The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (NWSM) is hosting the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Missing Children and Unmarked Graves in Canada as of Monday. This is part of an effort to demand accountability for alleged crimes against Indigenous children in Canada’s residential schools.
“We’re bringing in the truth that we know that has been documented and that’s what we’re showing,” said Na’kuset, the executive director of NWSM.
“The Native Women’s Shelter has been the requesting organization, and we’ve asked for the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal to come to Montreal and to bring judges from all over the world to look at evidence that Canada has committed crimes against humanity and genocide against Indigenous people, and it’s in reference to residential school and unmarked graves.”
The NWSM said in October 2024 that they were spearheading an effort to demand accountability.
In 2024, the NWSM said they would be speaking to residential school survivors “to gather evidence and testimonies that will build a strong and legitimate record of the crimes allegedly committed” ahead of the tribunal.
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Since then, they reportedly gathered over 2,000 pieces of evidence.
“If you look at the term genocide, there are many different types of genocide, so we’re trying to ensure that all those are covered. So we’re bringing in different people to talk about different types of genocide and also crimes against humanity,” said Na’kuset.
Rather than in a courthouse, the tribunal will take place at daphne, a non-profit Indigenous artist-run centre in Montreal.
“Na’kuset came and asked us about having the PPT in an art space, in a less sterile space, and so we’re very happy to open daphne to this event, to these proceedings, daphne is the only Indigenous artist-run centre in Montreal, in Tiohtià:ke, Mooniyang,” said Lori Beavis, the executive director of the daphne art centre.
Canadian Senator and a recognized Indigenous leader, Michèle Audette, said in December 2025, that the tribunal will be an opportunity for many voices to be heard, some for the very first time.
“This is going to be live-streamed. We have limited space, so there’s only a small group of people that can make it, but if we live stream it, it means that everyone in the world can watch it, and that’s what we need,” said Na’kuset.
After the public hearings, the evidence will be reviewed by the judges, and then they will issue a final judgment and advisory opinion.
“The judges are going to give a short deliberation on the Friday. They are going home, though, with almost like 900 pages of evidence that they’re going to have to read, and then they’re going to come up with a final deliberation, and that’s going to happen on September 30th. We’re going to do it live-streamed. It’ll be the PPT that coordinates that, but all the judges in the different countries will come together and give their final deliberation, and we’re hoping that this is going to change something,” said Na’Kuset.
PPT is an international human rights organization founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1979 to condemn dictatorships in Latin America. Since its founding, the grassroots initiative has held more than 50 sessions worldwide.
The hearings will take place from May 25 to 29, 2026, at the daphne art centre.
-With files from Johanie Bouffard
