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B.C. Conservative leader reportedly directs MLAs to avoid ‘First Nations’
Kerry-Lynne Findlay has reportedly told B.C. Conservative MLAs to use terms including Indigenous, Aboriginal or Indian instead of First Nations. The party had not responded to a request for comment.
B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay has reportedly directed party MLAs to stop using the term “First Nations” and instead use Indigenous, Aboriginal or Indian, according to Business in Vancouver.
The report said Findlay, elected leader in May, and her team pointed to the federal Indian Act in support of the direction. It said the change was apparently linked to a view of “First Nations” as language associated with the political left.
Indian remains a legal term under the Indian Act for people registered under it, but is widely regarded as outdated and often offensive outside that context. UBC’s Indigenous Foundations notes the term’s complex colonial history. Aboriginal is a broad term that includes First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, while First Nations generally refers to Indigenous peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis.
Daily Hive said it sought comment from the B.C. Conservatives. Findlay also faced criticism during the leadership campaign over past comments and positions related to Indigenous issues.