The Tŝilhqot’in National Government (TNG) is adding their voice to the many calls for the removal of a B.C. Conservative candidate who made racist remarks on elections night.
The Okanagan National Alliance, Southern Chiefs Organization, and other Indigenous groups have been speaking out, demanding B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad remove Marina Sapozhnikov from the party immediately.
The TNG issued their press release on Oct. 30 calling for the same.
Sapozhnikov made racist comments in an interview on election night referring to First Nations people as "savages" and suggesting 90 per cent of First Nations people use drugs.
While Conservative party leader John Rustad had denounced the comments, he stopped short of removing her as a candidate, as the party waited to see who would form government. Were he to remove Sapozhnikov from the party and she was declared the winner, a byelection would have to take place in the riding of Juan de Fuca - Malahat where she ran. The riding was also subject to a recount in the close provincial election after the riding initially only had the NDP ahead by 23 votes. Sapozhnikov lost the riding to NDP candidate Dana Lajeunesse after a recount and the addition of mail-in ballots, by a final margin of 141 votes. Rustad said Sapozhnikov would not run again for the party.
"I find her comments that she made quite offensive," he said. "Certainly, they are not part of who I am or who we are as a party and I can tell you that she will not be a candidate for this party going forward."
Rustad still made no mention of removing her from the B.C. Conservative party.
"Sapozhnikov has displayed not only an alarming ignorance of Indigenous people, but a specifically racist view that can create detrimental policies and practices for Indigenous people and all of British Columbia," said the statement from the TNG.
They called out the role people in positions of power have perpetuated against Indigenous people throughout colonial history by dismissing Indigenous people as "savages."
"These views were what led to the Residential School system and abuse of our way of life," said the release, again calling for the immediate removal of Sapozhnikov from the party itself.
As of Oct. 30, at 9 a.m., Sapozhnikov's bio, detailing her immigration to Canada as a medical doctor, was still up on the Conservative Party of B.C. website.
"It is not enough for Rustad to condemn her remarks. So long as she is welcome in the Conservative Party, we know where Rustad and the Conservative Party stands on Indigenous issues. Rustad needs to show leadership by removing her from the team,” said Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse of Tl'etinqox and chair of the TNG.
Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA-elect Lorne Doerkson had also condemned the remarks by Sapozhnikov and expressed concern at the damage the remarks would do to relationships built over years.
"It's appalling that anybody would think those things or suggest them," said Doerkson adding when asked if he thought she would be removed from the party for her comments: "That's above my pay grade."
The Tŝilhqot’in National Government is the governing body for the Tŝilhqot’in people. The Tŝilhqot’in Nation is comprised of six communities located throughout the Tŝilhqot’in (Chilcotin) territory and is the only Nation in Canada with a court declaration of Aboriginal title (Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia).