MP Rachel Blaney to host community discussion on Indian Residential School denialism

Powell River, BC – NDP MP Rachel Blaney invites community members to an important and timely discussion on the harms of Indian residential school denialism and pathways toward truth and reconciliation. Blaney will be joined by special guest NDP MP Leah Gazan, a lifelong educator and human rights advocate. The free event will be held on Monday, January 20, 2025, at Evergreen Theatre in Powell River with a welcome reception at 5:00 pm and a discussion at 6:00 pm.

The discussion will focus on the ongoing harms caused by Indian residential school denialism, explore its impact on survivors and communities, and discuss actionable ways to advance truth, justice, and reconciliation. Gazan will also speak about the importance of Bill C-413, a proposed bill aimed at preventing the promotion of hatred against Indigenous people.

“This discussion is about honouring the fact that Indigenous people who have lived through residential schools or are related to survivors of residential schools should not be put in a position where they have to defend that those experiences happened,” Blaney says. “We collectively as a country must embrace the fact that residential schools happened and hold that as a collective truth. It’s not debatable, and every time we act as though it’s debatable that it occurred, we are silencing the voices of people and their families and loved ones who went through that lived experience.”

“Residential school denialism jeopardizes the safety and wellbeing of survivors, their families and Indigenous communities,” said Gazan. “It is simply an incitement of hate against Indigenous people, which undermines any progress made towards reconciliation. We need to protect the stories of survivors and ensure denialism is stopped.”

This event is an opportunity for individuals of all backgrounds to learn, engage, and reflect on how communities can work together to honour survivors and ensure truth is at the centre of reconciliation efforts.

Admission is free; however to help plan for food and setup, those wishing to participate are encouraged to register on Eventbrite.

Event Details:

· Name: From Truth to Action: Ending Residential School Denialism

· Date: Monday, January 20, 2025

· Location: Evergreen Theatre, Powell River

· Welcome reception with light food provided: 5:00 PM

· Discussion: 6:00 PM

· Cost: Free

· Registration: https://FromTruthtoAction-EndingResidentialSchoolDenialism.eventbrite.ca

About Leah Gazan: Since 2019, Leah Gazan has been the NDP MP for Winnipeg Centre. She is a member of Wood Mountain Lakota Nation, located in Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 territory. Her 2022 motion recognizing residential schools as an act of genocide received unanimous consent in the House of Commons, as did her motion to recognize the ongoing genocide of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit Individuals as a Canada-wide emergency. In September 2024, Leah introduced Bill C-413 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples) to criminalize the wilful promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples by condoning, denying, downplaying or justifying the Indian residential school system in Canada through statements communicated other than in private conversation.

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