NCTR Statement on the visit by UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples

On Friday, March 3, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation was pleased to host José Francisco Calí Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, during his visit to Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Red River Métis. 

The meeting was an opportunity for residential school Survivors, the NCTR, and representatives of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba Métis Federation, the MMIWG2s+ Implementation Committee and Grassy Narrows First Nation to share concerns about the human rights situation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. 

In our meeting with the Special Rapporteur, the NCTR highlighted the importance of Parliament’s recent recognition that the residential school system constituted a form of genocide under international law. 

Having formally recognized the severity of the crimes committed against Indigenous peoples, it is critical that Canada act accordingly and ensure justice for Survivors, their families and their Nations.  

In his official statement at the conclusion of his visit to Canada, the Special Rapporteur said he was “dismayed and saddened” by the accounts of residential school Survivors calling for Canada to “address the adverse impact of colonial legacies to achieve meaningful reconciliation and accountability for past crimes.”

The Special Rapporteur is expected to submit a full report of his visit and recommendations for action later this year.