When Human Flamethrowers Speak
some FN leaders (including UBCIC) gave a presser today at the FNLG and I caught a few minutes of it
Before I get into the nitty gritty, I have a question.
Why does the Union of BC Indian Chiefs received grant money from the interest earned on deposits made from residential property sales in BC?
The Real Estate Foundation of BC gave the UBCIC a grant in the amount of $250,000 this year. Over the past several years the REFBC also gave grant money to two members of the plaintiff group in the Cowichan Tribes case — Cowichan and Halalt First Nation, as well as to defendants Musqueam and Tsawwassen Nations.
On its website the REFBC describes its grant program as part of a path of reconciliation that is grounded in truth. Okay, well I don’t see truth or reconciliation, I see organisations fighting the colonial capitalist system that powers BC taking handouts from a symbol of that colonial capitalist system. 95% of BC land remains unceded, meaning not covered by a treaty agreement with First Nations. Meaning property sales embody and compound the ongoing historical wrongdoing of imperial land grabs. So, these grants come from that tainted pot of money. And washing that money by giving it to indigenous people engaged in an ongoing struggle to win Aboriginal title rights the wrong? Really? Nah. I question the integrity of representative indigenous NGOs and nations taking this money. To me, it represents fruit from a poisonous tree.
Video Transcript
Thank you for that question and certainly the rhetoric that we’re hearing about not recognizing title or recognizing the First Nations lands that we’re on is I think we need to combat that and certainly part of it is treaties as related to the Declaration of Treaties, Agreements, other constructive arrangements, the transmission line, the recognition of Haida title. Really, I think that’s what we need more of. And further to that, those that aren’t in the treaty process, I think we need legislation such as what was committed to in terms of the action plan, the well over 80, 89 action plan measures, if you will, that we agreed to with the province of BC.
Last week at the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations AGM, we passed a resolution calling for the resignation of Dallas Brody because of the sentiments that she’s putting out there in terms of really, think, what we’re seeing. And it’s really hurtful for many of those residential school survivors that experienced trauma, that experience, know, everything that we all know about in terms of, you know, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. And we fully well know that there were well over 4,000 children that are missing and that perhaps died within residential schools. That number is probably even higher.
And what we’ve seen at the Kamloops Indian Residential School is really indicative of that. And the fact remains is that, you know, these schools, these residential schools, they were, it was policy. It was love. Our children were stolen and brought to these institutions and some of them died there. That’s the truth. And you know, to have somebody in government, in the provincial government to say otherwise is disrespectful, it’s hurtful, and I would say is hate speech in terms of, know, from a perspective of many of the residential school survivors and many First Nations. So certainly we have to call it out and we have to keep...especially our government officials accountable to what they’re saying. And that’s really important. And as part of the leadership council, I think we need to keep this government accountable and all levels of government accountable. And perhaps, you know, in the end, I think there’s a better way forward. And I think, you know, the First Nations leadership gathering is indicative of that.
It allows us to have respectful conversations, perhaps negotiations, discussions of our relationship with the provincial government. And that’s what is needed more than ever. Thank you. As I indicated earlier, I have two great grandchildren, 15 grandchildren and five adult children. And one of the most heartbreaking things I think I’ve ever became aware of is most, know, the BC legislature is an institution that is greatly valued by all British Columbians.
Consequently, it happens on a regular basis that teachers bring their students into the public gallery. Those children witness racialized hatred with the acrimonious debate that goes on in the House. And that’s not what the BC legislature is supposed to be about. Our elders say those institutions are the center of our truth. And we need serious people to undertake the challenging work that represents the government agenda. And there’s no room for someone like Dallas Brody, whose sole purpose in life is to continue to extol her racist, white supremacist, ugly rhetoric and we need to understand that the future of our children and grandchildren is the business of the house and we simply don’t need that. So I support her total removal. Thank you.
Let’s unpack this video clip from a UBCIC presser at the FNLG that took place on Tuesday November 4th.
“what we’ve seen at the Kamloops Indian Residential School is really indicative”
What did we see at Kamloops Indian Residential School? We saw a GPR scan of an apple orchard near the school detect soil anomalies and, despite no excavation carried out to confirm the nature of those soil anomalies, the country heard about a mass grave of 215 children. GPR can only detect anomalies, it cannot confirm the presence of human remains. Only an excavation can confirm human remains. The Kamloops Indian Band received $12 million dollars to excavate and failed to do so and diverted the money to other endeavours. Apparently the band doesn’t have to excavate because the knowledge keepers know things and we will all have to accept that. So, what’s that fraudulent activity indicative of, reader? We can speculate, can’t we?
So certainly we have to call it out and we have to keep...especially our government officials accountable to what they’re saying.
The chief used this presser as an opportunity to announce that the chiefs decided they want an elected member of the B.C. legislature removed because she said things in the house they don’t like. Dallas Brodie sits in the legislature as an opposition MLA, not a member of the governing caucus. Well, we have laws about this stuff. Did the esteemed chiefs bother to research grounds for removing an MLA from her seat? The BC Constitution Act indicates the following grounds for forfeiture of an MLA’s seat: absenteeism, allegiance to foreign powers, dual citizenship, or serious criminal convictions.
And as part of the leadership council, I think we need to keep this government accountable and all levels of government accountable …it allows us to have respectful conversations.
Who keeps indigenous leaders accountable? Where’s that $12 million at? Where are the bodies in the so-called mass grave? What about the vicious name calling of an elected official? Could we get some accountability for that personal attack? Everything I don’t like is hateful and racist hardly seems like accountability to me, reader. Sliver and plank much?
our relationship with the provincial government
Okay, but the provincial government serves the citizens of BC, so, what about the UBCIC’s (and other FN leadership entities’) relationship with the people of BC? Because from where I’m sitting it sucks, it’s on life support and many don’t trust the UBCIC or any of the First Nations Leadership. British Columbians feel browbeaten and psychologically abused by the way “truth and reconciliation” has become a cudgel and the way genocide has become a rhetorical flourish and a portal for dehumanisation and racism. Settler and uninvited guest labels dehumanise and they come awfully close to bigotry. So, the UBCIC’s (FNL’s) relationship with the employers of the provincial government sucks and that’s a problem.
Those children witness racialized hatred
Okay, can we talk about how young public school children have to endure struggle sessions in which the teachers force them to recite land acknowledgements and confess that they live on borrowed land? Can we talk about white children having to sit through sessions where the teachers preach to them about white privilege? How do the chiefs think an 8 year old feels about their teachers shaming them like this? It’s psychological abuse, and it’s systematic.
there’s no room for someone like Dallas Brody, whose sole purpose in life is to continue to extol her racist, white supremacist, ugly rhetoric
How much time does Dallas Brodie spend living rent free inside the heads of these chiefs? Censorship and cancellation are devices of oppression and they’re employed by control freaks. Why don’t the UBCIC and other FNL call her in rather than call her out? Isn’t the idea to win hearts and minds? So why don’t the chiefs take an approach that attempts to do that?
I don’t care for Dallas Brodie’s hysterical approach to the Cowichan ruling, nor for her mocking of Residential School Survivors. That doesn’t matter, she’s a human and we can’t just cancel her and remove her from her seat because she hurts our feelings or offends our sensitivities. I do think ordinary people in BC are having a natural reaction in being worried to the point of hysteria. I don’t think it’s constructive nor warranted and I do think it’s expected under the circumstances.
I think this vicious and hateful personal attack against Dallas Brodie and the inflammatory rhetoric that the FNL expressed sets fire to the situation. I also thought the Bannonite conservatives’ reaction inflammatory. We now see both sides meeting fire with fire. No one wants to tone down their rhetoric so we will see hostile warfare discourse. So we will watch a flame war take place and things will get destroyed by the flames and, after the human flamethrowers burn sh1t down, we’ll still have to reconcile in order to negotiate treaties and agreements.
From the perspective of the angry + fearful + freaked out crowd, this statement by the FNL targets their saviour advocate (DB embodies an important and hopeful advocate for many in the right wing). It will create mistrust in people who will feel less inclined to believe Cowichan doesn’t want their house than they already now feel. It will intensify the hateful rhetoric being expressed about indigenous people in Bannonite conservative circles.
Does the FNL want reconciliation or does it want to punish and exact vengeance? What happened to grace and humility and moral courage?
Will the adults in the room please stand up and come to the front?