As Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre began to speak to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) in Montreal Thursday one delegate stood and turned his back to him.
The delegate stood alone for a few minutes before another joined him. Then six more.
In total, seven veterans and one leader in the two-spirit community all looked the other way to make their points.
At the end of the speech, they walked out. But other delegates called for Poilievre to stay and answer questions.
Duane Aucoin, of the Teslin Tlingit community and interim co-chair of the two-spirit council of the AFN, said he turned his back to show he doesn’t like the way Poilievre treats gender-diverse people.
“I was not planning on doing anything other than sitting and listening,” Aucoin told APTN News. “When I saw my friend from the veteran council standing with his back to him that’s when I could feel my two-spirit ancestors.
“How Pierre (Poilievre) attacks my two-spirit people across the country, I had to do something. I asked the Woman’s Council, I asked the ‘aunties’, and they said ‘Go stand with him.’”
It was a silent protest to show Poilievre he can’t say he supports Indigenous people then attack two-spirit people, Aucoin added.
“He hides behind parental rights and attacks trans youth; they are members of our community, so I had to stand up for them.”
Poilievre left the building immediately following question and answer period and avoided reporters.
It was the Conservative leader’s first in-person speech to the AFN, which wrapped up its annual general assembly Thursday.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, by comparison, was met with applause. He stayed over the allotted time for questions, posed for photos and spoke to the media afterwards.
Chris Henderson, proxy for the chief of Rolling River First Nation in Manitoba, said it was a fair protest.
“They’ve proven their loyalty to this country,” he said of the veterans, “so if they’re not happy with a particular leader they have every right to protest in the way they think is best.”
Alan Knockwood, of the First Nations Veterans Council, said it was his way of telling the Conservatives to do better.
“Any time any Native person, any organization, Native organization, was trying to petition the Conservative government, especially, they turned a blind eye to us, ignored us or put (up) roadblocks …,” he said.
“His words are meaningless.”
Knockwood said Singh was shown respect because he does the same.
“They’re making an honest effort to get things going,” he said of the NDP. “I appreciate that and they help us open doors. I liked that.”
Singh noticed the difference.
“It was worth sticking around, I’ve got to tell you,” he said.
