schools died. Sometimes, according to Mary-Ellen Kelm, it was as a result of having been purposely exposed to infections such as TB, spreading the disease through the school population. Former TRC commissioner Murray Sinclair has said that he believes the death count could be much higher due to the schools' poor burial records.

These are the sacred lives of children exposed to acts of genocide, often to never return home. Families were left without answers about where their loved ones were, like at Brandon Residential School. The bodies of more than 50 children were discovered on the institution's grounds in 2019. It is now being used as a private campground, and survivors and impacted family members, including Jennifer Rattray, are working to find closure, as she stated in a CBC interview today. She said:

The families and communities whose children were lost while attending these schools have questions that deserve answers. The children buried at these sites must have their identities restored and their stories told. They will never be forgotten.

Can members imagine having to ask permission to honour the remains of children who perished as a result of genocide?

The fact is that genocide against indigenous people is so normalized that it actually needs to be discussed. Even in death, our children are disrespected and disregarded. Families, survivors and communities need closure, and the spirits of our lost children need to be nurtured. They need to be put to rest. They need peace.

We need to act now. At the very least, we need to heed the 94 calls to action and support them with adequate funding, including calls to action 71 to 76. We need to fund nations so they can complete their own radar ground searches at all Indian residential school sites. This is supported by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Long Plain First Nation, Pimicikamak Cree Nation, AFN and so many others.

We need to block off all residential school sites immediately as active crime scenes so that indigenous nations, survivors and families can decide how they want to proceed in their searches for their loved ones. These should be treated like crime scenes, according to Chief Dennis Meeches from Long Plain First Nation.

We must stop fighting residential school survivors, including those from St. Anne's, and provide emergency and ongoing support for survivors, families and communities who continue to deal with this trauma as a result of the residential school system.

We need to recognize what happened as a genocide, not as a cultural genocide. It meets the criteria of genocide under the UN Genocide Convention.

We need this government and all members of Parliament to support us in bringing our children home. Please allow us to have that justice, to get that closure and bring our children home.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the member for her passion and advocacy, not only today, but on Bill C-15 and her unwavering commitment to UNDRIP. It is an amazing honour to be able to ask a fellow indigenous person questions in the House when dealing with indigenous people in the House of Commons.

We have heard of sad and tragic events like this for generations within our indigenous communities, and only now are we beginning to see the evidence of what the TRC called “cultural genocide”, but you speak of as “genocide”.

Can your elaborate a bit more on what you believe the difference in those definitions is and what your thoughts are around the difference in terms?

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I would like to remind hon. members to speak through the Chair.

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Chair, there is no category for cultural genocide. Genocide is genocide. We cannot classify genocide. It falls under the UN Genocide Convention. Forcefully removing children from one group to another group, I would say, meets all the criteria that classify a genocide, although some argue with that. If we want to reconcile in this country then we need to own the truth. We cannot continue to minimize the truth. What happened and continues to happen against indigenous people is genocide, full stop.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Chair, I would like to share with the member and the House that I have heard and seen posts from many people in my constituency who have been deeply moved by these events. These are people from all across the political spectrum and people who do not even normally follow the news that much. This has really struck a chord with people in my community and across the country.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made many recommendations. When dealing with the issues that have come up in the last few days, recommendations 71 to 76 specifically around missing children and burial information have been cited.

I would like to hear a bit more from the member about the specific policies related to those recommendations she thinks the House could move on. Which are within the domain of government regulation, and which ones might require legislative action within the House?

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Chair, I would like to correct something the member said. They are not recommendations: they are calls to action, which are very different.

The TRC laid out a very clear path forward based in law. It mentions the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples over 15 times as the framework for reconciliation. Bill C-15, which we have been debating in the House, will be up for a third and final reading. I hope the member, if he is worried about law, supports Bill C-15 to ensure that indigenous peoples are afforded, at the very least, the minimum human rights that should be given to all peoples, and that continue not to be respected for indigenous peoples.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her speech.

Given the topic we are discussing, I have no desire to ask her a political question. Instead, I want to ask her a philosophical question.

During the recent crisis we went through, my leader talked about having a nation-to-nation discussion. Right now, however, one nation is staggering under the weight of the history it carries on its back, while the other nation has its head down, eyes lowered in shame.

Does my colleague hope that one day, these two nations be able to stand tall and proudly look each other in the eye?

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Chair, in order to function nation to nation, at the very least we have to respect each other's human rights. Right now, this very day, the government continues to fight against the human rights of indigenous people on a daily basis. Our human rights are up for debate. It is about respect. If we do not build respect in truth while upholding our Constitution, which includes aboriginal rights and title and which includes international conventions that support and lift up human rights, it will be difficult to develop a respectful nation-to-nation relationship.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Chair, I rise on a point of order. I want to acknowledge that tonight we are having a debate that is extremely emotional. We are all doing the best we can, as we hold the burden of these beautiful children in our hearts. However, I want to note that the leader of the NDP stood and gave a speech. Hands were up, but no questions were asked of our leader. I wonder if we could return—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I apologize, but the hands came up after I had called the next speaker. I was looking at the screen in front of me. I am sorry, but that is what happened. It is what we saw on the floor of the House.

[Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Madam Chair, I rise on a point of order. My hand was up but I was never called.

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We did not have time. I had to go to the alternate parties. When a member from the NDP speaks, I have to go to the government side. Then I go to the official opposition side and the second opposition. Therefore, I did not have time to go to the member, and I apologize. It was just a question of—

[Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Madam Chair, you did not go to anyone, though.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, I rise on a point of order. For the purpose of this discussion, if we are splitting time within our party and the first speaker does not have anybody recognized, does that question period time not get allotted to the second speaker, given that we are sharing the slot? Should we not have additional time set for, at the very least, the member for Winnipeg Centre to have the remainder of this round completed?

I understood that if we are splitting time within our party—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I will try to deal with the points of order as they come.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Chair, I rise on a point of order. I know we are keen to get back to the debates, so the simplest way to resolve this would be to propose unanimous consent to revert to questions and comments for the leader of the NDP. We can do anything by unanimous consent. I think there were good intentions all around, but if there is unanimous consent to do those five minutes of questions now, that would allow us to proceed.

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We cannot have unanimous consent during a take-note debate. However, I am in the hands of the House, so if the House agrees that we give the hon. leader of the NDP five minutes of questions and comments, I will proceed that way.

Since everybody agrees, we will go to questions and comments for the hon. leader of the NDP.

The hon. member for Nunavut.

[Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Madam Chair, when listening to hon. members, we are all thinking heavily about what they are talking about. We are talking about 215 children and babies, but we are also talking about 215 parents. We are talking about communities. We are talking about generations that have been affected.

Who knows how many more children's bodies would be found if we searched every single site. This is not a discovery, but confirmation. Indigenous people have been talking about bodies buried at these school sites for decades, not just at these known sites either but other sites that are not considered residential schools and clearly should be. This is asked for explicitly in the TRC calls to action.

At the pace the government is going, roughly two calls to action per year, we will not be finished until 2062. The Prime Minister will be 91 by then.

Could the member speak to the lethargic pace of the action on the TRC calls to action and what it means to have these actions delayed for indigenous peoples and indigenous communities across the country?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Madam Chair, we often hear the saying, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” With respect to the calls to action, 12 of 94 have been accomplished. This is an absolute denial of justice. We need to take this moment now, when we are feeling horror, sadness and pain at the discovery of these young children in this grave, and do something for justice.

Let us use this moment, in honour of those lives that were lost, to fight for justice now. We cannot bring those lives back, but we certainly can fight for justice now. We can implement the calls to action. Words are not good enough. We need actions, we need to implement justice and we need to do it now.