SCO Urges Government to Act on Report: Demand for Investigations into Missing Indigenous Children

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Following the release of the Independent Special Interlocutor’s final report on Missing Children and Unmarked Graves, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is urging the Canadian government to honor its legal responsibilities and establish a Commission of Investigations into the deaths and disappearances of First Nations children. Presented over two days at a National Gathering in Gatineau, Quebec, the report underscores the need for action to address the systemic patterns of genocide faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of the SCO emphasized the urgency of moving beyond rhetoric to immediate, concrete action. “Our people are trying to survive a genocide, and our children have been disappeared, thanks to these institutions,” he stated, emphasizing the necessity for governments to address the injustices Indigenous communities have endured. “It’s time for Canada and all governments to pick up this work to change laws, make reparations, and hold perpetrators accountable.”

The report, developed through extensive consultation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and survivors, calls for a comprehensive restructuring of Canada’s legal framework. This would include the adoption of Indigenous laws, rematriation of lands, and repatriation of remains. Special Interlocutor Kimberly Murray, who spearheaded this initiative, has recommended the formation of a national Commission to investigate the historical disappearance of Indigenous children across colonial institutions, including residential schools, tuberculosis hospitals, asylums, and orphanages.

The report sheds light on cases where the government’s disregard extended even beyond the children’s lives, revealing policies focused on minimal expenditure and convenience in handling children’s remains. The example of the Brandon Indian Residential School, where documents reveal a cemetery was deliberately erased to make way for what is now Turtle Crossing RV Park, exemplifies the calculated erasure of Indigenous lives and histories.

“Parents, grandparents, family members, and communities deserve to know where their children are buried,” said Chief Trevor Prince of Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation. “Unmarked graves need to be marked. Families need to honor their children in death, and this can’t happen until we know where they are buried.”

Murray’s report also confronts the rising tide of residential school denialism and advocates for a zero-tolerance stance on what it terms as “settler amnesty” — the unwillingness to hold those responsible accountable. This denialism, according to the report, is akin to hate speech. In a show of support for truth and accountability, Manitoba NDP MP Leah Gazan has introduced Bill C-413 to criminalize residential school denialism, underscoring the necessity of addressing this narrative as a form of hate.

Grand Chief Daniels echoed the report’s call for financial commitment to ensure these changes are realized. “These legal obligations and much-needed remedies live on paper, and long-term funding is the only way to turn them into action,” he stated. He emphasized that commitment to these initiatives must persist regardless of political changes in Ottawa.

As Indigenous communities await government action, supports for survivors and their families remain critical. The Indian Residential Schools Help Line continues to provide 24/7 assistance for those impacted.

The full report, including the Indigenous-led framework for reparations, is available on the Special Interlocutor’s website.