B.C. Legislature Rejects Bill to Ban Land Acknowledgements in Schools
A controversial proposal to ban land acknowledgements in B.C. schools and public institutions has been soundly defeated in the legislature.
The private member’s bill, tabled by Dallas Brodie, MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, was voted down 88–5 during its first reading on Thursday — an unusually decisive rejection at such an early stage.
Brodie, who was expelled from the B.C. Conservative Party in March for allegedly mocking residential school survivors, introduced the Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act. The bill sought to bar employees in publicly funded bodies from making acknowledgements “that deny the sovereignty of the Crown within British Columbia or attribute collective guilt based on race or ancestry.”
Land acknowledgements are statements recognizing the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples who have lived on the land long before colonial settlement. Once primarily an Indigenous practice, they have become common in public events, schools, and government gatherings in recent years.
Only four MLAs — Brodie, Tara Armstrong, Harman Bhangu, and Heather Maahs — voted in favour of the bill. Brodie and Armstrong, both former Conservatives, now lead a newly formed party called OneBC.
Following the vote, Á’a:líya Warbus, a Conservative MLA and Indigenous leader, condemned the bill, calling it a step backward in reconciliation.
“It takes all the hard work we’re doing and completely distracts from that,” Warbus said. “Reconciliation can be uncomfortable, but we need to stay on the right side of history.”
Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, echoed those concerns, warning that banning land acknowledgements would “erase First Nations history” and deepen divisions.
“That’s why we acknowledge First Nations people,” he said. “Trying to ban it is like pushing the truth under the carpet.”
The resounding vote against Brodie’s proposal underscores broad cross-party support in B.C. for continuing public recognition of Indigenous lands — a key element in the province’s ongoing journey toward reconciliation.
