‘Shock and disbelief’ after Manitoba school trustee’s Indigenous comments

A controversial presentation by a school trustee in western Manitoba has members of nearby communities in disbelief.

A controversial presentation by a school trustee in western Manitoba has members of nearby communities in disbelief.

At a public meeting of the Mountain View School Division on Monday, trustee Paul Coffey gave a half-hour long talk on the topic of “racism and anti-racism,” a speech subsequently criticized as ignorant and offensive by local leaders.

In his presentation, Coffey suggested residential schools served a ‘good’ purpose, and that land acknowledgements cause division by “blaming whites for taking land and telling Indians that they should be sorry because their land was stolen.”

Coffey also asserted that the term ‘white privilege’ is racist, and that he refuses to use any term to describe Indigenous people other than ‘Indian’. He also said schools should not post signs recognizing inclusivity, and that he refuses to use acronyms when discussing members of the LGBTQ+ community.

After public backlash, the school division released a statement distancing itself from Coffey’s remarks.

“Mr. Coffey was speaking as an individual and his opinions and comments were his own and possibly those of other constituents in his ward,” board chair Gabe Mercier said in the statement.

“Mr. Coffey was not speaking on behalf of the board. Mountain View School Division stands by our continued work with Indigenous partners and our tireless work around reconciliation.”

Mercier said the school board stands against all types of racism and will continue to create an environment where all students and staff feel valued.