News Release

February 24, 2025

UBCIC Rejects MLA Dallas Brodie’s Purported ‘Truth-Seeking’ as Racist Residential School Denialism; Calls for Apology to Survivors

(xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – February 24, 2025) The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is appalled by recent comments made by elected Conservative MLA Dallas Brodie on X (formerly Twitter), which allege that the number of confirmed child burials at former Kamloops Indian Residential School is zero. UBCIC calls on her to apologize for promoting abhorrent rhetoric which minimizes the harms of Residential Schools and for misleading and emboldening the public against Indigenous people.

UBCIC is deeply concerned by the rise of Residential School denialism promoted by elected officials, often under the guise of freedom of speech or ‘truth-seeking’ which intentionally overlook or distort critical facts. In June 2024, UBCIC passed Resolution 2024-33 which rejects residential school denialism and dissemination of racist misinformation and calls for all levels of government and the public to uphold the testimony of Residential School survivors and for implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

First Nations across the country continue to carry out rigorous investigations into former Residential School sites, despite recent funding cuts by the federal government to an expert committee designed to support this crucial work.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President, stated “The comments made by Ms. Brodie are deeply disturbing, and ignore the ample physical, archival, and testimonial evidence which detail horrific human rights abuses and atrocities against Indigenous peoples at Residential Schools. Racist denialist rhetoric from those who feel threatened by the truth about Canada and the Churches’ crimes against Indigenous peoples at Residential Schools come as no surprise; however, for someone in an elected position and holding the important role of Attorney General Critic to deny well-documented facts and misrepresent the truth to the public in this way is beyond troubling.”

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip continued, “This type of ‘truth-seeking’ rhetoric is nothing more than a smokescreen for anti-Indigenous racism. Ms. Brodie’s picking and choosing of which facts to scrutinize is a misuse of her power in public office and demonstrates her bias and a profound disrespect for survivors of Residential Schools. There are many critical issues facing our Province worthy of her attention, rather than dissecting the traumas and lived experience of Indigenous peoples. UBCIC calls for Ms. Brodie to issue an immediate public apology to survivors of Residential Schools and to educate herself about abuses that occurred at Residential Schools, including the harrowing loss of innocent lives.”

UBCIC encourages the public to access Residential Schools resources below:

• Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Reports
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action
• Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools Final Report
• Oscar-Nominated documentary Sugarcane

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Media inquiries:

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President, 250-490-5314
Chief Don Tom, Vice-President, 604-290-6083
Chief Marilyn Slett, Secretary-Treasurer, 250-957-7721

UBCIC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

For more information, please visit www.ubcic.bc.ca

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