Canada must combat residential school denialism. That’s the finding of Kimberly Murray in her interim report released Thursday on the Cowessess First Nation.

She was appointed by the federal government  to work with Indigenous people and make recommendations to strengthen federal laws to protect and preserve unmarked burial sites.

The Cowessess First Nation is the site of what are believed to be more more than 700 unmarked graves in a community cemetery near a former residential school.

But Murray says there are those challenging the claim, saying it’s fake news.

“They have the evidence, the photos of burials, the records that prove kids died, it is on their shoulders and they must act and put a stop to the hate now,” said Murray.

Murray says communities that have announced such findings have been inundated with phone calls, emails and even people coming on to their property denying that Indigenous children died and disappeared from residential schools.