Members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia have rejected a proposed act that aimed to prevent publicly funded employees in schools and other public bodies from making land acknowledgments. The proposal was put forth by Dallas Brodie, the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, who was ousted from the B.C. Conservative Party in March for allegedly disrespecting the testimonies of residential school survivors.
Brodie’s private member’s bill, known as the Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act, sought to prohibit acknowledgments that undermine the sovereignty of the Crown in British Columbia or assign collective guilt to individuals based on race, ancestry, or the actions of historical Canadian figures. Land acknowledgments involve recognizing the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples who inhabited the land before settlers arrived, a practice that has been utilized by Indigenous communities for generations and has gained traction in non-Indigenous settings in recent times.
In a notable display of dissent during a first reading, 88 out of 93 MLAs voted against Brodie’s bill at the legislature in Victoria. The few who supported the bill included Conservative MLAs Harman Bhangu and Heather Maahs, along with Brodie and MLA Tara Armstrong. Brodie and Armstrong, former Conservative members, established a new political party named OneBC in July. Additionally, former Conservative MLA Jordan Kealy backed Brodie’s proposal.
Following the vote, Conservative MLA Á’a:líya Warbus criticized the bill, arguing that it contradicted ongoing efforts for reconciliation with Indigenous communities in British Columbia, even if it evoked discomfort. Warbus emphasized the importance of engaging in challenging dialogues to promote reconciliation and align with the trajectory of progress. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Spencer Chandra Herbert underscored the significance of land acknowledgments in recognizing the history of First Nations in B.C., emphasizing that attempts to ban such acknowledgments would deepen societal divisions and hinder truth-telling.
The rejection of Brodie’s bill underscores the ongoing discourse surrounding Indigenous rights and reconciliation efforts in the province.
