A former vice-president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) desires the Conservative Social gathering to drop its candidate in his driving over posts on social media that present “denial of residential faculty impacts.”
“I discover it extraordinarily troubling {that a} candidate for any occasion may make such blatantly racist feedback,” mentioned Bob (Galagame) Chamberlin, who served as UBCIC vice-president for 10 years and as elected chief of Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation for 14 years.
Aaron Gunn made posts on X between 2019 and 2021 denying that Indigenous individuals confronted a genocide in Canada and that “residential faculties had been requested for by Indigenous bands.”
Gunn is now working because the Conservative Social gathering candidate for North Island-Powell River.
A post from Gunn on X from October 2020 reads “There was no genocide. Cease mendacity to individuals and browse a e book. The Holocaust was a genocide. Get off Twitter and be taught extra concerning the world.”
Greater than 150,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit kids had been compelled to attend residential faculties between the 1870s and 1997. The Reality and Reconciliation Fee referred to as the residential faculty system “cultural genocide” in its final report released in 2015.
The Home of Commons unanimously handed a movement in 2022 recognizing Canada’s residential schools as genocide. The movement was handed after Pope Francis described residential schools as genocide after his go to to Canada in July 2022.
Chamberlin mentioned these feedback present a “denial of residential faculty impacts” and Gunn “clearly can by no means signify the pursuits of First Nations individuals on this driving.”
Terry Teegee, B.C. regional chief for the Meeting of First Nations, mentioned the Conservative Social gathering ought to take a better have a look at its candidates and think about dropping Gunn.
“Mr. Gunn actually hasn’t learn up on the time period that’s genocide,” he mentioned.
“It is actually regarding that maybe the Conservatives cannot work with First Nations peoples throughout this nation, particularly with a celebration that helps a person of this sort of view.”
A post on X from June 2021 reads “Residential faculties had been requested for by Indigenous bands in Japanese Ontario when John A. Macdonald was nonetheless an adolescent, however hey, why let the reality get in the best way of a very good headline.”
UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip referred to as the posts “completely reprehensible and repugnant and utterly devoid of any sense of compassion for Indigenous Peoples who suffered enormously by means of the residential faculty expertise.”
“I do not suppose this man is match for public workplace, whether or not or not it’s federal or provincial or any workplace that permits him to proceed to make these horrible statements,” he mentioned.
Chamberlin mentioned that Gunn’s social media posts represent residential faculty denialism.
“My concern is that if candidates like Aaron Gunn turn out to be profitable and are elected, that’s the conversations that may proceed to drive the oppression of First Nations individuals,” mentioned Chamberlin.
Conservative Social gathering responds
CBC Information made a number of makes an attempt to achieve Gunn for remark however didn’t hear again by time of publishing.
In an announcement, a marketing campaign spokesperson for the Conservative Social gathering mentioned “Aaron Gunn has been clear in recognizing the actually horrific occasions that transpired in residential faculties, and any try to recommend in any other case is just false.”
The assertion factors to feedback made by Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre to the Meeting of First Nations final July, during which he acknowledged the struggling brought on by residential faculties, calling it a “monstrous abuse of extreme governmental energy.”
Within the speech, Poilievre mentioned there was extra work to be completed and “I do know that Canada has no future with out a sturdy future for the First Nations individuals.”
Within the assertion, the spokesperson mentioned “Mr. Gunn, together with nice candidates resembling former Haisla Chief Ellis Ross, is trying ahead to repealing the Liberals radical anti-resource legal guidelines to rapidly green-light good tasks so First Nations and all Canadians carry house extra highly effective paycheques.”
NDP candidate for North Island-Powell River Tanille Johnston mentioned in an announcement to CBC Information, “It is horrific to see the Conservatives run a candidate that carries such divisive and dangerous beliefs.”
“I consider that the Conservatives ought to clarify why they really feel this sort of candidate is finest suited to not solely our driving of North Island-Powell River, however for our federal authorities.”
The Conservative Social gathering has dropped four candidates this week, three of them for controversial feedback.
The Liberal Social gathering of B.C. rejected Gunn’s application to run for its management in 2021 after a evaluation of feedback attributed to Gunn on social media.
CBC Information reached out to the Liberal Social gathering for remark however didn’t hear again by time of publishing.
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