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
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.