Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, Inc. (MKO) Grand Chief Garrison Settee announced MKO’s full support for the amendments to Bill C-9 that are set out in the Third Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights that were proposed by the Hon. Senator Karetak-Lindell and adopted and reported by the Committee.

“MKO fully supports the observations in the report of the Senate Standing Committee about ‘Indigenous Sacred Sites, Burial Sites, and Residential School Denialism’. MKO previously asked Justice Minister Sean Fraser several times to amend Bill C-9 to strengthen the Criminal Code to include protections for Indigenous religious and cultural sites, as well as for unmarked graves and burial sites associated with Indian Residential Schools.  MKO asked the Minister to ensure that Indigenous sacred sites and burial sites have real protections comparable to those afforded to other protected sites under the Criminal Code.” 

The MKO Chiefs in Assembly called for these amendments through MKO Resolution 2025-11-07, MKO Amendments to Bill C-9, An Act to Amend The Criminal Code (Hate Propaganda, Hate Crime and Access To Religious Or Cultural Places).

“MKO also repeatedly called on Minister Fraser to present a Government amendment to Bill C-9 to amend the Criminal Code to define and include Residential School Denialism as a hate crime.  MKO is very concerned and disappointed that the Senate of Canada did not accept the Report and amendment to Bill C-9 proposed by the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights”, concluded Grand Chief Settee.