Petition to the House of Commons

Whereas:

Indian Residential Schools operated in Canada from 1831 until 1997, and over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Red River Métis children were forced to attend;

Generations of Indigenous children were directly affected, and the loss of language, culture, and wellbeing reverberates through their descendants;

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission recognized the system as cultural genocide, and its harms constitute an ongoing federal fiduciary duty;

The Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund, which enables Indigenous Nations and communities to locate unmarked burial sites, search for missing children, and conduct archival research, is sunsetting in 2026 with no renewed commitment;

Federal funding for Survivor healing and cultural supports is also being reduced, while recovery is far from complete;

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls 72 through 76 on missing children and burial records and Calls 21 and 22 on Indigenous healing, remain unfulfilled; and

Canada is committed under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act to uphold Indigenous self-determination and culturally appropriate services.

We, the undersigned,Citizens and residents of Canada, call upon theGovernment of Canadato 1. Implement statutory funding for the Missing Children Community Support Fund, so Indigenous-led work to locate missing children and unmarked graves continues.

2. Implement statutory funding for Survivor Supports, healing, and cultural services for First Nations, Inuit, and Red River Métis families and Nations; and

3. Ensure these programs remain Indigenous-led and Survivor-centered, consistent with UNDRIPA and the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action.