“White people are subhuman,” Says Tla’amin Leader as Powell River Name Change Poll Now Set for 2026
“The white people in Canada are subhuman because of what they’ve allowed to happen,” said former Chief Councillor of the Tla’amin First Nation KWAST-en-ayu (Maynard Harry) in a 90 minute phone interview with The New Westminster Times about the City of Powell River’s controversial name change proposal.
KWAST-en-ayu reached out to The New Westminster Times following our story about veteran Powell River paramedic Ted Vizzutti, drummed out of his job after 39 years and called “racist” by BC Emergency Health Services for opposing his City’s proposed name change.
KWAST-en-ayu is the founder of Indigenous Insight. He runs a seminar called “Colonizer Rehab,” and is credited with shaping the City of Powell River’s “Community Accord” through collaborative work with former Powell River mayor Stewart Alsgard.
The 2003 Community Accord, which laid the groundwork for Powell River’s ongoing engagement with the Tla’amin First Nation, states: “Paramount is the respect for and appreciation of each other’s diverse backgrounds.”
If KWAST-en-ayu is any indication, Tla’amin respect for people outside their community has dwindled to near zero.
“White people need to acknowledge their culture is lost,” said KWAST-en-ayu bluntly. “White settler culture is a lost culture because nothing good defines white people.”
“If I insult white people, I don’t give a sh-t,” admitted KWAST-en-ayu.
Judging from KWAST-en-ayu’s recent comments to this paper, and the strident vitriol of other Powell River activists, many proponents of the name change are also seeking to further a hard-left ideological agenda.
Latest Developments
On January 30th, 2024, Powell River City Council passed a motion whereby the City will engage in public consultation on the name change, leading to an official vote on the question coinciding with the next municipal election in 2026.