A grassroots effort aims to protect vital records detailing abuses at Indian Residential Schools by urging Parliament to intervene before destruction deadlines loom.
Call to Preserve Historical Records
Anishinabek Mukwa Dodem has launched a petition to the House of Commons, demanding the preservation of all residential school records held by federal, provincial, institutional, or ecclesiastical custodians. Tommi Hill, a Bear Clan member registered with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in southern Ontario, warns that deleting these documents risks erasing the memory of those who perished. “They delete some of these records [and] the people that died there, they’re going to be forgotten. It’s like they just want them to vanish,” Hill stated.
The petition highlights how losing these files would silence survivor voices, erase historical memory, and hinder legal research, accountability, and restorative justice. Conservative MP Billy Morin backs the initiative, which closes on March 5.
Supreme Court Ruling on IAP Files
Files from the Independent Assessment Process (IAP) under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement face destruction on September 19, 2027. Nearly 40,000 survivors shared confidential testimonies and evidence of abuses endured at the schools. The Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that these records must be destroyed to honor confidentiality promises made to participants.
Although the federal government sought to archive them with Library and Archives Canada, the files remain available until 2027. This window allows survivors to request copies, opt into preservation at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, or both.
Advocates Demand Justice and Accountability
Tiana Vrbanic of Anishinabek Mukwa Dodem emphasizes the files’ role in revealing the truth about residential school atrocities. She argues they underscore the need for justice from governments and churches responsible for harms in Indigenous communities.
The Chiefs of Ontario recently called on members to sign the petition and urged survivors to opt in for record preservation. Gerard Kennedy, an associate law professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, asserts Parliament could enact protective legislation swiftly. “If Parliament wanted to move very fast, they could get it done in a matter of weeks,” Kennedy said. Even at a measured pace, new laws could safeguard the IAP files before 2027.
Debate Over Destruction and Privacy
In 2017, the Assembly of First Nations supported file destruction to safeguard survivor privacy, joined by religious orders and some advocates. Hill expressed shock at this stance. “That really surprises me and that hurts my heart,” she said. “We’re already being called liars …. And if we get rid of them [the files], what happens?”
Former Truth and Reconciliation Commission chair Murray Sinclair encouraged survivors to opt in at the time of the ruling and later faulted the government for reconciliation shortfalls on other records. Hill advocates conditional public access if preserved—only with survivors’ consent. “It’s an important piece of history. It’s an important piece of us and I think it’s a vital piece of our healing,” she added.
