Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre found himself the subject of online criticism after posting photos with an Inuk elder alongside a caption about meeting with Algonquin elders on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Poilievre posted two photos to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday with a caption about joining Algonquin elders and leaders at the eternal flame on Parliament Hill to mark the holiday at an event hosted by the Algonquin Nation and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Marc Miller, the former minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, responded to PoilievreB次元官网网址檚 post by pointing out that the people in the photos are not Algonquin, but rather Inuit.
B次元官网网址淲e are all learning some difficult truths, particularly today, and mistakes can happens [sic],B次元官网网址� Miller posted. B次元官网网址淭he Indigenous people in this picture are Inuit, not Algonquin, wearing Inuit traditional clothing, including Elder Manitok Thompson, who is very well known.B次元官网网址�
MP Lori Idlout similarly confirmed it was Thompson in the photos on X, saying she is Inuk and originally from her Nunavut riding.
In one photo, Poilievre is standing head-to-head with Thompson near the eternal flame, with her hand placed on his shoulder.
The second photo taken in front of Parliament shows Poilievre standing beside Thompson and three others, including two wearing traditional Inuit clothing.
A spokesperson for PoilievreB次元官网网址檚 office said the Conservative leader was at an event led by Algonquin leaders to commemorate the day, and spoke with other Indigenous Peoples there, including B次元官网网址渢hese Inuit womenB次元官网网址� who were in attendance.
Poilievre was seen at the event speaking with Claudette Commanda, a well-known elder and residential school survivor from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, an Algonquin community located about an hour and a half away from Ottawa.
Thompson was posting about her meeting on X with Poilievre as early as Friday evening, saying she was ready to speak with him in the morning.
B次元官网网址淢y issues are Inuit priorities B次元官网网址� elder care, health, housing, economic development, hydro opportunities, carbon tax effecting Nunavut cost of living, food security, homelessness, addiction centres,B次元官网网址� she wrote.
After the meeting, she posted that Poilievre B次元官网网址渢ook timeB次元官网网址� and listened to her. In another post, she said they prayed for Canada and B次元官网网址渁ll the people who have been hurt by the residential school years.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 prayed to God and told him to bless Pierre for taking the time to stand with us at the ceremonies.B次元官网网址�
Poilievre was at the event earlier in the day, but left before the official broadcasted events commenced.
Thompson took issue with MillerB次元官网网址檚 post, saying if politicians could work in a nonpartisan manner, implementing the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission could be a quicker process.
B次元官网网址淚 speak for myself as an aboriginal, IB次元官网网址檓 not a people of pain, we want businesses, we want to own homes, we want to get ahead with our own independence, we donB次元官网网址檛 want government hand outs,B次元官网网址� she wrote. B次元官网网址淲e were an independent people before contact. We want to be equal. We are not down cast.B次元官网网址�
Saturday was the third year of the federal statutory holiday, adapted from the grassroots Orange Shirt Day, that recognizes the abuse suffered by Inuit, First Nations and Metis people at hundreds of state- and church-run residential schools.
Residential school survivors and Indigenous leaders were among the crowd of thousands who converged on Parliament Hill for the commemorative event, including Crown-Indigenous relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Governor General Mary Simon.
