Inquiry into Treatment, Experiences & Outcomes of Innu in Child Protection

07/16/2026

The Commissioners will hear Final Oral Submissions from four Parties, starting at 09AM (Labrador time) this morning.

Over the next two days, we are scheduled to hear from counsel for:
i. the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (Thursday AM);
ii. the Government of Canada (Thursday AM);
iii. Innu governments and representative organisations (Thursday PM); and,
iv. the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Friday AM).

Proceedings will be livestreamed, and are open to all; the link can be accessed via the Inquiry's website (https://www.inniuna.ca/livestream/), or directly, here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88366664770?pwd=dryRaI4uSDcsG1rPr3ZDP7AmOSrQFs.1

Meeting ID: 883 6666 4770
Passcode: 127696

Translation of the proceedings into both dialects of Inni-aimun will be available on the Inquiry's website at a later date.

For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat

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07/06/2026

Last chance!

Today is the final day for community members to connect with the Inquiry and let us know they want to share their stories with the Commissioners.

Please connect through our website: https://www.inniuna.ca/tell-us-your-story/

For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat

07/02/2026

Time is running out!

Monday (06 July) is the final day for community members to share their stories with the Commissioners, or to request a private meeting.

You can send us your story through our website: https://www.inniuna.ca/tell-us-your-story/

For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat

The Commissioners want to know how the child welfare and protection system has impacted you, your family and your community; what has brought your community to this point; and what you see as the future of children and child welfare in your community. Your submission can be: Stories Art drawing, pai...

06/19/2026

The Commissioners have confirmed several important dates which are fast-approaching:

06 July (Monday):
Deadline for all contributions from community members. No later than this day, you may request a private meeting with the Commissioners, or share your story directly via the Inquiry’s website – further details here: Tell us your Story - Inquiry Respecting the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in the Child Protection System

13-15 July (Monday-Wednesday):
The Commissioners will convene Roundtables with invited stakeholders from Sheshatshiu and Natuashish. These Roundtables will be held in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, but will not be open to the media or the public. These Roundtables will bring together leaders, service providers, policy-makers, and other stakeholders to provide feedback, and add insight, nuance, and clarity, on what the Commissioners have heard over the course of the Inquiry, and strive to establish a shared understanding of the vision for Innu children and families going forward.

16-17 July (Thursday-Friday):
The Commissioners will hear Final Oral Submissions from the Innu governments, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Canada, and the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate. These Submissions may be made in person to the Commissioners in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, or remotely. These proceedings will not be open to the media or public to attend in-person, but will be live-streamed.

For more information on the Inquiry, please visit our website at www.inniuna.ca.

For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat

Mushuau Innu-Aimun Sheshatshiu Innu-aimun Inniuna – s/he is alive, s/he lives, s/he is born, s/he is Innu pitukaiau (welcome/ to bring inside) the Inquiry Respecting the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in the Child Protection System website. The Inquiry will hear directly from Innu abo...

04/23/2026

Our final day of this week's Formal Hearings is underway; most of today will involve hearing final submissions from the six families' counsel; watch the hearings here:

https://gov-nl-ca.zoom.us/j/67640790939?pwd=lRGCPqvfakHarLmWXnstFwluw21Yl4.1

Meeting ID: 676 4079 0939
Passcode: Jq9R72Se

Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

04/22/2026

We are resuming this week's Formal Hearing this morning at 0830AM (09AM on the Island) with the conclusion of testimony from Judge Bill English (ret'd), who is speaking on the issue of Legal Representation and Court Process.

After lunch, we will hear from Doctor Barbara Fallon and Doctor Tara Black, from the University of Toronto, about their Quantitative Analysis of NL Child Protection Data.

Please follow along here:

https://gov-nl-ca.zoom.us/j/67640790939?pwd=lRGCPqvfakHarLmWXnstFwluw21Yl4.1

Meeting ID: 676 4079 0939
Passcode: Jq9R72Se

For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

04/21/2026

Today's Formal Hearing is scheduled to start at 0830AM (09AM in Newfoundland).

Today starts with testimony from the Inquiry Investigators (Kenn Richard and Tara Petti), and ends with the beginning of Judge Bill English's testimony on Legal Representation and Court Process.

Documents are available on our website (inniuna.ca), and the livestream can be accessed here:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://gov-nl-ca.zoom.us/j/67640790939?pwd=lRGCPqvfakHarLmWXnstFwluw21Yl4.1

Meeting ID: 676 4079 0939
Passcode: Jq9R72Se

Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat
For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

04/17/2026

The schedule for next week's Formal Hearing is out!

Tuesday AM
Kenn Richard & Tara Petti: Investigators’ Overall Report

Tuesday PM
Kenn Richard & Tara Petti: Investigators’ Overall Report
- AND -
Judge Bill English (ret’d): Access to Justice & Legal Services

Wednesday AM
Judge Bill English (ret’d): Access to Justice & Legal Services (cont.)

Wednesday PM
Drs. Barbara Fallon & Tara Black: Child Protection Data

Thursday
Various lawyers: Final Oral Submissions from Limited Standing Parties

We will start each day at 0830AM Labrador time. The link to the livestream will be posted here on Tuesday morning.

A reminder that translation will not be available next week, but all proceedings will be translated and those translations posted to the Inquiry's website in the near future.

Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat
For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation

04/14/2026

The Commissioners will convene the Inquiry’s eighth Formal Hearing Tuesday to Thursday next week (21-23 April).

This Hearing will run 0830AM-430PM Labrador time each day, and will be held online, only. A link to the livestream will be posted here on our page Tuesday morning.

This Hearing will include testimony from:
- Drs. Barbara Fallon and Tara Black (University of Toronto) on Child Protection Data;
- Judge Bill English on Access to Justice and Legal Services; and,
- Kenn Richard and Tara Petti (Inquiry Investigators) on their findings from the six Death Investigations.

This testimony will be pre-recorded and played on video at the Hearing.

We will also hear final oral submissions from the six families, and other parties with limited standing.
(final submissions from the governments - Innu, Province, Federal - will take place in July.

Translation of the proceedings into both dialects of Innu-aimun will be available on the Inquiry’s website at a later date.

In accordance with Innu cultural traditions, each day’s proceedings will be convened and adjourned with a prayer or moment of reflection.

Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation
For your information: Mushuau Innu Natuashish
Innu Nation
Innu Round Table Secretariat