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

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

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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

12/03/2025

Despite the snow, we are on track to resume at 10AM (0930AM in Labrador), with the testimony of Dr. Ken Barter.

You can watch the livestream here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81633440129?pwd=3TSl8kTchcnSMeenOc3jTQqzYRPAET.1

Meeting ID: 816 3344 0129
Passcode: 513994

After Dr. Barter's testimony, including any questions the Parties or Commissioners may have for him, the Commissioners will have the opportunity to make any concluding statements before we adjourn for the week. We do not expect today will go the full day.

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

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

12/02/2025

Day 2 of this week's Formal Hearings have started; watch live here:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81633440129...
Meeting ID: 816 3344 0129
Passcode: 513994

Today will begin with a presentation from Drs. Melody Morton-Ninomiya and Leonor Ward on land-based and specialised services, with further witnesses this week including Dr. Amy Bombay (on multigenerational trauma) and Dr. Ken Barter (on child welfare services in NL).

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

12/01/2025

We will be getting underway shortly; watch along here:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81633440129?pwd=3TSl8kTchcnSMeenOc3jTQqzYRPAET.1

Meeting ID: 816 3344 0129
Passcode: 513994

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.

11/26/2025

The Commissioners will convene Formal Hearings from 01 to 03 December 2025, in cyberspace. A link to the livestream will be posted each day on the Inquiry’s website and page.

These hearings will focus upon Innu-led services, and on research commissioned by the Commissioners. Scheduled witnesses include:

Monday AM: Innu-led Services
- Ms. Germaine Benuen, Innu Round Table Secretariat
- Ms. Amanda Rich, IRTS
- Ms. Wendy White, IRTS

Monday PM: Specialised & Land-based services
- Dr. Melody Morton Ninomiya, Wilfred Laurier University
- Dr. Leonor Ward, Wilfred Laurier University

Tuesday AM: Direct and Multigenerational Trauma
- Dr. Amy Bombay, Carleton University

Tuesday PM: Child Welfare Services in NL
- Dr. Ken Barter, Memorial University (retired)

We expect things to run 09AM-4PM Labrador time on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday will also start at 09AM, but we might not go the full day.

To honour Innu culture and heritage, Elders will begin and conclude each day with a prayer or lead a moment of reflection.

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

09/30/2025

A message from Commissioners Devine, Qupee, and Igloliorte:

“As we continue the vitally important work of the Inquiry Respecting the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in the Child Protection System, we pause today to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Truth and reconciliation underpin our work at the Inquiry: our work is guided by the principles of *truth-telling* (telling the story of child protection as it has affected Innu children, youth and families, through open exchange, listening and sharing), of *acknowledging* (learning from the past, seeing one another with a new understanding and embracing the need to move forward on a new path), and of *restoring* (together creating a better path for the future).

We remember the words of Elder Tshaukuesh Penashue, who told us “when children are taken at an early age […] and when they come back and see their other young people still speaking the language, still with their families, I think they envy that. It saddens us when we know – when we hear – when children are taken away from our community. It still saddens today because it’s still happening today in our community.”

We are steadfast in our commitment to support the safety and well-being of Innu children and youth, and contribute to improvements in the treatment, experiences and care that Innu children and youth receive in the child protection system.

As we move forward towards our Report deadline in October 2026, we honour and respect all those Indigenous children that were taken from their homes, and in particular, those that never returned.

Every child matters.”