Elected officials in the Cowichan Valley have taken to social media to condemn racism in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak among Cowichan Tribes.

North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring and Cowichan Valley MLA Sonia Furstenau are among those who have voiced their disgust with social media posts and behaviour towards members of Cowichan Tribes after the First Nation experienced a surge in cases this month.

sa国际传媒滱s you will know, I spend a fair bit of time on social media, and Isa国际传媒檝e been extremely concerned with some of the posts Isa国际传媒檝e been seeing in the past few days with respect to the COVID outbreak among the Cowichan Tribes community,sa国际传媒� Siebring wrote in a post on his public page on Sunday, Jan. 10. sa国际传媒淥Ksa国际传媒� Isa国际传媒檓 beyond sa国际传媒榚xtremely concerned.sa国际传媒� Isa国际传媒檓 disappointed. And Isa国际传媒檓 pissed off.

sa国际传媒淪ome of the posts Isa国际传媒檝e seen are vile; filled with racism and an sa国际传媒榰s/themsa国际传媒� mentality. They are fear-based, and they are inappropriate.sa国际传媒�

Chief and council imposed a shelter in place order for Tribes members until Jan. 22. The First Nations Health Authority said the case countwas 45 as of Saturday.

Siebring noted the response from the broader community has included demands that off-reserve employers fire any First Nations workers based on their membership in Cowichan Tribes.

sa国际传媒淭hat, folks, is racism,sa国际传媒� he wrote. sa国际传媒淧lain and simple. And itsa国际传媒檚 wrong.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淏ecause heresa国际传媒檚 the thing. Tribes is being completely transparent about their numbers sa国际传媒� far moreso than Island Health. The FNHA has the authority to be this specific and transparent on cases, locations, etc., while the rest of us, (including non-First Nations elected officials) donsa国际传媒檛 even know specifically where cases are unless we hear from specific institutions like Superstore or the Chemainus High School.sa国际传媒�

Siebring lamented that Cowichan Tribessa国际传媒� transparency is being rewarded with racist rhetoric and demands for segregation. He also pointed out that COVID-19 was in the Cowichan Valley long before the outbreak in Cowichan Tribes was announced.

sa国际传媒淏ut heresa国际传媒檚 the thing,sa国际传媒� he wrote. sa国际传媒淔or 10 months, COVID was present in the non-First Nations community. The first case among Cowichan Tribes wasnsa国际传媒檛 identified until New Yearsa国际传媒檚 Day. But NOT ONCE during that 10-month period did we ever hear of Tribes members looking at every non-indigenous person with the assumption that they had COVID. We didnsa国际传媒檛 hear any calls for all white people to stay away from their jobs until the pandemic is over. I didnsa国际传媒檛 see a single social media post or news article where Cowichan Tribes members were complaining that it was sa国际传媒榯hose white peoplesa国际传媒� who were spreading the virus all over the Island.

sa国际传媒淎nd yet, now that the numbers have changed, thatsa国际传媒檚 the kind of rhetoric wesa国际传媒檙e starting to see. Folks, we are better than this. And it has to stop.sa国际传媒�

The mayor acknowledged that his words echoed those posted by Cowichan Tribes councillor Stephanie Atleo a day earlier.

sa国际传媒淣ot once during this did we look at every non-indigenous person and assume you had COVID,sa国际传媒� Atleo had written. sa国际传媒淲e did not tell any of you to come back to work or to our businesses when the pandemic is over. Not once did we comment on any news article about the spread and say sa国际传媒榦h those sa国际传媒渨hitesa国际传媒� people are spreading it on the Island!sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒�

Furstenau asked the wider community to sa国际传媒渟how humanity in their interactions with Cowichan Tribes members as they navigate this scary and dangerous time.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淲hen the news broke that cases were on the reserve, and the shelter-in-place order was issued, my first thought was to the health of the elders, and my second thought was to the reaction of those who still choose to discriminate based on race,sa国际传媒� she wrote.

sa国际传媒淭here is no difference between how these cases are being handled and how the cases in the broader community are being handled sa国际传媒� with the exception that we know the number of cases.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭here is no room for racism in our collective effort in returning to zero cases in this community. We have two choices as a community right now: to unite in our effort to protect our most vulnerable from this devastating virus, or to turn on our neighbours at the moment they need us most. We are asking you to choose to be united, and encourage others who may be reacting in fear to do the same. We have done it before and there has never been a more critical time to do it again.sa国际传媒�

Cowichan Tribes councillor Stuart Pagaduan also put out a call for unity in a post to his personal Facebook page that was shared more than 100 times.

sa国际传媒淩ather than focus on the ignorance and hatred of people in our community letsa国际传媒檚 acknowledge and celebrate the friendships we already have. In the School District and as a councillor Isa国际传媒檝e had the privilege to meet some beautiful people over the years. These people are not Indigenous but I choose to call them my friends and esteemed colleagues. I feel the need to stand up and push back against all the discrimination and ugliness. I have many good friends out there and we need to hear your voice and opinion. Thank you for taking the time to understand our community and history of our people.sa国际传媒�

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