Canadian Prime Minister acknowledges his mistake for taking a family vacation on a day meant to honor the victims of Indigenous residential schools.
Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, admitted that it was a mistake to take a family vacation on the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day dedicated to the children who died and the survivors of Indigenous residential schools. Trudeau’s government had officially designated September 30 as a federal holiday to highlight the devastating legacy of these schools, but he chose to fly to Tofino, British Columbia, with his family instead.
This decision was met with criticism from Indigenous leaders, who accused him of not prioritizing reconciliation as he had promised. Trudeau, 49, had recently returned to office after a narrow election victory, though he did not secure a majority.
“I regret this decision,” Trudeau confessed to reporters. “It was a mistake, and I am focused on making things right.”
The residential schools operated from 1831 to 1996, forcibly removing around 150,000 Indigenous children from their families. Many were subjected to horrific abuse, malnutrition, and sexual assault. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission described these actions as “cultural genocide.”
The discovery of over 1,000 unmarked graves at former school sites earlier in the year reopened old wounds related to Canada’s colonial past and efforts to erase Indigenous cultures. Trudeau had been invited to a ceremony at the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, where some of these graves were found, but he did not attend. Instead, he spoke with survivors and victims over the phone.
Trudeau later expressed his regret directly to Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, thanking her for accepting his apology call. He also promised to visit the community soon.
