(Toronto, Ont. – October 22, 2026) The Chiefs of Ontario express support for the final judgement and recommendations of the 57th session of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Missing and Disappeared Indigenous Children and Unmarked Graves in Canada.

Through extensive Survivor testimony, historical evidence, and international legal analysis, the Tribunal presents profound and harrowing findings concerning the atrocities of the Indian Residential School (IRS) system, Canada’s failures to uphold its international legal obligations, and the enduring consequences experienced by Survivors, families, and First Nations.

The Tribunal’s findings identify substantial gaps in Canada’s domestic legal and institutional frameworks, including mechanisms for addressing genocide, enforced disappearances, and crimes against humanity. They further expose the persistent divide between the recognition of historical injustices and the implementation of meaningful remedies, reparations, and accountability.

Decades of inquiries, commissions, and documented findings have established extensive obligations, yet Survivors and First Nations continue to face a spectrum of persistent barriers in their pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability. Recognition without corresponding action is insufficient, and repeated commitments without tangible outcomes perpetuate further harm across generations.

Of particular importance to the Chiefs of Ontario is the Tribunal’s recommendation to criminalize IRS denialism when it crosses into hate speech. This recommendation closely reflects the legislative approach advanced by First Nations, through proposed amendments to Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, which were adopted by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights before being defeated by the full Senate. The Chiefs of Ontario urge Canada to revisit these efforts and advance government-sponsored legislation co-developed with First Nations, consistent with the Assembly of First Nations Emergency Resolution 01/2026.

Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict states, “The Tribunal’s findings are what First Nations have long known: recognition alone is not justice, and Canada must finally take meaningful action. When we proposed amendments to Bill C-9, a Senate committee agreed with us. Now an international tribunal has said the same thing. The question is no longer whether denialism causes harm, but when Canada will act. No further generation should be left to carry the burden of seeking accountability for obligations Canada has yet to fulfill – that is a profound injustice.”

The Tribunal also identifies concerns that correspond with longstanding priorities of the Chiefs of Ontario, including those established through Ontario Chiefs-in-Assembly Resolutions 24/10A and 25/082. These mandates emphasize addressing barriers to sustained funding for Survivor-centered, First Nations-led investigations into missing and disappeared children and unmarked burial sites, alongside the preservation of Survivor testimony and historical records. Urgent in nature are Independent Assessment Process (IAP) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) records facing court-ordered destruction in 2027.

The gravity of the Tribunal’s findings demands a response of equal significance. The Chiefs of Ontario calls upon Canada to respond to the Tribunal’s findings through substantive legislative and policy reform to address IRS denialism and other identified gaps, sustained financial commitments, and measurable accountability mechanisms. Survivors, families, and First Nations must retain leadership in these efforts with their rights, authority, and cultural protocols respected throughout.

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The Chiefs of Ontario supports all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction, and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, X, Instagram, or LinkedIn @ChiefsOfOntario

 

Media Contact:

Isak Vaillancourt

Communications Manager

Chiefs of Ontario

Telephone: 416-819-8184

Email: isak.vaillancourt@coo.org