The weeks leading up to Sept. 30 this year saw some prominent individuals and political figures issue online posts and statements downplaying or denying the history of residential schools. NDP Leah Gazan introduced a private member’s bill in the last Parliament to criminalize residential school denialism but it died on the order paper when the spring election was called. The bill proposed that anyone publicly promoting hatred against Indigenous Peoples by “condoning, denying, downplaying or justifying the Indian residential school system in Canada, or by misrepresenting facts related to it,” be subject to a maximum penalty of two years in jail. We need to honour them.”Marc Miller, former minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, said 2021 was the moment when many Canadians were first made aware of the history of residential schools. It’s a painful realization for a country like Canada to come to.”Miller recalled stories survivors told him that illuminated the horrors of the institutions.