BCFS Statement on Recent Actions from OneBC to Spread Anti-Indigenous Racism

October 29, 2025

On, students were shocked to see that instead of discussing issues that matter to British Columbians, like housing, the cost of living and post-secondary education, OneBC Party Leader Dallas Brodie chose to introduce legislation aimed at spreading anti-Indigenous hate and division.

The BC Federation of Students (BCFS) condemns Brodie’s latest attempt to legislate anti-Indigenous racism by introducing the Land Acknowledgement Prohibition Act, as well as Brodie’s repeated comments minimising the horrors of residential schools and denying the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

We are glad to see the vast majority of MLAs – 88 of 93 – voted against the bill, standing against the attempt to erase the history of Indigenous peoples and ensuring this type of narrative is not normalised in BC’s legislature.

The failed bill sought to prohibit publicly funded institutions, including schools and their employees, from making land acknowledgements that “deny the sovereignty of the Crown within British Columbia” or that “attribute collective guilt to individuals based on race, ancestry or the actions of Canadian historical figures”. Brodie’s suggestion that the bill would “guarantee academic freedom” is a thinly disguised attempt to legitimise racism, fuel division, and weaponise anti-Indigenous sentiment for political gain.

It is both regressive and deeply harmful to deny the presence and rights of Indigenous peoples. Land acknowledgements are a meaningful step toward reconciliation. They recognise not only the historical presence of Indigenous peoples, but the continued presence and relationship with Indigenous communities in BC as well.

Indigenous students already face systemic barriers when pursuing post-secondary education. Meaningful progress to advance the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action is only possible when institutions remain committed and empowered to provide safe spaces and culturally relevant resources for Indigenous learners.

The BCFS will continue to stand firmly with Indigenous nations, community members and learners to speak out against residential school denialism and other forms of anti-Indigenous hate that threaten to move BC backwards in its reconciliation efforts. Targeting land acknowledgements is not an isolated act – it is part of a broader effort to erode the hard-won progress of reconciliation. First, they come for words, then for the rights those words represent.

Remembering and speaking our shared history is a powerful act and a crucial step in advancing truth and reconciliation that must be preserved, particularly in academic spaces, public spaces and places of learning.

We proudly acknowledge that our office is located on the traditional, unceded territory of the Qayqayt First Nations and that we represent members who live and learn on traditional lands that span many First Nations across the province.

About BC Federation of Students

The BC Federation of Students represents over 170,000 students from 14 institutions across BC. Together these students advocate for affordable + accessible post-secondary education.

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