A British Columbia Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) has declined to remove a social media post that has sparked allegations of denying the existence of residential schools. The MLA, Dallas Brodie, is under scrutiny for a post questioning the number of confirmed child burials at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site, stating that the count is zero. Brodie, who is also a lawyer, defended another lawyer, James Heller, who sought to change the language used by the Law Society of B.C. regarding potential burial sites at the Kamloops residential school.
While Brodie maintains that she is not denying the events that occurred at residential schools, she emphasized the importance of seeking the truth and asking questions. Despite facing criticism, Brodie has refused to take down the controversial post, prompting her party leader, John Rustad, to request its removal. However, Brodie’s colleague, A’aliyah Warbus, expressed the need to educate oneself, gather facts, conduct research, and engage with survivors before questioning established narratives.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs condemned Brodie’s statements for causing distress to residential school survivors and their families. Furthermore, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma expressed disappointment over Brodie’s approach, emphasizing the significance of acknowledging the truth and the struggles faced by residential school survivors.
Indigenous Studies professor Sean Carleton highlighted the dangers of residential school denialism, warning against attempts to undermine the established truth by distorting facts. The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation confirmed the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops school site, though the wording was later revised to describe the findings as potential burial sites.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has recorded over 4,000 deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools, with more than 150,000 forced to attend these institutions before the last one closed in 1996.
