Premier Andrew Furey will deliver an apology to former students of the residential school system and family members at the Cartwright Recreation Centre Friday.

But the apology is already drawing criticism from the Nunatsiavut Government.

The apology is being delivered in collaboration with the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC), as committed in 2017. Joining the Premier for the event are the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Labrador Affairs and Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation, and Todd Russell, President of the NCC.

The provincial government is welcoming students, their family members, community members, and others impacted by the residential school system to attend. 

But Nunatsiavut President Johannes Lampe expressed his “utmost disappointment over” the decision. He said the apology is going to an “unrecognized Indigenous group” before any apology to Labrador Inuit residential school survivors and their families – despite concerns expressed to the provincial government.

“An apology to an unrecognized Indigenous group in advance of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an insult to survivors and to Labrador Inuit,” Lampe said in a statement. “This feels like the province is telling us they do not respect Inuit – and it exposes the deep roots of colonialism still impacting us today.”

While some students who attended residential schools were non-Indigenous (as there were no other schools available for them to attend), Labrador Inuit led the way in having an apology delivered in 2017 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government for Canada’s role in Labrador’s residential schools system.

“Labrador Inuit played a central role in the apology from Canada and, therefore, it is only right that any apologies from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador be given to them first,” Lampe said. “Instead, the Province has chosen to disregard the genuine suffering and historical injustices endured by our people. This is a stark reminder of how far we still have to go in our journey towards reconciliation.”

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador said it remains committed to delivering apologies to former students of the residential school system, and will continue to engage with other Indigenous Governments and Organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador on their respective apologies.