In a recent session, members of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly decisively rejected a proposed legislation that aimed to restrict publicly funded employees in educational institutions and other public entities from delivering land acknowledgments. The initiative was put forth by Dallas Brodie, representing Vancouver-Quilchena, who was expelled from the B.C. Conservative Party earlier this year for allegedly undermining the accounts of residential school survivors.
Brodie’s private member’s bill, dubbed the Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act, sought to prohibit acknowledgments that challenge the Crown’s authority in British Columbia or assign collective blame to individuals based on their ethnicity, lineage, or the actions of historical Canadian figures. Land acknowledgments typically entail recognizing the ancestral lands of Indigenous communities prior to colonization, a practice that has been observed by Indigenous groups for generations and is now increasingly adopted in non-Indigenous settings.
A significant majority of MLAs, 88 out of 93, voted against Brodie’s bill during a session in Victoria, showcasing unusual dissent for an initial reading. Noteworthy proponents of the bill included Conservative MLAs Harman Bhangu and Heather Maahs, alongside Brodie and MLA Tara Armstrong. Brodie and Armstrong, previously affiliated with the Conservative Party, established a new political entity named OneBC earlier this year. Additionally, former Conservative MLA Jordan Kealy voiced support for Brodie’s proposal.
Following the vote, Conservative MLA Á’a:líya Warbus criticized the bill, contending that it contradicted ongoing efforts towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities in British Columbia, even if such endeavors provoke discomfort. She emphasized the importance of engaging in challenging dialogues on reconciliation and aligning with the progressive course of history.
Á’a:líya Warbus emphasized the significance of acknowledging the Indigenous history in British Columbia, stating that attempts to ban land acknowledgments would deepen societal divisions rather than foster unity by suppressing the truth. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Spencer Chandra Herbert highlighted the long-standing efforts to erase the history of First Nations in the province and underscored the value of recognizing their heritage through land acknowledgments. He cautioned against sweeping contentious issues under the rug instead of confronting them openly for genuine reconciliation.