Manitoba’s new Indigenous minister faces backlash for defence of residential schools in first press conference

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for anyone affected by residential schools. You can call 1-866-925-4419 24 hours a day to access emotional support and services.

The start of term for Manitoba’s newly appointed Indigenous Reconciliation and Northern Relations minister began on the wrong foot Thursday, when he made insensitive comments about residential schools, seemingly defending them.

WATCH: Indigenous leaders react to Manitoba’s Indigenous relations minister’s comments

During his debut press conference, Dr. Alan Lagimodiere, who has Metis heritage, was asked a question about residential schools. He responded suggesting that leaders at the time thought they were doing the right thing.

“The residential school system was designed to take Indigenous children and give them the skills and abilities they would need to fit into society as it moved forward,” he said.

Manitoba’s NDP leader Wab Kinew, an honourary witness to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, stepped up to the podium almost immediately to challenge the minister.

“I cannot accept you saying what you just said about residential schools,” said Kinew. “It was the express intent of residential schools to kill the Indian in the child. It is not cultural relativism, it is not revisionist history for us to say that that was wrong. Any right-minded person at the time should have known that it was wrong. Many did know and speak up against it.”

Lagimodiere responded saying he looks forward to working with Kinew as the leader of the opposition.

“We’ll give you a chance,” said Kinew. “But you can’t be out here defending residential schools if you want to work with Indigenous communities.”

Kinew also later posted on twitter saying “As an Honorary Witness of the TRC I am committed to survivors to calling out denials of genocide when I hear them.”

Shortly after the press conference, Lagimodiere issued a statement claiming he misspoke.

“As an Indigenous Manitoban, I sincerely believe that residential schools were tragic and were designed to assimilate Indigenous children and eradicate Indigenous culture,” he said in the statement. “That was wrong then and it is wrong now.”

Lagimodiere was appointed to the position by Premier Brian Pallister Thursday morning.

Minister Dr. Alan Lagimodiere has already issued a statement claiming that he misspoke on the topic of residential schools during his first press conference as minister. pic.twitter.com/1VL4rXtBhY

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) July 15, 2021