B.C. MLAs reject partial public-sector land acknowledgment ban

B.C. MLAs voted down a private member’s bill that sought to prohibit publicly funded workers from delivering “land acknowledgements” as part of their official duties.

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B.C. MLAs voted down a private member’s bill that sought to prohibit publicly funded workers from delivering “land acknowledgements” as part of their official duties, while clarifying the bill “does not prohibit a land acknowledgement that factually describes British Columbian history, treaties or cultural connections to land.”

The bill, titled the Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act, was introduced by Dallas Brodie, MLA for Vancouver–Quilchena, who now sits as the leader of the newly formed OneBC Party after being expelled from the B.C. Conservative Party in March.

Under the proposed legislation, no person employed by or receiving funds from the provincial government could deliver statements that “deny the sovereignty of the Crown within British Columbia” or that “attribute collective guilt to individuals based on race, ancestry, or the actions of Canadian historical figures.”

The bill does not prohibit land acknowledgments by public employees altogether, allowing for land acknowledgments that “factually describe British Columbian history, treaties or cultural connections to land.”

Brodie said the measure was meant to restore “neutrality and unity” in the public sector, arguing that many land acknowledgements have become politicized or misleading about Crown sovereignty.

The bill also follows ongoing public debate surrounding the Cowichan Tribes v. Canada ruling, a recent B.C. Supreme Court decision that has raised questions about historical land title and the extent of Indigenous claims in urban areas.

The decision has caused unease among more than a hundred homeowners in Richmond, who fear the ruling could affect their private property rights and future development plans.

In a vote held Thursday, the New Democratic and Green caucuses, along with most B.C. United MLAs, voted down the proposal after its first reading.

Only Conservatives Heather Maahs and Harman Bhangu, OneBC MLAs Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong, and Independent Jordan Kealy supported the motion.

Brodie was removed by party leader John Rustad, who accused her of mocking and minimizing the experiences of residential school survivors during a legislative debate earlier this year.