N.B. chiefs call on commissioner to denounce gag order on land acknowledgments
New Brunswick's six Wolastoqey chiefs called on the province's new commissioner on systemic racism on Monday to take a stand against the provincial government's ban on land acknowledgments.
Last Thursday the province ordered government employees to stop referring to unceded or unsurrendered lands when speaking at public meetings.
Attorney General Hugh Flemming said the directive was in response to a lawsuit filed last year by the Wolastoqey communities claiming ownership of more than 60 per cent of the province.
Tobique Chief Ross Perley said commissioner Manju Varma, who was appointed last month to address systemic racism in the province, should intervene to ask the attorney general to stand down. Chief Allan Polchies of the St. Mary's First Nation also said Varma needs to denounce the government's language on the issue.
"She is tasked with addressing systemic racism in New Brunswick, and she must stand up when systemic racism is on full display, which it is with the memo that was released on Thursday," Polchies said in an interview Monday.
Reached in Moncton, Varma said it was the first she was hearing of the First Nations' request. "It would be very irresponsible of me to comment on something that I haven't gotten a lot of information on," she said.
However the commissioner said she's open to those discussions and would be reaching out to the chiefs and the government. Varma said she had seen media reports on the acknowledgments issue and the reaction on social media, and it concerned her.
"When I saw that, I was concerned about what sort of impact that would have on my relationship with the Indigenous communities and the work that I would like to do with them," she said. "I'm not a provincial employee. I am independent, and my work with them will be from an independent lens."
Varma said she had read there was no consultation before the announcement, and that was also a concern.
Polchies said consultation with the provincial government is non-existent. "There was never any consultation with Indigenous leaders on everything the provincial government has released in the last year-and-a-half," he said.
He stressed the case before the courts is a title case, not a land claim.
"We've been very clear that we're not seeking the return of all the land in our territory. We're not looking to displace homeowners. We are seeking a declaration of title to our territory, which has never been ceded," he said.
Meanwhile, the president of CUPE New Brunswick, which represents 28,000 public sectors workers in the province, expressed disappointment with the government memo.
"Any attempt to discipline our members for making land acknowledgments will be met with grievances," Steve Drost said in a statement Monday.
Drost said the union urges its members to use words such as "unceded" and even "stolen" to describe the lands they live on. "That New Brunswick exists on the stolen, unceded and unsurrendered lands of the Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqey and Peskotomuhkati is not up for debate -- it is a fact," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.