Quesnel City Council is in damage control after a controversial book on native residential schools was distributed in the community by Quesnel Mayor Ron Paull’s wife Pat Morton.
One of the books, called “Grave Error-How the Media Misled Us”, went to the parents of Councillor Tony Goulet.
“With my dad going to residential school, she brought up a lot of stuff, let me tell ya. It was contesting that they didn’t exist. Those things are real and they did happen to Indigenous people who went through the school, and especially if you were just picked up and taken to the school and everything was taken away from you so, very emotional, it was very hard for me to take.”
Goulet said that his issue is with the fact that it was being circulated and distributed to the community.
“It was very disturbing, I was just appalled. People are allowed to have their opinion and I’m not against people having their opinion, but we shouldn’t be detesting things that have been taking place for years with reconciliation and what we’re trying to do with Indigenous elders and Indigenous people, we’re doing an actual injustice by saying here is a book, here is something you should read and look at and form your own opinion. It’s very, very, very traumatizing. It’s very, very, very disrespectful I think to an Indigenous community.”
The issue was raised at last (Tuesday) night’s meeting in response to a letter from the Lhtako Dene First Nation asking that the city reaffirm the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two.
(Lhtako Dene Nation’s Letter can be found here.)
Councillor Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Council’s Indigenous Relations Liaison, was also very emotional in making her comments.
She noted that it is important to build strong relationships with First Nations and that this isn’t helping.
“I know that over the past week that the nations have had opportunities to sit together on projects that they’re working with with the province and the book issue has come up, and there is a consensus among the nations that this is not OK, that their elders and communities are suffering because of this being out in the community. There is no excuse for this type of behavior in our community period, and I don’t care that you think it’s about your own opinion and having the right to voice it, it’s about how this showcases our community to the rest of BC and to the world.”
Roodenburg also said that it showed a lack of respect.
“Mister Mayor, really disappointed. I know that you said that you respect the fact that she has her own opinion, but again I reiterate that she’s not respecting that the fact that you are the Mayor of this community, and what she does in the community reflects not only on you, but on our Council and on our community.”
Mayor Ron Paull made a statement distancing himself from the book.
“I haven’t even opened it, I have looked at the cover but to be honest I have no interest in looking at it.”
Paull added that while some will look upon this situation as a threat to their reconciliation efforts, he looked at it a different way.
“I look at it as an opportunity for all of us, together, to understand and respect one another’s views and aspirations even more deeply. As is being asked by the Lhtako Dene Nation I will be the first as leader of our Council and our City and our greater community to positively and meaningfully reaffirm our MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding) that is so proudly displayed over there on that wall of these chambers.”
Paull also shared several past and ongoing accomplishments with Lhtako Dene that he was a part of.
“Under my leadership I am the first and only City of Quesnel Mayor ever to voluntarily step forward and appoint our very first Indigenous Relations Liaison, thank you Councillor Roodenburg. As a Councillor I participated with Mayor Simpson and the Council of the day in planning and voting unanimously in favour of our renaming of Ceal Tingley Park to Lhtako Dene Park, and what a fittingly sacred place for our permanent tribute to our First Nations neighbour at their ancient village and the confluence of two great rivers, two of the three rivers of the Lhtako namesake, the Fraser, the Quesnel and the Blackwater Rivers. I have willingly and positively participated in the planning of our proposed residential schools monument outside this City Hall and the planned memorial to honour the four War Chiefs on sacred ground just north of the hospital.”
Paull also mentioned coming together for the Lhtako Quesnel 2024 BC Winter Games, the first BC Games ever to be co-named and co-sponsored by First Nations and local governments.
Questioned by Councillor Scott Elliott on whether or not he agreed with what his wife did, Paull said he did not.
Mayor Paull said for non believers his statement was coming from his heart to yours.
Later in the meeting however, Council refused to endorse his motion to join the Indigenous Relations portfolio.
Besides reaffirming the MOU with Lhtako Dene, Council unanimously passed a couple of other motions as well.
One was to meet with elders who had first hand experience with residential schools, and the other was to stand with all local First Nations in denouncing the book and agreeing with the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Councillors Mitch Vik and Martin Runge weren’t at the meeting but they did express, through Councillor Roodenburg, that they supported the requests of the Lhtako Dene First Nation.
-Files by George Henderson, My Cariboo Now
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