Members of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly have rejected a proposed act that aimed to prohibit publicly funded employees in schools and other public bodies from making land acknowledgments. The proposal came from Dallas Brodie, the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, who was expelled from the B.C. Conservative Party following accusations of disrespect towards residential school survivors.
Brodie’s private member’s bill, named the Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act, sought to bar acknowledgments that undermine the Crown’s sovereignty in British Columbia or assign collective blame based on race, ancestry, or historical figures’ actions. Land acknowledgments typically recognize the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples, a practice rooted in Indigenous traditions and increasingly adopted in non-Indigenous settings.
During a legislative session in Victoria, 88 out of 93 MLAs voted against Brodie’s bill, a significant majority for a first reading. Notable supporters of the bill included Conservative MLAs Harman Bhangu, Heather Maahs, Tara Armstrong, and Jordan Kealy, who later formed the OneBC political party alongside Brodie and Armstrong.
Following the vote, Conservative MLA Á’a:líya Warbus criticized the bill, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation efforts with Indigenous communities in British Columbia. She highlighted the need for challenging conversations and aligning with historical progress for genuine reconciliation.
Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Spencer Chandra Herbert emphasized the significance of acknowledging First Nations history and lands, stating that attempts to erase this history have been prevalent for too long. He warned that banning land acknowledgments would hinder unity and suggested that confronting the truth is essential for progress.