Nunatsiavut government says no specific dates have been set for Hopedale or other Inuit communities
CBC News: Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey is set to deliver an apology to Nunatsiavut residential school survivors in November in Hopedale, according to a social media post by the Nunatsiavut government’s Department of Health and Social Development.
But in response to questions from CBC News, the Nunatsiavut government says nothing has been confirmed, including the dates of the apology or details of any potential apologies in other Inuit communities.
In the post, the department said Furey was considering the first few days of November for the apology. The post was later deleted, replaced by a version that made no mention of potential dates.
The department said a community meeting will be held Thursday night to discuss details on who would accept the apology in Hopedale.
The apology to Nunatsiavut survivors in Hopedale would be the second this fall. On Sept. 29, Furey apologized to NunatuKavut survivors in Cartwright, on Labrador’s south coast.
Both Nunatsiavut and the Innu Nation took exception to the apology being delivered in Cartwright, as they dispute NunatuKavut’s Indigeneity.
- Why a residential schools apology has led to calls for N.L.’s Indigenous affairs minister to resign
- N.L. premier apologizes to residential school survivors in southern Labrador
Nunatsiavut and the Innu Nation have called for the resignation of Lisa Dempster, minister of Labrador and Indigenous affairs and a member of NunatuKavut.
LISTEN | Lisa Dempster responds to calls for her resignation:
Labrador Morning – 8:26
Labrador and Indigenous Affairs Minister Lisa Dempster responds to criticism
Click on the following link to listen to “Labrador Morning”:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/apology-nunatsiavut-survivors-1.6994244
NunatuKavut President Todd Russell has said the backlash was uncalled for and he’s angry that it came over something as sensitive as a residential schools apology.