Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty stated that Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, did not include an analysis on whether residential school denialism should be classified as hate speech.

The legislation, which received royal assent in June, focuses on combating antisemitism, Islamophobia, and protecting places of worship from violence.

While Alty acknowledged the importance of addressing residential school denialism, she emphasized that the bill’s focus was on religious institution safety.First Nations chiefs called for criminalizing denialism as hate speech, arguing it harms survivors and their descendants.

Chief David Monias stressed that truth is essential for reconciliation, while Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty highlighted ongoing efforts to address infrastructure gaps in First Nations communities.The debate underscores tensions between legislative priorities and calls for accountability over historical trauma.