A B.C. councillor is facing growing criticism for his comments around the renaming of Powell River.
During a live broadcast of the city鈥檚 Jan. 30 committee of the whole meeting, Coun. Jim Palm used a made-up name,鈥漌akawana,鈥� to refer to what Powell River could potentially be renamed.
鈥淪tep one is 鈥楢re you in favour of a name change?鈥� Yes or no. That鈥檚 simple. You don鈥檛 convolute it with 鈥榃akawana鈥� or whatever name comes out of Tla鈥檃min. You just simply ask the question and get a response. Yes or no, and then we have a direction,鈥� Palm said.
Tla鈥檃min Nation denounced the comment Monday (Feb. 5), saying Palm had belittled and mocked the Nation鈥檚 language and ancestral place names.
鈥淲e cannot let this racist slur stand. This comment is wholly inappropriate coming from an elected official and contributes to the normalization of racist remarks that make reconciliation harder than it has to be,鈥� said Hegus John Hackett, the chief of Tla鈥檃min.
Tla鈥檃min executive Coun. Losa Luaifoa said the Nation doesn鈥檛 take a mockery of its language lightly, 鈥渆specially from a long-time schoolteacher and elected official.鈥�
鈥淥ur people were taught to be ashamed of our language through the exact behaviours demonstrated by Councillor Palm and worse. This has resulted in the near loss of our language. We are working so hard to reclaim our pride and fluency in 蕯ay蕯a前u胃蓹m and call on Tla鈥檃min people and our allies to keep up their work to restore and draw attention to the beauty of our language.鈥�
The City of Powell River released a statement the following day in response to Tla鈥檃min. In it, the city apologized to the Nation, adding it wishes to 鈥渃ontinue serious conversations about furthering all aspects of reconciliation.鈥�
鈥淐ouncil is committed to fostering a positive and respectful relationship with Tla鈥檃min Nation and work with all Councillors to understand and address the impacts of colonialism and stresses the importance of appropriate language.鈥�
Now, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs is calling on the City of Powell River to 鈥渁ddress the situation and put a put an end to these disrespectful bullying tactics carried out in public meetings with no shame or remorse from these decision-makers.鈥�
鈥淪adly, these ignorant and bombastic acts of racism, that occur everyday, have become acceptable in today鈥檚 society and results in the normalization of casual racism,鈥� said Grand Chief Stewart Philip, president of UBCIC.
The union says it also sees a key role for the province to work in partnership with First Nations to accelerate the commitment in the Declaration Act Action Plan to review the principles and processes that guide the naming of municipalities and regional districts and 鈥渆volve practices to foster reconciliation in local processes.鈥�
I stand with Tla鈥檃min Nation and fully support their leadership and community. I understand that Councillor Palm has issued an apology through the media, and I am hopeful that he will learn from the work that the community, City and the Nation has already put in since 2022
鈥� Murray Rankin (@MurrayRankinNDP)
B.C.鈥檚 Indigenous Relations Minister Murray Rankin, in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday, said he stands with Tla鈥檃min Nation, and fully supports their leadership and community.
鈥淚 understand that Councillor Palm has issued an apology through the media, and I am hopeful that he will learn from the work that the community, City and the Nation has already put in since 2022.鈥�
Rankin said the city鈥檚 name is a constant reminder of the harmful legacy Israel Wood Powell鈥檚 actions have had and continue to have.
The city was named after Powell, B.C.鈥檚 first superintendent of Indian Affairs. Tla鈥檃min Nation says Powell was one of the chief architects of early colonial policies, including the rise of residential schools.
鈥淭he town鈥檚 name is a constant reminder of the abuses inflicted on Indigenous children for more than a century, spurring a renaming campaign,鈥� Tla鈥檃min Nation said in its statement.
In spring of 2021, Tla鈥檃min Nation made a request to Powell River council to consider a name change, 鈥渋n light of the devastating legacy the actions of Israel Powell have had and continue to have on the Tla鈥檃min people.鈥� That fall, the Nation and the city developed a joint-working group to oversee a community conversation about a name change.
The working group released its final report on the engagement process in July of 2022 and, last month, the city tabled strategic priorities including, 鈥淭ake real steps towards a name change.鈥�
Black Press Media reached out to Palm on Wednesday (Feb. 7). He said he would not be commenting further and referred to a statement he provided to Global News.
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