Former Green Party of Canada (GPC) president Lorraine Rekmans, who is Indigenous, has issued a strong statement condemning Jonathan Pedneault’s recent comments about Canada’s founding, calling them ignorant of Indigenous history and treaty rights.
Her remarks come in response to Pedneault’s widely criticized tweet, where he framed Canada’s creation as:
“A challenge thrown at the face of history. We were built by dint of many battles. Battles against the elements and against the lowest inclinations among humans; hate, division, violence.”
Pednault’s controversial tweet
Pedneault’s characterization of Canada’s founding as a noble struggle against adversity ignores the colonial violence, white supremacy, and dispossession of Indigenous peoples upon which the country was actually built, according to Rekmans.
“Clueless” on Indigenous Sovereignty
Rekmans took issue with Pedneault’s failure to recognize Indigenous history, calling his understanding of Canada’s founding woefully inadequate.
“JP has little to no knowledge of the significance of the role Indigenous Nations hold in the founding of Canada,” Rekmans said, emphasizing that Canada’s sovereignty itself is based on treaties with Indigenous Nations.
She also pointed out that while the Green Party moved quickly to install Pedneault as co-leader without an election, it took them far longer to establish a ballot for the First Nations seat on the party’s Federal Council.
“For a human rights advocate to fail to mention the most marginalized people in Canada shows a total lack of political awareness and understanding of Canadian politics, Canadian culture, and Canadian history.”
She further condemned his failure to mention Canada’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) and the legacy of colonial oppression.
Rekmans further revealed that Elizabeth May had previously argued that electing Indigenous representatives to Federal Council would violate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), a claim she dismissed as absurd.
Green Party’s Failures on Indigenous Issues
Beyond Pedneault’s historical blunder, Rekmans criticized the Green Party’s broader shortcomings on Indigenous rights, accusing the leadership of treating Indigenous governance as an afterthought while rushing to secure its own internal power.
“They took their sweet time in preparing a ballot for the First Nation seat on Federal Council but anointed a co-leader with neck-breaking speed.”
“I never felt GPC had enough maturity to truly respect Indigenous People’s rights and sovereignty,” she said.
Rekmans’ scathing criticism adds to the growing backlash against Pedneault’s remarks and the party’s leadership decisions. Many members, including Rekmans, view the latest controversies as part of a deeper pattern of eroding democratic principles within the Green Party of Canada.
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