Residential school denialism: what is it and how to recognize it [Video]

Residential school denialism does not deny the existence of the school system, but rather downplays, excuses or misrepresents facts about the harms caused by it, experts say.

Earlier this month, B.C. MLA Dallas Brodie was kicked out of the Conservative Party caucus after she made a series of comments questioning Indigenous people’s experiences of residential schools.

In a post on X, Brodie responded by saying she was simply speaking the truth. She has previously told CBC News she refutes claims that she has been engaging in residential school denialism. 

However, experts, including historian Sean Carleton, say Brodie’s comments are part of the “predictable” and “rigorously debunked” arguments used frequently by residential school deniers.

“I think it’s important to define what residential school denialism is not, which is the denial of the system’s existence or even that the system had some negative effects. We don’t see a lot of that,” said Carleton, who is also an assistant professor of Indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba.

Instead, he …