First Nations leaders in B.C. call for Conservatives to drop candidate Aaron Gunn

Jackie McKay · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 2:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

A erstwhile vice-president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) wants the Conservative Party to driblet its candidate successful his riding over posts on societal media that amusement "denial of residential schoolhouse impacts." 

"I find it highly troubling that a campaigner for immoderate enactment could marque specified blatantly racist comments," said Bob (Galagame) Chamberlin, who served arsenic UBCIC vice-president for 10 years and arsenic elected main of Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation for 14 years. 

Aaron Gunn made posts connected X betwixt 2019 and 2021 denying that Indigenous radical faced a genocide successful Canada and that "residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands." 

Gunn is present moving arsenic the Conservative Party campaigner for North Island-Powell River. 

A station from Gunn connected X from October 2020 reads "There was nary genocide. Stop lying to radical and work a book. The Holocaust was a genocide. Get disconnected Twitter and larn much astir the world." 

More than 150,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit children were forced to be residential schools between the 1870s and 1997. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the residential schoolhouse strategy "cultural genocide" successful its last study released successful 2015.

The House of Commons unanimously passed a question successful 2022 recognizing Canada's residential schools arsenic genocide. The question was passed aft Pope Francis described residential schools arsenic genocide after his sojourn to Canada successful July 2022. 

Chamberlin said these comments amusement a "denial of residential schoolhouse impacts" and Gunn "obviously tin ne'er correspond the interests of First Nations radical successful this riding." 

Terry Teegee, B.C. determination main for the Assembly of First Nations, said the Conservative Party should instrumentality a person look astatine its candidates and see dropping Gunn. 

"Mr. Gunn certainly hasn't work up connected the word that is genocide," helium said.

"It's truly concerning that possibly the Conservatives can't enactment with First Nations peoples crossed this country, particularly with a enactment that supports an idiosyncratic of this benignant of view." 

A station connected X from June 2021 reads "Residential schools were asked for by Indigenous bands successful Eastern Ontario erstwhile John A. Macdonald was inactive a teenager, but hey, wherefore fto the information get successful the mode of a bully headline."

UBCIC Grand Chief Stewart Phillip called the posts "absolutely reprehensible and repugnant and wholly devoid of immoderate consciousness of compassion for Indigenous Peoples who suffered enormously done the residential schoolhouse experience."

"I don't deliberation this antheral is acceptable for nationalist office, whether it beryllium national oregon provincial oregon immoderate bureau that allows him to proceed to marque these horrible statements," helium said. 

Chamberlin said that Gunn's societal media posts constitute residential schoolhouse denialism. 

"My fearfulness is if candidates similar Aaron Gunn go palmy and are elected, that is the conversations that volition proceed to thrust the oppression of First Nations people," said Chamberlin. 

Conservative Party responds

CBC News made respective attempts to scope Gunn for remark but did not perceive backmost by clip of publishing. 

In a statement, a run spokesperson for the Conservative Party said "Aaron Gunn has been wide successful recognizing the genuinely horrific events that transpired successful residential schools, and immoderate effort to suggest different is simply false."

The connection points to comments made by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to the Assembly of First Nations last July, successful which helium acknowledged the suffering caused by residential schools, calling it a "monstrous maltreatment of excessive governmental power."

In the speech, Poilievre said determination was much enactment to beryllium done and "I cognize that Canada has nary aboriginal without a beardown aboriginal for the First Nations people." 

In the statement, the spokesperson said "Mr. Gunn, on with large candidates specified arsenic erstwhile Haisla Chief Ellis Ross, is looking guardant to repealing the Liberals extremist anti-resource laws to rapidly green-light bully projects truthful First Nations and each Canadians bring location much almighty paycheques."

NDP campaigner for North Island-Powell River Tanille Johnston said successful a connection to CBC News, "It's horrific to spot the Conservatives tally a campaigner that carries specified divisive and harmful beliefs." 

"I judge that the Conservatives should explicate wherefore they consciousness this benignant of campaigner is champion suited for not lone our riding of North Island-Powell River, but for our national government."

The Conservative Party has dropped four candidates this week, 3 of them for arguable comments. 

The Liberal Party of B.C. rejected Gunn's exertion to tally for its leadership in 2021 after a reappraisal of comments attributed to Gunn connected societal media.

CBC News reached retired to the Liberal Party for remark but did not perceive backmost by clip of publishing.