The Indictment for the 57th session of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on missing Indigenous children and unmarked graves in Canada was presented today, May 25, 2026, at the daphne art centre in Montreal. At the opening of the public hearings for this session, Christa Big Canoe, leading prosecutor from Aboriginal Legal Services, referenced, in her presentation of the Indictment, a statement released by the Canadian government regarding the PPT session. The spokesperson for the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Jennifer Cooper, affirmed that no government representatives would be attending the session. An empty chair was placed in front of the Judges’ table, symbolizing the failure to address the requests that the Survivors have submitted to the PPT and which require a response. Based on the Survivors’ testimonies, the documentation, and expert testimony, the prosecution team argues that Canada is violating its obligations under the the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Furthermore, since the prohibition of crimes against humanity implies that the obligations to investigate and punish rest with the State itself, the prosecution team argues that, if it were proven that the conduct toward Indigenous peoples constitutes crimes against humanity under applicable international law and if such acts or omissions were attributable to Canada, then Canada would have to assume its responsibilities at the international level.
Watch the live stream of the event:
Streaming in English: The Permanent People’s Tribunal on Missing Indigenous Children and Unmarked Graves – FCCF Events
Streaming in French: Le Tribunal permanent des peuples sur les enfants autochtones disparus et les tombes anonymes – FCCF Events
