A traditional Indigenous territory acknowledgement will be read at Lambton County Council now, but only at the inaugural meeting and the warden election.
Oil Springs Mayor Ian Veen pushed for a recorded vote during council's last virtual meeting after expressing that he didn't want it read at the county level at all.
Oil Springs Mayor Ian Veen. Image courtesy of the County of Lambton.
"I understand the importance of recognizing our aboriginal partners but I don't think that this should be done at the county level," said Veen. "I think if every council on their own wants to have this read at their council meetings, I think that's where it should be done and I think status quo should be the way it is at county council. We have our silent reflection and I think that's the way it should remain."
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley felt otherwise.
"Lambton County government is the only government at the municipal level that covers all the territories," said Bradley. "In Sarnia, we're side-by-side with Aamjiwnaang, Lambton Shores has its own relationship with Kettle and Stony Point, but there's only one level of government, at this local level, that covers all, including Walpole Island, the sovereign territory. So that's why this is coming here."
St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold admitted he will need help if he has to read the acknowledgement.
"Somebody's going to have to teach me so that I do not disrespect any of our First Nations neighbours," said Arnold. "I've looked at some of the territories and their pronunciation, and I'll be honest with you, my dialect sucks as an English person and I would hate to ever insult or disrespect our First Nations neighbours."
Veen was the only county councillor that voted against adopting the declaration completely.
While supporting that it be read by the warden at the inaugural meeting and warden election, council was split on an amendment for councillors to take turns reading it at every meeting.
Lambton Shores Mayor Bill Weber, Lambton Shores Deputy Mayor Doug Cook, St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold, St. Clair Township Deputy Mayor Steve Miller, Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Al Broad, Brooke-Alvinston Mayor David Ferguson, Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley, Plympton-Wyoming Mayor Lonny Napper, Warwick Mayor Jackie Rombouts, Oil Springs Mayor Ian Veen and Sarnia councillors Margaret Bird and Dave Boushy voted against the amendment.
Warden Kevin Marriott, Deputy-Warden Bev Hand, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, and Sarnia councillors Brian White and Mike Stark voted in favour of the amendment.
County council debated the acknowledgement the week after ground penetrating radar located the remains of 215 First Nations children in a mass unmarked grave at Kamloops Residential School.
Since then, flags have been at half mast and memorials have been set up across Lambton County and the Chief of Walpole Island First Nation has demanded that history books be rewritten, all children who attended residential schools across Canada be accounted for, and those who went missing be identified and given proper ceremonial burials.