Indigenous Bar Association Stands in Solidarity with Long Plain First Nation in Commemoration of Former Portage la Prairie Residential School

The Indigenous Bar Association in Canada (IBA) expresses its full support and solidarity with Long Plain First Nation as the community prepares to host a commemoration recognizing the former Portage la Prairie Indian Residential School, located on the Keeshkeemaquah Reserve as a site of national historic significance.

This important ceremony marks a significant moment in the national truth-telling process. The IBA commends Long Plain First Nation for its leadership and strength in ensuring that the experiences of Survivors and the memories of the children who never returned are preserved and honored.

“The legal recognition of the former residential school site is a necessary step toward acknowledging the deep harms inflicted on Indigenous Peoples through Canada's residential school system,” said Drew Lafond, President of the Indigenous Bar Association. “It is through the courage and persistence of communities like Long Plain First Nation that Canada is held accountable to its history. The IBA stands with you in remembrance, mourning, and action.”

The former residential school is now home to the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada, and this commemoration follows years of advocacy by dedicated members of Long Plain First Nation, survivors and their families. It represents not only a moment of reflection, but also an urgent reminder of the ongoing need for truth, justice, and reconciliation in Turtle Island.

As an organization of Indigenous legal professionals dedicated to the advancement of Indigenous rights and the revitalization of Indigenous legal traditions, the IBA reaffirms its commitment to supporting efforts that expose the truth and honor the resilience of our Peoples.

The IBA encourages all Canadians to stand with Long Plain First Nation in acknowledging this history and to support the vital work of healing and justice that continues.

The IBA is the national non-profit organization representing Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, and Inuit) lawyers (practicing and non-practicing), judges, legal academics and scholars, articling clerks and law students, including graduate and post-graduate law students and paralegals in Canada. The IBA’s mandate includes, inter alia, advocating for the recognition of Indigenous laws, legal traditions, protocols and processes; promoting the reform of policies and regulations affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada; and fostering public awareness within the legal community in respect of legal and social issues of concern to Indigenous peoples in Canada. For more information, please visit www.indigenousbar.ca.