I acknowledge and uphold the truth: that the land I live on, work on, and seek to serve, from Chilliwack, through Manning Park, and up past Hope to Boston Bar, rests within the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many distinct Indigenous Communities.
These lands have been home to Stó:lō, Sylix and Nlaka’pamux peoples, whose presence here is as enduring as the land, mountains and waters themselves.
These are not just names on a map – they are sovereign Nations with their own distinct ways of life: laws, cultures, languages, and teachings – many of which have survived deliberate attempts at erasure. These lands were never surrendered, and they carry the memory of deep care, resistance, displacement, survival, and resurgence. From Halq’eméylem, spoken by Stó:lō communities, to Nlaka’pamuctsin in the north, these languages carry not only words, but worldviews, and are directly tied to the land and it’s wellbeing. Their revitalization is an act of cultural strength, endurance, and resilience that should never have been needed in the first place.
As a queer, neurodivergent person of French and European ancestry, I carry a complex relationship with colonial systems. Parts of my story have been shaped by being unseen by systems that weren’t built for people like me. But I’ve also benefited from those same systems in ways that require honesty and accountability.
I didn’t grow up knowing the full truth of my lineage. Like many Canadian families, colonization made it safer to assimilate, to blend in, to stay silent. But silence is no longer something I can carry, not as a community member, not as a public leader, and certainly not as someone seeking to serve at the federal level.
The First Peoples Principles of Learning teach us that learning is holistic, reflexive, and relational. That it involves recognizing the past while honouring the gifts and responsibilities of the present. That truth must come before reconciliation. That we don’t stand on neutral ground; we stand on Indigenous land.
And with that comes responsibility.
My commitment to reconciliation is not symbolic. It’s not just words in a speech or a checkbox on a policy. It is personal. It is political. And it is ongoing.
As a federal candidate, I am committed to:
- Upholding Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.
- Advancing a distinctions-based approach that respects the unique rights and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
- Fighting for full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ People Calls for Justice.
- Supporting Indigenous-led solutions in housing, health care, education, justice, language revitalization, and climate action.
And above all, to listening – really listening, and doing the hard work of earning trust, not assuming it.
This is a sacred responsibility.
Not to lead for.. but to walk beside. To show up in humility, in honesty, and in action.
Because reconciliation isn’t just something we hope for. It’s something we choose. Every day.
And if I’m elected to serve, I will carry this commitment with me into every room, every decision, and every piece of legislation.
Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because I believe in a future where we all work together to build something better.
