Members of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly have rejected a proposed act that aimed to prevent publicly funded employees in educational institutions and other public organizations from delivering land acknowledgments. The proposal was put forth by Dallas Brodie, the MLA representing Vancouver-Quilchena, who was expelled from the B.C. Conservative Party in March due to allegations of disrespect towards residential school survivors.
Brodie’s private member’s bill, named the Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act, sought to prohibit acknowledgments that undermine the Crown’s authority in British Columbia or assign collective blame based on race, lineage, or the deeds of historical Canadian figures. Land acknowledgments typically involve recognizing the traditional territories of Indigenous communities who inhabited the land before settlers arrived, a practice that has deep historical roots and has gained traction in non-Indigenous settings in recent times.
An overwhelming majority of MLAs, 88 out of 93, voted against Brodie’s bill during a session at the legislature in Victoria. Notably, Conservative MLAs Harman Bhangu and Heather Maahs, alongside Brodie and MLA Tara Armstrong, were in favor of the bill. Brodie and Armstrong, both former Conservative members, established a new political party named OneBC in July. Another former Conservative MLA, Jordan Kealy, also supported Brodie’s initiative.
Following the vote, Conservative MLA Á’a:líya Warbus criticized the bill, highlighting that it contradicted ongoing efforts for reconciliation with Indigenous communities in British Columbia, even if it sparked discomfort among individuals. She stressed the importance of engaging in challenging dialogues about reconciliation and aligning with the right side of history.
Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Spencer Chandra Herbert emphasized the significance of acknowledging the history of First Nations in British Columbia, noting that attempts to erase this history have persisted for too long. He underscored that banning land acknowledgments would deepen societal divisions by avoiding confronting the truth.
In response to queries regarding her Conservative colleagues’ support for the bill, Warbus emphasized their right to make independent decisions, emphasizing the party’s commitment to free speech and clarifying that the vote was not influenced by party discipline.