“I find the new Chief of the Amjiwnaang (sic)remarks to be a threat against me for doing my job,” says Dennis

Heather Wright/The Independent

Aamjiwnaang’s chief has filed complaints to both the Lambton County and Sarnia Integrity Commissioner over comments made by Bill Dennis.

Nov. 27, Lambton County Council received a letter from Chief Janelle Nahmabin about fines paid by Imperial Oil to the county for a spill in April 2021. The strong odours, led to eye, nose and throat irritation, as well as headaches and nausea, for Aamjiwnaang residents.

Imperial Oil was fined $900,000 and ordered to pay a $225,000 victim surcharge after being convicted under the Environmental Protection Act.

That money was paid to Lambton County, since it runs the provincial offences court where the charges were heard. Nahmabin asked the money be turned over the Aamjiwnaang First Nation. “We are the ones directly impacted as well as South Sarnia residents in this circumstance,” she wrote adding the nation would use it to address the cumulative impacts of pollution in the community.

County councillors received the letter, but took no action. During the discussion, Sarnia City/County Councillor Bill Dennis said Nahmabin is “anti-Chemical Valley.

“She’s used words like her terms like environmental terrorism…They have an end goal to get rid of Chemical Valley,” Dennis said during the council meeting.

“We we cannot keep on being weak to these people. We can’t. We got to show some, some backbone,” said Dennis.

See the conversation here:

“Councillor Dennis’ remarks were untrue, reckless, offensive, disparaging and abusive towards me personally as well as the community of Aamjiwnaang as a whole and represent an attempt to bully and intimidate Aamjiwnaang and its members,” Nahmabin wrote in a letter to Lambton County and City of Sarnia councils.

“Members of Aamjiwnaang, like all members of the public, have a right to engage with municipal governments without fear of being smeared, discriminated against or harassed by elected officials.”

Nahmabin says Dennis’ actions were against both bodies Codes of Conduct and she’ll take her complaint to the Integrity Commissioners in both Sarnia and Lambton County.

She added, Dennis’ remarks do not reflect a “respectful, constructive acknowledgement of the history of First Nations and First Nations Peoples on the lands within Lambton County” which is part of the city and county’s land acknowledgement.

“These remarks betray an ignorance of the colonial history of Canada, including the history of Aamjiwnaang and its people, and undermine efforts towards meaningful reconciliation,” she wrote.

Nahmabin urges both Sarnia and Lambton County Council to ensure Dennis publicly apologizes to the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, and that the councils “hold Councillor Bill Dennis accountable for his inappropriate remarks, ensuring that such behaviour is not repeated” and commit to sensitivity and cultural awareness training for all Lambton County Council members “to foster a better understanding of Indigenous communities and their leadership.”

Dennis has rejected sensitivity and cultural awareness training at Sarnia City council in the past.

Nahmabin adds the bodies must take “immediate and meaningful action” since “failure to do so could significantly harm relations between the county, the city and Aamjiwnaang First Nation.

Dennis, on social media shortly after Nahmabin’s letter was released in a Sarnia Council agenda package, said “My job as city and county councillor is to defend and fight for workers and their jobs…I am staunchly opposed to anything that hampers production, productivity, growth, infrastructure and your ability to make a livelihood in the City of Sarnia.

“I find the new Chief of the Amjiwnaang (sic)remarks to be a threat against me for doing my job,” he continued.

“The Chief of the Amjiwnaang (sic) Tribe, is threatening to file complaints against me, for advocating for your jobs, for your livelihood, for your ability to feed, clothe and shelter your children. She thinks that is worth yet another integrity commissioner complaint.”

Dennis added he would “never be silenced” and “never surrender.”