Montreal, QC, OCTOBER 24, 2024 - The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (NWSM), in partnership with Amnistie internationale Canada francophone (AICF), will host the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) on Missing Indigenous Children and Unmarked Graves in Canada, set for early 2026. NWSM is spearheading an urgent international effort to demand accountability for the alleged crimes committed against Indigenous children in Canada’s residential schools.

An international opinion tribunal, the PPT serves as a powerful grassroots justice mechanism to build global awareness, document the full scope of any crimes, and provide an international record of evidence.

For over a century, Indigenous communities have endured serious human rights violations, including ongoing systemic violence, discrimination, displacement, and cultural erasure, at the hands of the Canadian government and other institutions. Despite the impact of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the vast majority of its 94 Calls to Action listed in its 2015 report have been ignored or left unimplemented. Recent discoveries of unmarked graves at residential schools have laid bare the horrific colonial legacy of these institutions.

NWSM and AICF are no longer asking for reconciliation — they want accountability. They are driving this call forward by hosting the Permanent People’s Tribunal, pushing for an international investigation of these alleged crimes, and providing powerful new leverage for Indigenous communities and allies working to hold the Canadian government and its institutions to justice.

"Indigenous people can no longer wait for Canada to act. Indigenous families are demanding justice, not more empty words," says Na’kuset, Executive Director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. "Our history has been minimized by the colonizer, but our truth will be told. The time for action is now, and the Permanent People’s Tribunal will be key to building a better future for the next generation.”

“For far too long, Indigenous communities in Canada have been left to face this profound injustice alone,” adds France-Isabelle Langlois, executive director of AICF. “We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities in their call for systemic change, accountability, and justice. This is how we shine an international spotlight on Canada’s human rights violations against Indigenous peoples.”

What’s Next:

In the lead-up to the Tribunal, NWSM and AICF  will work closely with residential school survivors and their families, experts, international human rights lawyers, legal clinics, archivists, historians and advocates to gather evidence and testimonies that will build a strong and legitimate record of the crimes allegedly committed. This will be followed by the public session of the Tribunal, during which oral testimonies and arguments are presented, and the Tribunal’s panel of judges presents its advisory opinion.

For more information, please contact:

info@our-truths.com

About Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal:

Since its inception in 1987, the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal has provided support, resources, and frontline services to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women and their families, advocating for their rights and well-being while fostering resilience and healing within the community. ​​The NWSM is the only women’s shelter in Montreal that provides services exclusively to Indigenous women and their children.

About Amnistie internationale Canada francophone:

Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights, with over 10 million members, supporters and subscribers in over 170 countries and territories in every region of the world. Amnistie International has campaigned since 1961 to prevent human rights violations wherever they occur. At the present time, Amnistie internationale Canada francophone (AICF) has over 11,000 members and 17 activist structures across the country.