Elected officials in the Cowichan Valley have taken to social media to condemn racism in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak among Cowichan Tribes.

North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring and Cowichan Valley MLA Sonia Furstenau are among those who have voiced their disgust with social media posts and behaviour towards members of Cowichan Tribes after the First Nation experienced a surge in cases this month.

鈥滱s you will know, I spend a fair bit of time on social media, and I鈥檝e been extremely concerned with some of the posts I鈥檝e been seeing in the past few days with respect to the COVID outbreak among the Cowichan Tribes community,鈥� Siebring wrote in a post on his public page on Sunday, Jan. 10. 鈥淥K鈥� I鈥檓 beyond 鈥榚xtremely concerned.鈥� I鈥檓 disappointed. And I鈥檓 pissed off.

鈥淪ome of the posts I鈥檝e seen are vile; filled with racism and an 鈥榰s/them鈥� mentality. They are fear-based, and they are inappropriate.鈥�

Chief and council imposed a shelter in place order for Tribes members until Jan. 22. The First Nations Health Authority said the case countwas 45 as of Saturday.

Siebring noted the response from the broader community has included demands that off-reserve employers fire any First Nations workers based on their membership in Cowichan Tribes.

鈥淭hat, folks, is racism,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淧lain and simple. And it鈥檚 wrong.鈥�

鈥淏ecause here鈥檚 the thing. Tribes is being completely transparent about their numbers 鈥� far moreso than Island Health. The FNHA has the authority to be this specific and transparent on cases, locations, etc., while the rest of us, (including non-First Nations elected officials) don鈥檛 even know specifically where cases are unless we hear from specific institutions like Superstore or the Chemainus High School.鈥�

Siebring lamented that Cowichan Tribes鈥� transparency is being rewarded with racist rhetoric and demands for segregation. He also pointed out that COVID-19 was in the Cowichan Valley long before the outbreak in Cowichan Tribes was announced.

鈥淏ut here鈥檚 the thing,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淔or 10 months, COVID was present in the non-First Nations community. The first case among Cowichan Tribes wasn鈥檛 identified until New Year鈥檚 Day. But NOT ONCE during that 10-month period did we ever hear of Tribes members looking at every non-indigenous person with the assumption that they had COVID. We didn鈥檛 hear any calls for all white people to stay away from their jobs until the pandemic is over. I didn鈥檛 see a single social media post or news article where Cowichan Tribes members were complaining that it was 鈥榯hose white people鈥� who were spreading the virus all over the Island.

鈥淎nd yet, now that the numbers have changed, that鈥檚 the kind of rhetoric we鈥檙e starting to see. Folks, we are better than this. And it has to stop.鈥�

The mayor acknowledged that his words echoed those posted by Cowichan Tribes councillor Stephanie Atleo a day earlier.

鈥淣ot once during this did we look at every non-indigenous person and assume you had COVID,鈥� Atleo had written. 鈥淲e did not tell any of you to come back to work or to our businesses when the pandemic is over. Not once did we comment on any news article about the spread and say 鈥榦h those 鈥渨hite鈥� people are spreading it on the Island!鈥欌��

Furstenau asked the wider community to 鈥渟how humanity in their interactions with Cowichan Tribes members as they navigate this scary and dangerous time.鈥�

鈥淲hen the news broke that cases were on the reserve, and the shelter-in-place order was issued, my first thought was to the health of the elders, and my second thought was to the reaction of those who still choose to discriminate based on race,鈥� she wrote.

鈥淭here is no difference between how these cases are being handled and how the cases in the broader community are being handled 鈥� with the exception that we know the number of cases.鈥�

鈥淭here is no room for racism in our collective effort in returning to zero cases in this community. We have two choices as a community right now: to unite in our effort to protect our most vulnerable from this devastating virus, or to turn on our neighbours at the moment they need us most. We are asking you to choose to be united, and encourage others who may be reacting in fear to do the same. We have done it before and there has never been a more critical time to do it again.鈥�

Cowichan Tribes councillor Stuart Pagaduan also put out a call for unity in a post to his personal Facebook page that was shared more than 100 times.

鈥淩ather than focus on the ignorance and hatred of people in our community let鈥檚 acknowledge and celebrate the friendships we already have. In the School District and as a councillor I鈥檝e had the privilege to meet some beautiful people over the years. These people are not Indigenous but I choose to call them my friends and esteemed colleagues. I feel the need to stand up and push back against all the discrimination and ugliness. I have many good friends out there and we need to hear your voice and opinion. Thank you for taking the time to understand our community and history of our people.鈥�

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