Tŝilhqot’in Nation pans ‘tone deaf’ Royal B.C. Museum plan

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — The Tŝilhqot’in Nation is calling on the B.C. government to scrap what it says is a “tone deaf” plan to spend $789 million on a new state-of-the-art building for the Royal B.C. Museum.

The nation says it’s irresponsible for the province to move ahead with the project when inflation continues to rise and the cost of living is going up for residents of its communities.

The Tŝilhqot’in National Government says its people are also dealing with delays in surgeries, a lack of doctors and nurses, and the mental health impact of the pandemic.

It says the province should reallocate funding for the museum to help Indigenous communities struggling to meet basic social and economic needs — and repatriate Indigenous cultural heritage to home communities.