Several Indigenous leaders including BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee took a moment to call for the resignation of One BC Party Leader and Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie.
The request stems from comments made by Brodie regarding residential school survivors back in March, which got her expelled from the Conservative Party of BC.
During the first day of the BC Cabinet and First Nations Leadership Gathering in Vancouver, Teegee stated it’s disappointing to see a political voice spewing this kind of rhetoric in the legislature.
“Our children were stolen and brought to these institutions and some of them died there. That is the truth. To have someone in government, in the provincial government to say otherwise is disrespectful.”
“We fully well know that there were well over 4,000 children that were missing and perhaps died within residential schools, that number is probably even higher.”
“It’s really hurtful for many of those residential school survivors that experience trauma and everything we all know about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,”
Premier David Eby sided with Teegee stating that Brodie’s philosophy on residential schools prevents the healing from survivors who want to tell their stories.
“Residential school survivors, she has attacked them and discouraged them from coming forward publicly to tell their stories by saying they are making these stories up.”
“When you get down to it, this is a very small minority of voices in the province of British Columbia. The vast majority
Last month, a private member’s bill tabled by Brodie dubbed the Property Rights Protection Act was voted in Victoria.
One BC said the bill would also have imposed a new duty on government to consult property owners before making any decision that could affect their land or property rights.
This was a reaction to the B.C. Supreme Court ruling on the Cowichan Tribes title lands in Richmond.
Grand Chief Stewart Philip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs called Brodie’s comments “racist, white supremacist and ugly” rhetoric.
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