Here are a few things in reply to recent comments opposing the proposed name change [“Letter: Possible name change strategy is one of tortuous fatigue," May 10] for Powell River.
Despite all the purported ambiguity in the question, there are two blazingly dominant facts that should put everything into crystal clarity.
One is that Israel Powell’s history is one of institutional oppression of First Nations people, the unscrupulous handling of the [Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat] mill property just being one example. No matter how nice he was to small children and dogs, this is a knockout punch.
Second is that for further context, in case more is needed, the seven-year Royal Commission on truth and reconciliation cements his legacy as what they found to be “cultural genocide.” I suspect there is a reason no one references this report in their arguments.
Reconciliation is a reckoning of the facts with our feelings. The facts do not change, ever. Our feelings must change to fit the facts. If you are going to argue with the facts you must argue with the seven-year-long commission. I suggest changing your feelings instead.
Reconciliation is not supposed to be easy. If you find yourself crying the blues at the trouble of attending meetings, maybe step up your game and just read the truth and reconciliation report, all seven years worth of it.
In regard to a referendum, we should remember that we and in fact all functional democracies are representative democracies, not direct democracies. One important reason is to minimize the “tyranny of the majority” on specific policy issues.
For 150 years Tla’amin Nation has suffered the wishes of the tyranny of the majority. Why in god’s name would you wish to extend it further with a referendum?
It’s bad enough we need to prevaricate about the overwhelming facts, let’s not turn the screws on them further with any primitive notions of “democracy,” especially after having endured the last two years of “free-dumb.”
Bruce Kay,
Wildwood
