First Nations leaders in B.C. call for Conservatives to drop candidate Aaron Gunn
Former vice-president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), Bob (Galagame) Chamberlin, has called for the Conservative Party to drop its candidate in the North Island-Powell River riding over controversial posts on social media that deny the impacts of residential schools. Chamberlin, who served as UBCIC vice-president for 10 years and as elected chief of Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation for 14 years, expressed deep concern over the comments made by candidate Aaron Gunn.
Gunn’s social media posts from 2019 to 2021 have sparked outrage as he denies that Indigenous people faced a genocide in Canada and claims that residential schools were requested by Indigenous bands. In one post from October 2020, Gunn boldly stated, “There was no genocide. Stop lying to people and read a book. The Holocaust was a genocide. Get off Twitter and learn more about the world.” These statements directly contradict the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which labeled the residential school system as “cultural genocide” in its final report released in 2015.
More than 150,000 First Nation, Métis, and Inuit children were forcibly sent to residential schools between the 1870s and 1997. The House of Commons unanimously passed a motion in 2022 recognizing Canada’s residential schools as genocide, following Pope Francis’ description of them as such during his visit to Canada in July 2022. Chamberlin and Terry Teegee, B.C. regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations, have both called on the Conservative Party to reconsider Gunn’s candidacy, citing his denial of the impacts of residential schools.
UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip condemned Gunn’s posts as “reprehensible and repugnant,” arguing that they display a lack of compassion for Indigenous Peoples who suffered greatly in the residential school system. Chamberlin echoed these sentiments, asserting that Gunn’s denialism could perpetuate the oppression of First Nations people if he were to be elected. Despite attempts to reach Gunn for comment, the Conservative Party issued a statement defending him and emphasizing his recognition of the atrocities of residential schools.
In response to Gunn’s controversial remarks, NDP candidate Tanille Johnston criticized the Conservative Party for running a candidate with such divisive and harmful beliefs. The Liberal Party of B.C. also rejected Gunn’s application to run for its leadership in 2021 due to similar social media comments. This incident adds to a string of candidate drops by the Conservative Party this week, raising questions about the party’s vetting process and commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
