Tseshaht First Nation in Port Alberni says a speaker who has called truth and reconciliation a “charade” and “witch hunt” is not welcome in their territory, which includes the entire Alberni Valley.
Tanya Gaw, founder of the group Action4Canada, which bills itself as “protecting faith, family and freedom,” was scheduled to speak at an event at a Port Alberni restaurant on Tuesday.
Gaw has been on a tour of Vancouver Island with stops in Victoria, Cobble Hill, Black Creek, Comox and Nanoose Bay, according to Action4Canada’s website.
She was set to speak at Char’s Landing Hall and Hostel in Port Alberni, but owner Charlene Patterson cancelled the event in response to “bullying, threatening and hateful social media posts” both by and against Action4Canada, a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page said.
Action4Canada calls itself a grassroots movement dedicated to protecting Canada’s heritage “founded on Judeo-Christian biblical principles.” It lists issues it focuses on ranging from abortion to critical race theory, 15-minute cities, the World Economic Forum, euthanasia and “political LGBTQ activists.”
In mid-October, Gaw posted on X: “It’s time to pull the plug and end the charade of the Truth and Reconciliation witch hunt. The graves are empty and Indigenous violence is their own doing!”
Tseshaht issued a statement after the event was cancelled calling on the community to look at issues of racism and hate and asking the City of Port Alberni and local businesses to take a stand against the views promoted by Gaw and Action4Canada.
In response to Tseshaht’s public statement, Port Alberni council decided at a Monday council meeting that Action4Canada events should not be allowed in city facilities.
Ken Watts, elected Tseshaht chief councillor, said in an interview it’s disappointing to see Gaw denying the brutal reality of residential schools.
The nation has identified 17 potential unmarked graves at the Alberni Indian Residential School and 67 children are confirmed to have died while at the school, he said.
“Are you implying that those students who passed away was their own doing? I don’t think so,” he said.
The nation would rather focus on creating a better future for their children than dwelling on the negativity of others, Watts said.
“And one of the best ways we do that is through education, in the public schools, in our own schools, about creating a generation that’s filled with love and not hate — a generation that can hopefully get rid of racism someday in our communities,” he said.
The Action4Canada event organizer did not respond to an email requesting an interview.
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