Read on Twitter
Check out the tweet below, and the one it links to. They're expressing disappointment that the City of Surrey turned down this councillor's motion to recognize that Surrey is on Native land. My FN's land specifically. Kwantlen land. But look who they '@'. No Kwantlens, Katzies... https://twitter.com/JackHundial/status/1348905395092291585
If you search the media for Kwantlen people, you're going to find the chief, Brandon Gabriel, or me. Brandon and I have the biggest social media presence, the chief has none. Brandon and I manage the band's community FB page, I run the FN community website and email. 2
This councillor seems to have made no effort to reach out to us. Maybe he talked to band council - though if he knew anything about Kwantlen, he'd know that council is transitioning to democracy, and he needs to talk to the community first. 3
I'm so sick of white people colonizing our politics and going tilting at windmills without even so much as a 'cc' to us, a heads up. I mean if the point here is to acknowledge you're on our land - is it so hard to send an email? A Facebook message? Ask US what protocol is here? 4
Not only does this guy not tell us he's trying to "honour" us /"acknowledge" our territory - but he @'s Kwantlen Poly. A school that has nothing to do with us but uses our name. Like, did he do that by accident? Not know the difference between us and Ryan Reynolds' alma mater? 5
Also, if you're writing about this issue, acknowledging our territory, how do you get off in 2021, interviewing a bunch of white people and not reach out to anyone from the nation's being 'fought for'? 6 https://vancouversun.com/news/surrey-council-rejects-motion-to-acknowledge-aboriginal-lands-at-start-of-meetings?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1610495493
For real, he tagged @Puglaas and Gods love and respect her, and I'd never say a word against her in front of a Native woman over 50 - BUT not only is she not from one of the nations affected (& doesn't rep a district in this territory) but she's from our historic enemy. 7
Using Native people to score political points against your opponents might make you look good, but it makes us look trifling, and inconsequential. If you want to virtue signal, get a bike, and leave us out of it. 8
