Views in letter contrary to reconciliation
I write in relation to the letter “Cannot support vandalism”, (Citizen, Aug. 12)
From his letter, it is clear that Mr. Banner is no supporter of Indigenous rights, while he lacks the courage to say so. He omits that elders from many First Nations on Vancouver Island published a letter calling for an end to vandalism. He also omits that the toppling of the statue of Cook, a colonist by the very definition of the occupation of an explorer whose job it was to lay the groundwork for Britain’s forcible expansion into the so-called New World, was done by white individuals acting without the endorsement of Indigenous peoples.
Views like those expressed by Mr. Banner run contrary to any possibility of reconciliation. Luckily, the rights of Indigenous people are not conditional on what people like Mr. Banner think: they are inherent rights and they are guaranteed by s. 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Mr. Banner should learn history before he spouts off alt-right talking points in the local newspaper.
Maarsii
Bryan Crockett
Quw’utsun Territory/Duncan