Planned sessions between Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean and members of the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee (CAUAC) didn’t move forward, according to a report in front of city council Wednesday, but McLean said his truth and reconciliation journey isn’t over.
It comes after videos surfaced on social media last year allegedly showing McLean engaging in racist stereotypes and mocking Indigenous people.
After the videos surfaced, McLean said he had “zero recollection” of the event, but later apologized for past mistakes.
He then agreed to meet with a circle of Indigenous elders and report back to council, while also stepping away from his roles on several committees.
“I attended a healing circle with many First Nations elders,” McLean told reporters. “Deeply emotional, spiritual, and a life-changing experience… I’ve committed to do work and meet with them again.”
But in an annual update report to city council, CAUAC suggested there was nothing beyond that.
The report lists “councillor behaviour” as one of the issues the committee addressed this year, and said the committee was “grateful” to be consulted by the mayor’s office “upon revelations of inappropriate past microaggressions” when the videos first became public.
The report confirmed members of the committee did attend the “first reconciliation session,” guided by Elder Reg Crowshoe.
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“While the following planned sessions did not commence as planned, CAUAC wishes to express its desire for and openness to seek future relationship building opportunities with Cllr. McLean,” a footnote in the report reads.
However, when members of CAUAC addressed this section of their report in their presentation to council, committee vice-chair Krista Ouellette said their role isn’t to pass judgement.
“We’re a resource for council and we’re here to advocate for Indigenous people,” Ouellette told council. “We are here to move forward in a good way, one that supports growth, community and healing; we’re not here to comment, we’re not here raise judgement on individual reconciliation journeys.”
Mayor Jyoti Gondek attended the healing circle, after facilitating a path forward for McLean in consultation with First Nations and Indigenous leaders.
Gondek said her understanding was more meetings would come later, but was leaving that to the guidance of the elders involved, a first for city council.
“We are being led by the elders circle on this journey we’ve never embarked on before,” Gondek said. “I would love to tell everyone exactly what the process looks like but I have to respect Indigenous ways of knowing and I have to respect Indigenous ways of justice.”
McLean expressed interest in meeting with members of CAUAC “in the near future,” and added he has taken several steps including taking Indigenous history courses at the University of Calgary, attending the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women vigil, and working to build relationships with members of First Nations communities.
“My journey towards truth and reconciliation isn’t over,” McLean said.
Following the meeting, Calgary’s mayor expressed concern that the matter is overshadowing ongoing efforts from CAUAC in the city.
Those efforts include advocacy on matters that affect Indigenous Calgarians, and the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action in the city and its partner organizations.
The committee, with help from Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer, has also advocated for a smudge room at city hall which is expected to open later this summer.
CAUAC’s report also cited stakeholder engagement and further progress on both the Indian Residential School Memorial Project and an Indigenous Gathering Place in the city.
“This committee is integral on our mission to truth and reconciliation,” Gondek said. “What the membership of that committee wishes to bring forward is absolutely their right and it’s our responsibility to listen.”
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