Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 04/99) - Yellowknife North MLA, Roy Erasmus, did not realize "wooden Indian" would be racially offensive when he used the phrase in the legislature last week.

But the next day, Premier Jim Antoine successfully called for him to retract the comments because they were "unparliamentary."

Erasmus used the phrase to refer to members of the house who sat through hearings on Bill 15, the act to add five new seats to the legislature, without hearing constituents.

"They did not hear the constituents saying we are afraid of the next assembly," Erasmus said.

"(They) must have sat there like the proverbial wooden Indian because they did not hear a word."

Resources Wildlife and Economic Development Minister, Stephen Kakfwi, said the remark wooden Indian is stereotyping with racial overtones.

"It is a racial slight on those of us that sit in this house that are of aboriginal decent."

Hay River MLA, Jane Groenewegen, said not only did she find the remarks "offensive and insulting" but that if they were made by a non-aboriginal member "there would have been a huge uproar."

As soon as Antoine raised the matter, Erasmus was quick to retract his statement, though he asked what Antoine wanted the reference to be replaced by.

Antoine did not respond and Erasmus finally suggested the phrase "bump on a log."

"My whole point was not a racial slur," Erasmus said.

"It could have been anything that could not listen. A wooden Indian cannot listen because it is a piece of wood."

Speaker Sam Gargan ended up ruling that Erasmus' words were not unparliamentary citing each member's right to freedom of speech.