Indigenous leaders and organizations such as the BC Civil Liberties Assocation have spoken out against a lawsuit filed by a group of academics from the University of British Columbia. The lawsuit seeks to stop the university from engaging in “political activity,” which they allege includes actions such as making statements that UBC is on unceded Indigenous land. The Chiefs of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, and Westbank First Nation each issued statements expressing their disappointment with the lawsuit and indicating the need for postsecondary institutions to support truth and reconciliation. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip added that UBC’s statement that it is on unceded Indigenous land is also “factually correct.” BCCLA Executive Director Liza Hughes condemned the lawsuit, describing it as “an attempt to maintain status quo and the privilege it offers some, not an effort towards political neutrality.”
