Prime Minister Faces Backlash for Holiday Trip on Day Honoring Indigenous Survivors and Lost Children
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly apologized for taking a family vacation on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day established to honor the Indigenous children who died at residential schools and the survivors of these institutions. Trudeau flew to Tofino, British Columbia, on September 30, the day designated as a federal holiday by his own government to acknowledge the painful legacy of these schools.
Indigenous leaders expressed their disappointment over the prime minister’s decision, accusing him of failing to live up to his commitment to prioritize reconciliation. Trudeau admitted that it was a mistake to travel on such a significant day and expressed regret for his actions. He stated, “I’m focused on making this right.”
The residential schools, which operated from 1831 to 1996, forcibly removed around 150,000 Indigenous children from their families. Many endured physical and emotional abuse, with some even subjected to malnutrition and rape. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in its 2015 report, described the system as a form of “cultural genocide.” The discovery of over 1,000 unmarked graves at former school sites earlier this year reignited the deep, unresolved trauma caused by these institutions.
